Newcomer
AKICITA is an artist and singer-songwriter with
Dominican and
Native American heritage, who has transformed her truly tumultuous life journey into an enigmatic, graceful and complex pop persona. Those traits all stand proud as she shares her new single
‘FWMN’ ahead of the release of her upcoming debut EP. Listen
HERE.‘FWMN’ is an assertive dark-pop anthem in which AKICITA channels the skyscraping power of her voice to declare that she’s going to triumph against any obstacles that stand in her way. For AKICITA It’s a cathartic, blood-letting release of angst and insecurities that heralds her as a striking new talent with the ability to wield edginess in an instantly accessible way. As she so boldly affirms, “Who thought I’d burn brighter, brighter than this town?” She wrote ‘FWMN’ with the track’s producer Ben Wylen.
AKICITA says, “This song is about reclaiming my power. No hesitation, no apologies. It’s my warrior anthem song. I’m allowing myself to feel empowered by all the struggles I’ve overcome and still do to this day. No one else fought for me. No one else ever will fight for me. I did this. And I AM doing this. I’m fighting for my life every day and every day that I’m still here, I’ve won another battle. My whole life has been a war. I don’t win every battle but I continue to fight the war and I’m determined to win in the end. I hope that ‘FWMN’ can inspire others to stay and fight the long fight.”
Taken entirely upon its own merits, ‘FWMN’ is a big introduction from an artist with world class potential. Yet it takes on a greater significance within the context of the 27-year-old’s life story. Watch the live performance HERE.
AKICITA grew up in the small town of Prior Lake, Minnesota, and was raised on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Siouxreservation. Her early life as an independent, confident and Disney-obsessed child was entirely normal. But her home life was changed by traumatic events, and her escapes to various boarding schools only resulted in further abuse. She broke away as soon as she could, as she headed to Los Angeles when she was 18 to pursue a career in music.
Without any connections or real knowledge of the industry, it was initially an uphill battle. She spent much of her time partying to try to fit in and gradually discovered that her drinking had become an addiction – a story she explores further in her recent track ‘Liquor’. It remains an ongoing struggle, but AKICITA got back on track and a chance meeting with Ben Wylen helped to unlock her creativity. Bravely exploring her past and calling upon influences such as Banks, The Neighborhood and Nirvana, AKICITA discovered that she had both the confidence and the ability to become the artist that she is today.
There’s an indelible link between her choice of AKICITA as her artist name and the music she creates. Akicita translates as warrior in the Dakota language, and that’s exactly what she embodies and conveys within every song. In spite of the many hurdles that she had battled, AKICITA has gained power by fighting back against circumstances that threatened to silence her. She has navigated a troubled past to shape an immensely bright future for herself.
