Saturday Spotlight: Nápoles
Nápoles is a quintessential example of allowing genre influence to season your music in a manner so authentic and unique, it’s impossible to not desire more. Her newest single “Know My Place” has already garnered over 380,000 streams on Spotify alone, and made its mark on many late-night R&B playlists. Her EP ‘Slowin’ It’ embodies a sound so sensual and passionate, it’s nearly voluptuary.
Nápoles’ growth as an artist has been quite fascinating as it’s not often to see an artist from Sweden making the US waves in America, yet Nápoles has done so effortlessly. We sat down to talk a bit about singing background, getting nominated for a Swedish GRAMMY, her latest EP, and plenty more.
Before we even get into the EPs and the singles, let's start a bit with how you entered the industry. I know that ‘Slowin It’ was your first official release, but had you been creating music before then?
I've actually been doing a lot of background singing for different artists and I'm also a part of a big gospel choir and Stockholm it's called the “Tensta Gospel Choir’” And so, I've always been around music. I'm also a DJ, so I started out DJing at 18. I've been around music for a long time, but it wasn't until like 2017, 2018 that I really started to work on my own stuff.
Okay! So, one of the things that I was actually introduced to you from, even though I'm over here in America and you know, you're essentially over on the other side of the world, the LadiesLoveHipHop festival. I actually saw that online. Was that your first live performance? So, what was your prep like for that?
Yeah, it was. It was like, it was very, I was nervous because it was, for me, the perfect crowd since I knew everyone that came. It was like people from our city and we've been doing our thing for like seven or eight years now. I was most nervous about, you know, meeting that crowd because I've done shows with other artists and stuff like that, but this was so personal. It was great. It was the best premiere. Best debut ever.
So “Slowzy” was the first single from ‘Slowin’ It’, and I actually want to talk a bit about the visuals. They embody this very laid-back and relaxed vibe. I feel like they accompanied the track really, really well. How did you come up with the initial idea for the visuals?
Hmm. It was like, I worked a lot with Rebecca and Natasha also. So, we were trying to create the visuals that would match the song. And we were thinking about, you know, a lazy Sunday hangout with, you know, candles and vinyl records and stuff like that. So, we just came up with the idea and we recorded it at our friend's house. And the guys that we work with, they’re also really into old school film and stuff like that. So, they complimented the ideas with their kind of camera. They had different films that were perfect for it.
I thought the visuals for that video were just so beautiful. I felt like they just went along with the track’s vibe so well. Let’s talk a bit about the ‘Slowin It’ EP. You put this out in early September of last year as your first project, and I feel like it embodied so many different and unique sounds. Tell me a bit about your process of creating ‘Slowin It’.
It was like a collection of songs that I had done and ideas. To me, it's like a first piece, a first taste. Cause I was working on my sound for a few years and I just felt like in ‘Slowin' it’ that I had found my sound and my style. So, it's like a little collection of songs that I've been working on. And to me, it's like a showcase of that, the journey of finding myself. That's what it is to me.
How long did it take you to complete the project? Were you mostly recording in Sweden?
Yeah. Everything was recorded in Sweden and it took me like, since it's a collection, I would say it took me about two years because some songs were made prior to 2018. Prior, but I worked on it for the most part of 2020. That's when I really started and the end of 2019, was just putting everything together.
One of the biggest singles from that project was “Motives”. It carries this silky smooth, bass-heavy beat where your vocals are just the perfect addition. What's the story behind "Motives"? How long did it take you to write it.
I made it in one day. Actually I was with Wahib, the producer, and we just, we just made it from the ground up from, from scratch. So, he created the beat and he was like, I think you really will like it. And then we sat down one afternoon, and I just wrote the lyrics on the spot and yeah, that's how it came up.
Speaking of writing, tell me what your writing process typically looks like. Do you typically sit down and write or do you just allow it to come to you?
It's different every time, but I do like listening to a beat and writing to it, like connecting with a beat and then writing comes up.
And when you're not in the process of creating music, who are you listening to?
Oh, wow. I have a broad spectrum of artists I like right now. I like listening to Jazz. Old school. So a lot. Okay. As far as artists, I'm really into J. Cole's new album, Isaiah Rashad's latest single, I really liked that one. I like an artist named Kaleem Taylor. I love his sound. Greentea Peng. I liked her a lot lately. So, it's always like new people and, and old stuff too. It's just whatever I'm in the mood for, you know?
To expand on that question, I hear a lot of different influences in your music from Neo-Soul to Jazz. Who are your musical influences? Who did you listen to growing up?
Growing up? I used to dance when I was growing up. So I was listening to a lot of beats. Like I wasn't the typical person that listens to albums and stuff like that. I was always listening to different artists and I was listening to their beats mostly. I listened to a lot of RnB and Hip Hop. And then I had a period where I listened to a lot of like Curren$y, Dom Kennedy, very mixed, all over the spectrum, a lot of rebels. I like it. I like it. So, I like to pick different things and elements that I like.
Collaborators. If you could pick four artists to have on your next album, who would they be?
I'd like to work with Iman Omari, and Knxwledge the producer. So, when I think about features, I often think about producers. I don't know. Like somebody from London maybe. Let's say Greentea Peng.
Tell me a bit about your reaction after finding out you were nominated for a GRAMMY.
When I found out I was nominated for the GRAMMYs, my initial reaction was “Oh my gosh…”. It’s huge because in Sweden we haven’t had an official category for R&B and Soul, so it’s the first time in Sweden that we have that category. It felt so honorable to be one of the first ones nominated. It makes me feel like I have a place here in Sweden too with my music. This isn’t a huge genre here in Sweden, so it felt great!
Let’s talk a bit about your newest single, “Know My Place”. Tell me a bit about the process of creating that!
Well, when I first got the beat for “Know My Place”, Wahib (the producer) said that he felt as if it was a continuation of “Motives”. It was “Motives Pt. 2” at first. When I wrote it, I just felt like I was in a place where I needed to refocus. It was the first song I made that I wanted to release immediately after ‘Slowin’ It’. It was the beginning of a new era for me.
Speaking of the album, when can fans expect the project and how close are you to finishing it?
I want to release an EP in September or October of this year.
And what can fans expect on the project?
I'm gonna try some new elements, a little bit of upbeat music, a little bit of RnB, so a little bit of everything. I would say it's gonna be a new level for me expanding on my sound, so stay on the lookout!
