Nikita

“Nikita Germaine, artist and superior talent...adds essential soulful tunes that [are] a real KILLERS.” - First Experience

"As Sweet as it Comes, is a great soul, classy CD" - B.M.F (U.K)

Nikita Germaine - Just Kita
- Just Kita is a mix of classic R&B songs and dance songs; a few tracks are one or the other, but a good handful of songs are both. Most, if not all, of the 16 tracks are about love, some dealing with a relationship, others surrounding sex. Nikita Germaine succeeds in creating an album that really is sensual. The saxophone and piano play beautiful harmonies to accompany lovely vocals. These are songs that could be used for a romantic night in for two, without any disruptions, or to play at a club or party. - TheCelebrityCafe.com

It would be incorrect to call Nikita Germaine's Just Kita a retro album. I mean, Just Kita has a contemporary sound. The drum machines provide modern and radio friendly beat that plays off some nice jazz influenced guitar-work. However, Just Kita works best when the listener can make the connection between Germaine and the singers who likely served as influences such as Stephanie Mills and Teena Marie. With the exception of the opening track "911 LOVE," a trendy song that falls flat because it comes off as an attempt to appeal to young listeners (as if many of them don't have the intelligence to understand and appreciate passionate singing and well-written songs minus the unnecessary vocal gymnastics), Germaine plays to her strong points. This is a solid effort because Just Kita combines sophisticated lyrics, storytelling and metaphor with some head-bopping musical arrangements.

The song "Mmmm" is a good example of how Germaine uses metaphor to show how her lover makes her feel. Germaine uses food as a metaphor to explain how good loving can be as filling as blueberry pancakes with a whipped cream topping. That song is driven by Tony Saunders' funky bass work, and Germaine sings the song in a cooing but conversational style that complements the image set by the musicians of a lazy day in bed sharing love and food.

Germaine also proves that she can be the independent woman in the mid-tempo "Enough is Enough," and the upbeat "My Life." On the tune "Enough is Enough" Germaine renders a funky tongue lashing to a lover who has taken her for granted once too often. If the soulful phrasing she employs in the song's introduction doesn't prove that Germaine spent a lot of time listening to 1980s R&B icons like Mills and Marie, the funky nod she gives to the Cameo song "She's Strange" seals the deal. "My Life" is a cry for independence that might remind some of by another 1980s icon, Bobby Brown. However, "My Life," comes off more as a demand to allow Germaine to evolve into three-dimensional person she aspires to be: "I'll never be the girl I used to be/So don't go knockin' me for doin' my own thing/It's not unusual to love yourself/Cause if I don't, nobody else will."

Still, Just Kita is strongest when Germaine sings mid-tempo love songs and ballads. Some of the most notable include "Over and Over," a bluesy number that includes a catchy hook; the happy "La La La," the Latin tinged "I Just Wanna" and another funky number with many changes in tempo that showcases Germaine's vocal range.

With 16 songs and a running time of just under an hour and 10 minutes, Just Kita might struggle to hold the listeners attention toward the end. However, this is a record that is solid in the middle. It includes an entertaining mixture of up-tempo dance songs, mid-tempo songs and ballads and Germaine displays a polished singing style. There is a lot on Just Kita to like. Recommended

By Howard Dukes - SoulTracks.com

After singing back up for numerous all star vocalists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Whitney Houston, Ms. Nikita Germaine breaks free to give us her sophmore effort, "Just Kita" from Koch Records. Released on May 13th of 2008, her solid status as a bonified, upcoming R&B vocalist shouldn't be questioned. She co-produced the majority of her 16 track selections from the LP. Endless urban R&B jams & continuous midtempo ballads caress 'Kita's' portfolio of cuts!

Track Listing:
~ 911 L.O.V.E
~ La La La
~ Over & Over
~ Blood Rushin' Thru My Veins
~ Enough Is Enough
~ It's So Nice
~ Because Of You (Interlude)
~ Mmmm (Click to receive free track download!!)
~ I Just Wanna
~ What Am I Supposed To Do?
~ My Life
~ One Day
~ Pray
~ You Want Me
~ Because Of You
~ 911 L.O.V.E. (Dance Remix)

Its an emergency from the get-go with "911 L.O.V.E.", sending an immediate call out for L.O.V.E. as it awaits the ear of the beholder. Huh..; With "La La La", feel-good track expresses how she really feels when she is appreciated & received. The ladies will dig that!; Ballads such as "Blood Rushin' Thru My Veins", "I Just Wanna" (listen to the spanish opening line), & "It's So Nice" are refreshing & original.

"What Am I Supposed To Do?" takes the hand clap rythmn a step further & enhanced it with a usual R&B, contemporary groove & an additional mix of 'Kita's' harmonious background vocals. The hook was catchy, yet balanced with a nice mid-tempo pace; Listening to a solo opening of the sax (offered by Sonya Jason) & a spoken word from Ms. Germaine sealed the deal to "One Day"! Now, this one was diferent to say the least.

Its always inspiring to see vocalists intervene their particular set of secular songs with a reminder of faith & deliverace in a special track for Gospel in "Pray". And 'Kita' brought the best of her talents out for it! It stands out & the song could reach into the community on a much different plateau than originally offered..

16 Tracks is a lot of music these days. Only one interlude, but in spite of that, the listener may appreciate a good monies worth of valuable music. 'Kita' delivered a real great set of R&B selections on either side of the coin - Slow or Fast. With help from producer Darkside, her sounds could easily ride parallel with today's young urban R&B vocalists, even though its more attainable to the mature audience.

It's worth a listen!

JaS
The Urban Music Scene - TheUrbanMusicScene.com

Saft und Kraft. Nikita Germaine. Irgendwann in den 80zigern gelang ihr mit Unterstützung von Narada Michael Walden der Einstieg ins Soul-Biz via Motown – Walden, der einen seiner raren Momente nutzte, um seinen eigentlichen Talenten fernab der Top40 zu frönen und die (seinerzeit) junge Dame als standfestes Profil irgendwo zwischen Anita Baker und Miki Howard einzurichten. Trotz Nikitas unbestreitbaren Talenten folgte dem Debut die branchenübliche Karriere-Achterbahnfahrt und nun mit „Just Kita“ eine neuerliche Überraschung.

Nikita Germaine ist da, ihre Präsenz eindeutig : stark, erdverbunden und massiv soulful. Die Wegmarken anno 2008 lauten Teena Marie oder Chaka Khan – keine pingeligen Zickereien, sondern auf den Punkt genau fixierter Power-R&B. Gleich zum Entree bittet Frau Germaine mit „911 L-O-V-E“ zum tagesaktuellen Dance – Boom, Boom, eventuell eine Spur zu dicht am radiogerechten Zeitgeschehen, aber durch die machtvolle Vokal-Vorstellung immer auf der Gewinnerseite. In der Folgezeit bietet „Just Kita“ einen fulminant aufbereiteten Ritt durch dick und dünn – tiefschürfende Breitwand-Balladen mit nachhaltigstem Wirkungsgrad („Over & Over“, „Blood Rushin´ Through My Veins“, „It´s So Nice“, „One Day“ oder „Because Of You“) sorgen mit geschickt eingearbeiteten Wechselstimmungen für ein stets erhöhtes Spannungslevel, zu dem die ausgefeilten Hookline ihren wertigen Beitrag leisten. Ein ums andere Mal wird die übergeordnete Lady T angespielt; Basisstimmung, Arrangements und der leidenschaftliche Einsatz der Protagonistin werden den Bedürfnissen des Teena Marie Gefolges durchaus gerecht.

Von besonderer Güte sind dementsprechend auch die Takes der Uptempo-Abteilung geraten – neben den Zeitgeist-Stompern wie „911“ oder „My Life“ bietet Nikita ausgefeilte Groover „I Just Wanna“ oder „Mmm“ (man beachte den famosen Bass…), freudespendende Gospelanklänge („Pray“) oder eine upgedatete Variante des in Britannien favorisierten Stepper-Modus „Enough Is Enough“ – so oder so, auf jeden Fall „more than enough“ Gründe Nikita Germaine ein zweites Mal mit höchster Aufmerksamkeit zu begegnen.

(link:http://www.soulsite.de/sonic/groovenbeaz/review.shtml?id=759) - soulsite.de

Nikita's third album to date, and so much better than the last one! Not up to the high standard of her Motown set, of course, but definitely one to add to the collection. I cannot believe her “All Over You, All Over Me” was released FIFTEEN years ago...shocking! Anyway, this set is more on the level of that set than her previous Gospel album, and I think that six cuts on here will do the business for you if you loved her Motown set. I shall begin by mentioning the opening track, “Love 911” which isn't bad at all, and should do well on the old radio front. It's up-to-date, beefy and I hope it does do well for her. Much better than the dance remix version, too! “La La La” is another groovy cut with a pinch of the old Latin flavour thrown in for good measure. The acoustic guitar and keys are very subtle and almost swamped by the synth yet it is in this detail that draws me in, as to be honest the lyrics aren't ground-breaking! As a whole I really like it, and at the end of the day that is all that matters to me.

The ballad “Blood Rushin' Thru My Veins” is again laced with a Spanish guitar of the serenading sort. The deep bass and haunting keys and shuffling beats act as a dramatic backdrop for Nikita to really give us a strong vocal performance. This is a Lady who can really, truly sing and it's on these cuts that she shines brighter than a supernova. The dancer “Enough Is Enough” is one of the highlights. Again, her superb voice is totally in control over the slap bass and steppers groove. I could imagine this popping up on a Togetherness compilation as it definitely should appeal to connoisseurs of this kind of groove. I have to also heap praise on another tasty uptempo number called “Mmm”; a funkier effort and sassier in delivery too. Savour this, then move onto the GORGEOUS ballad “Because Of You”. The finger-clicking beats, synth, Spanish guitar and sheer warmth that emanates from the backing vocals do everything to win me over. I am very, very please to see this Lady return on top form and I shall be digging out her Motown CD very soon to soak up more of this wonderfully talented Lady.

Barry Towler - soulchoonz.com