Mia Nicolai – drowning
Evocative and empowering, “drowning” sees Mia Nicolai choose self acceptance.
Exquisite vocals and raw lyricism touch on a life of swimming against the tide and the power and relief that come with changing direction. Confronting and emotive, drowning is born from the emotional weight of finally facing your true self. Sharing more, Mia explained: “drowning is about the emotional crash that happens when you stop running from yourself. It’s that moment when you let your feelings rise to the surface after holding them in for so long – and it completely floods you.”
“I wrote it from a place of deep overwhelm, where facing reality felt like drowning. But it’s also about honesty to yourself. I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 15, but at that time I didn’t take it as seriously as I should have. For years I tried to outrun my diagnosis thinking I could fix it myself, if I just keep healing my past or if I kept outrunning it. I was living nomadically on people’s couches and I was actually exhausted, as thrilling as the nomadic jumping around life was, it was starting to catch up on me.
drowning is about finally giving in to who you really are, even if that means feeling everything all at once.”
The new single and accompanying video sees Mia Nicolai put her best foot forward into 2026, as she champions authenticity with her infectious energy.
The Dutch-Russian singer-songwriter released her debut EP at the end of 2025; Sharing Space Among The Stars (Superglue Records). Produced by Vetle Junker and executive-produced by Ella Vos and Tommy English, it marked her first true statement as an artist. The record took shape as a dreamy, cinematic body of work that fuses her indie-pop instincts with the theatrical spirit of her heroes Bowie and Queen. Written across London, Los Angeles, and Bergen, Norway, the project finds Mia rediscovering her own voice after a whirlwind of experiences throughout her 20’s.
Through her releases like “Chasing Lullabies” and “Spend the Night,” Mia invites listeners to see fear as curiosity and imperfection as beauty. She hopes her music inspires people to do the thing that scares them and to follow their own North Star. “Nobody knows what we’re doing here,” she laughs. “So we might as well make it into a party.”
Born in Amsterdam with an instinct to entertain, LA-based Mia Nicolai has cultivated a sound that seamlessly blends theatrical pop with raw emotion and dreamlike vulnerability. Her adventurous attitude and hunger for experience saw her go on to represent the Netherlands at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. This became a formative experience that fueled both personal and professional growth, shaping her into the accomplished artist you hear today. As she strides into her next phase, Mia is your artist to watch in 2026.
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