Niko Rubio – all I want is you
Acclaimed Mexican/Salvadoran-American singer-songwriter Niko Rubio dives deeper into the world of her debut album, late night swim, with today’s premiere of her latest single, “all i want is you,” available everywhere now via Atlantic Records.
Produced by her longtime collaborator, GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Lester Mendez (Shakira, Santana), and co-written with Mendez and Birk Gjerlufsen (Rosalía, Øresund Space Collective), the emotionally poignant song offers another glimpse into the trip hop-driven sound shaping the new record.
“‘all i want is you’ might be my favorite song on the album,” says Rubio. “It’s the most honest and heart-wrenching song I’ve written. It’s a trip hop ballad…and what’s most surprising is that I don’t like making ballads, and I hate writing sad songs. I have to really really really feel like something is desperately wrong inside me to write a ballad, and in this case, I had just gotten dumped, so it felt like the right time to yearn. I didn’t ever think I’d write a song like ‘all i want is you,’ and that’s why it’s so special to me.”
late night swim sees Rubio continuing to push the boundaries of her signature sound, effortlessly fusing influences from London, Jamaica, and her hometown of Los Angeles. Highlights include recent singles like “dream,” “kitty,” and “tokyo,” the latter proving her biggest streaming debut to date, with more than 10M total streams and counting. The song – which earned praise from stars like Joe Jonas, Reneé Rapp, Vince Staples, Barry Can’t Swim, Dev Lemons, Suki Waterhouse, 54 Ultra, and Aaron Frazer (Durand Jones & The Indications) – is accompanied by an official music video directed by co-writer Olivia Bond.
After years of writing behind the scenes for artists like Gwen Stefani and The Warning (which earned Rubio her first-ever Latin GRAMMY Award nomination for co-writing the hit, “Ego”), late night swim now sees Rubio finally taking center stage. To bring the sound to life, she teamed up with a close-knit group of longtime creative partners, which also includes Austin Ward (UMI, Erick The Architect), along with collaborators Austin Corona and Wyatt Bernard (who executive produced Slayyyter’s WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA), Lennon Kloser (Kid Bloom), Rodiah (The xx, King Krule), Zacari (Kendrick Lamar, Skrillex), and Olivia Bond (Remy Bond).
“Finally feeling ready to put out my debut album is such a dream come true,” shares Rubio. “I made this project with some of my favorite humans in the world. We wrote introspective, trippy psychedelic dream songs and melodramatic love songs and break-up songs and yearning ballads all on one record. I only gave myself one month to write it, and I think that was the best decision I ever made because it forced me to stop overthinking. It bred creativity, focus, and ultimately, trust in myself and my process.
Rubio will mark the release of late night swim, with a hometown event at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28. Held in the intimate 200-seat Clive Davis Theater, the evening will feature Rubio in conversation with her close friend and music journalist Tomás Mier, discussing Madonna’s legacy and Mier’s new book, Madonna: Into the Groove.
DECEMBER
4 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop
5 – Felton, CA – Felton Music Hall
7 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Music Hall
8 – West Hollywood, CA – Roxy Theatre
10 – Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room
11 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues Voodoo Room
#holanikorubio