Nikka Costa - Everybody Got Their Something (2001)

Already a multi-platinum-selling artist in Europe and Australia, L.A.-bred singer/songwriter Nikka Costa makes a classy introduction stateside with her Virgin Records debut, Everybody Got Their Something. Produced by Costa, her Aussie rocker husband Justin Stanley, and DJ Mark Ronson, Costa steers clear of fluffy, Lilith Fair sounds in favor of a rough-edged yet sultry selection of soul and urban loops. Like Chaka Khan, Kelis, and Alanis Morissette, Costa has a fierce musical attitude, and the album is strikingly ambitious. The first single, "Like a Feather" is a jazz-funk spiral of attitude and breakbeats, capturing her quick, soulful vocals against synth samples. Her reflections on personal discovery, personal commitments, love, and self-desire are most prominent on "So Have I for You" and "Nothing," but it's the hip-hop-centric title track that truly captures Costa's brawny individualism. "Hope It Felt Good" struts with psychedelic guitars, and Costa's Lenny Kravitz-like allure is downright nasty. Costa's talent goes deeper than superficial glamour and Everybody Got Their Something is a fresh, exciting look at what she can do.