NIKI, “Buzz.”

The days of performing acoustic covers on YouTube as a high schooler while growing up in Jakarta are long gone for Nicole Zefanya, better known as NIKI. Now living in Los Angeles, the burgeoning singer-songwriter is set to release her third album, Buzz, a work that solidifies her place in the folky alt-pop landscape.

What began as a self-described “identity crisis” with her sound resulted in a process of trial and error across releases. While 2018’s Zephyr and 2020’s MOONCHILD leaned into contemporary soul and R&B, 2022’s Nicole explored alt-pop territory. Now, Zefanya has found her groove in laidback guitar-driven pop, calling back to the greats like Joni Mitchell and Liz Phair. Her new direction not only speaks to her evolution as an artist, but also to her own personal growth and post-breakup glowup.

The album opens with the title track, fittingly, with the buzz of an amplifier before a cool blend of synths and muted guitars enter. Zefanya’s hushed melodic vocals are smooth and wistful, the track blurring the lines between the literary world and the highs of a new relationship.

“The first line of a fucking bestseller/ The song’s about to start/ The door’s about to open,” she sings.

It’s that intimate honesty that NIKI brings to her songwriting, like a journey into her headspace to discover the personal musings of hope and desire. The bass-driven stomp of “Too Much of a Good Thing” enters casually, with a bluesy guitar line. Smokey and resonant, Zefanya doubles on with slick blues-laced harmonies with an ease well beyond her years. Her delivery sits right in the pocket along with track. To help guide the way, she recruited singer-songwriters Tyler Chester and Ethan Gruska, who have a who’s who of credits including Sara Bareilles, Phoebe Bridgers and Fiona Apple.

The next two tracks face the end of the relationship at hand. “Colossal Loss” cranks up the momentum with a driving low-fi rock feeling, a fuzzy guitar adding to the texture as NIKI sings of rage and redemption. She shows a dynamic ability to adapt whether the tracks take on a little more rock or a little more folky identity.

“Focus” follows suit with the stages of grief, fighting denial with a reality check.

“Are you the exception or do I just like your music taste?” she asks on “Focus,” a sarcastic and snarky kiss-off ballad about taking off her rose-colored glasses. Interestingly, the song sonically mirrors Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back in Anger.”

Some of the strongest vocals come on quiet ballad “Did You Like Her in the Morning?” a delicate and subdued heartbreak anthem. There’s such a focused subtlety in the melodies, adding a layer of emotional depth that’s difficult to achieve. Nicole Zefanya doubles down on the folk with “Take Care,” which embraces the uncertainty of what’s to come to the gentle tune of an acoustic guitar. Even in its quiet simplicity, there are elements of the arrangement and songwriting that have a little more experimental feeling to them.

Poppier tracks like “Magnets” take on a more traditional mainstream structure and sound, a light rhythmic handclap lending an extra sway to the song. The pace slows back down on tender ballad “Tsunami,” Zefanya’s voice blending back into the music with a slight fuzzy equalized effect on her voice. Beats and synths enter toward the end of the track.

The opposite is true of “Blue Moon,” stylized with added strings, Zefanya’s voice sitting right at the front of the mix. The chilled song is one of the best moments on Buzz. It leans into astrology as NIKI plays with the idea of fate and letting the universe take the wheel. The song is arranged by multi-instrumentalist Rob Moose, who’s also known for his work with Bon Iver, The National and St. Vincent.

She takes on a folkier role on “Strong Girl,” a straightforward acoustic ballad that dials in on the lyrics and emotions rather than on a complicated arrangement. Her singing drops to a quiet whisper on the delicate “Paths,” musing about the possibility of one day reuniting after growing apart.

The album closes on an uplifting note with “Heirloom Pain” and “Nothing Can,” both of which lean into rock. They offer clarity and catharsis as the lyrics break the reins of Zefanya’s comfort zone.

“You’re always afraid to fall flat on your face/ You’re doing it anyway,” she sings on the former.

These songs come full circle with the title track; they’re another door about to open. But rather than finding a new love, NIKI finds herself growing to embrace life’s unknowns—whether that relates to her sound as an artist or the twists and turns of her 20s. Buzz is a sneaky good album that arrives without making a grand entrance, but delivers a decidedly abundant payoff from a songwriter on the rise.

Editor Chloe Catajan contributed to this story. Follow Catajan at Instagram.com/riannachloe. Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.