In this disc released without much communication, the 30-year-old singer offers five duets, including one with Kali Uchis, a Latin American RnB figure.
Far from the tumult that accompanied her participation in the opening of the Paris Olympics, Aya Nakamura returns Friday with Destinyhis fifth album. “No stress, relaxation”these words make up the chorus of one of the 18 tracks of this expected new opus, but perhaps also apply to the state of mind of an artist who has been very popular with young people since Nakamura (2018), and its hits Djadja, Pookie et Girlfriends.
The Franco-Malian singer, one of the most listened to French-speaking voices in the world, relies on relatively discreet communication. Countdown to Taylor Swift and her glittery marketing for The life of a showgirlOrelsan and his media omnipresence or even Rosalía, who created a riot by wandering down a street in Madrid before the release of Lux.
“We don’t have the same shoes, we don’t have the same experiences”
Aya Nakamura, 30, takes care of her appearances. She therefore chose to go to “Star Academy”, for the daily TF1 show broadcast on Tuesday, in order to share her advice with the pupils of the castle. A few days earlier, she had agreed to look back at length on her trajectory, from Mali to the Parisian suburbs, on her artistic independence and even her life as a mother in a show broadcast on YouTube and in podcast.
“People, most of the time, project themselves onto me (…) but we don’t have the same shoes, we don’t have the same experiences, you can’t come next to me and tell me what I do, it’s nonsense”she estimated. From a major TV channel to a niche show on the internet, the singer, also the face of a luxury brand, is taking a big step to address different audiences.
“Today, no one can question its legitimacy and there is no need to do more”observes Narjes Bahhar, rap and R&B France editorial manager at Deezer. “We have the impression of nonchalance but she has great control”she emphasizes, noting that this « artiste instinctive » a “always knew how to seize opportunities” to build his career.
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With DestinyAya Nakamura broadens her musical palette, which already mixes RnB, pop and Afro-Caribbean sounds. The opus contains five duets including one with Kali Uchis, a Latin American RnB figure, or with the Franco-Haitian artist Joé Dwèt Filé sur Baddieswhich flooded summer playlists.
Ranked in the charts of more than 40 countries, according to her Live Nation tourer, the singer knows that her every action is scrutinized. In 2024, Aya Danioko – her real name – suffered a partly racist smear campaign and cyberharassment around her participation in the opening of the Olympic Games. His performance in a medley with the Republican Guard was one of the most watched moments of the ceremony. “I’m not a politician, but I learned from this period that my audience is largely left-wing”she commented in Telerama.
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Regardless of the critics, the one that fans nickname “the Queen” is headlining major festivals in 2026 (Eurockéennes, Francofolies, Golden Coast, Les Ardentes). The 240,000 seats for his three concerts at the Stade de France next May were sold out in record time. With this hat-trick, she joins the closed circle of female artists programmed solo in the largest venue in France, alongside Beyoncé, Madonna and Mylène Farmer.