GTA American Idol alum opens up about her new single + chasing her dreams

The show may be called American Idol, but our idol is a homegrown talent. Woodbridge’s Nicolina graced the stage with her commanding vocals and kind spirit, and quickly won over the minds and hearts of viewers across the globe. Now, the local star is back and living her musical dream. She just released a new single, called “Way Out,” an anthem that it’s okay not to be okay, and is anticipating even more big things in the future.

Nicolina’s new single: “Way Out”

The ballad, which was released at the beginning of July, is all about mental health awareness, a topic very close to the songstress‘ heart..

“I try and pull inspiration kind of just from experiences, I’ve been through and in experiences that people around me have been through,” Nicolina says. “With ‘Way Out,’ I pull a lot of that emotion and that story from my own struggles with mental health. So I try and pull from a very authentic place to make sure that I’m connecting with the listener and with the audience at all times. I feel like that connection super important.”

From the beginning, the process was different with Nicolina’s latest single, even down to the recording time. “The process was interesting because we wrote it – I had a writing team that we wrote it with back in October or September of 2022. So the song’s been on my radar for quite some time. But we didn’t get around to actually recording it until early this year due to a little clip of it going viral on TikTok,” she says.

“We took a lot of time with ‘Way Out,’ because it had such a strong message and it meant a lot to me as well just to share that story and be able to bring light to mental health and struggling with it and that we all go through it. And that’s okay.”

So far, the response to the new track has been overwhelmingly positive. “I’ve performed it a few times now and the reaction has been absolutely stunning,” Nicolina says. “It’s just the way people can come together over something like that. it makes me super happy to be in music and be an entertainment because I love watching people connect and just being able to be in space with each other and feel together. I think that’s something so beautiful.”

Looking to the future

Nicolina says that fans can expect new music in the next few months, before the end of the year. She’ll also represent her hometown and take the stage at the Vaughan International Music Festival this August.

All in all, there’s a lot to be excited about in Nicolina’s future.