Everybody Got Their Something

1	Like A Feather 3:55
2	So Have I For You 5:10
3	Tug Of War 4:32
4	Everybody Got Their Something 4:20
5	Nothing 4:13
6	Nikka What? 0:25
7	Hope It Felt Good 3:52
8	Some Kind Of Beautiful 3:05
9	Nikka Who? 0:43
10	Just Because 3:48
11	Push & Pull 5:26
12	Corners Of My Mind 10:36

Barnes & Noble

From the first three notes of air-tight funk that percolate up through "Like a Feather," her Tommy Hilfiger-ad hit, Nikka Costa's Everybody Got Their Something is designer soul music -- combining '70s rock glam with enough new-millennium urban fashion sense to get everyone from supermodels to supernerds swiveling their hips. Costa, daughter of jazz arranger Don Costa and herself a former child star in Europe, is buffed to goddess-like shine -- just imagine the hell-raising lovechild of Lenny Kravitz and Shelby Lynne. New York DJ-to-the-stars Mark Ronson coproduced this super chic opus, applying just the right amount of retro funk ("Like a Feather" is anchored by an Ohio Players lick and the slinky title track is a virtual Sly Stone rewrite) to dusty, diggin' in the crates' beats and keep Costa's vibe as current as a spring break 2001 halter top. Nikka, however, deserves props a plenty for her powerhouse voice -- an instrument equally effective in falsetto ("Like a Feather"), on grits 'n' gravy ballads ("Just Because"), and in full-on wail (especially on the searing woman-scorned anthem "Hope It Felt Good" and the psychedelic soul-kiss "Push & Pull") reminscent of the original acid soul mama, Betty Davis. With its fusion of raw talent and savvy marketing, Everybody Got Their Something will surely and deservedly throb from the speakers of a boutique near you. Macy Gray, you're on notice. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide

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. MacKenzie Wilson