Artist Advent Calendar – Day 14: Kikko Mai
For Day 14, we’re shining the spotlight on Kikko Mai, a 20-year-old artist and songwriter with a gift for capturing the messy, beautiful journey into adulthood. Writing from the heart, Kikko’s songs explore emotions like guilt, anxiety, and regret, creating a safe space for girls, women, the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, and anyone who’s ever felt “weird” or “too much.”
Now based in Nashville while studying songwriting, music business, and Spanish at Belmont University, Kikko continues to inspire with her honest lyrics and heartfelt melodies. She’s the artist you’ll want to keep on repeat—don’t sleep on her!
NW: Who’s an artist you’ve recently discovered?
Kikko: Lauren Sanderson
NW: What’s the biggest thing you learned about yourself this year?
Kikko: It is important to take time to be alone for self-love, self-growth, and self-discovery.
NW: If you could collab with any artist right now, who would it be?
Kikko: Charlotte Sands
NW: Who’s the most unexpected artist on your playlist right now?
Kikko: Drew Seeley, specifically songs from the movie “Another Cinderella Story”
NW: What’s a lyric from another artist that hits you hard every time?
Kikko: “Well, I heard that you might’ve found someone new. I still can’t swallow it, but I think I’m proud of you.” from ROLE MODEL’s song “Deeply Still in Love”
NW: If you could invite any musician to your holiday dinner, who would it be?
Kikko: Post Malone
NW: What song of yours do you feel proudest of?
Kikko: My song “TELL MY BF” because it is everything I wished I could have said out loud at age fifteen.
NW: What’s the strangest place you’ve ever written or recorded music?
Kikko: A supply closet
NW: What’s the coolest holiday decoration you’ve ever seen?
Kikko: I love tree scarfs. They are so cute.
