Written By Rachel Goldman
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In one of her tik tok videos, Nilla Allin is alone in her home, dancing in aIn one of her most popular Tik in a oversized white tee and black basketball shorts. Suddenly, the twenty-three-year-old playfully crosses her arms over her chest and sticks her tongue out. The caption reads “posing as my boyfriend’s instagram pics”. The fans eat it up, praising Nilla’s smooth transitions and committed to the bit. In the next video, Nilla seamlessly roleplays the parts of her and a fictional friend venting about their day.
As she goes from one part to the next, she changes clothes, vocal intonations, and mannerisms. As for herself, Nilla is animated, inquisitive, and passionately defends her friend. Meanwhile, when Nilla talks about her problems, she plays the friend as withdrawn. While the tone of the video is light, the message behind the video is clear: Nilla is lonely and alienated. The differences between these two Tik Tok videos are just one example of one of Nila Allin’s greatest strengths as an artist: she’s a perfect balance of being playful and vulnerable in her artistry.
Case in point, in her new EP “All In”, Nilla uses witty lyrics to share her journey of self-growth within the past year. Her first song, “All In”, serves as an ode to her ambitions. This Nilla is fresh out of college, she is struggling with the uncertainty of what comes next, but she knows that she is “all in”. Nilla praises her grind claiming “Didn’t get no sleep/ staying on my shit/ because my father always told me rest is for the rich”. Nilla’s delivery changes tempos, in a self-empowering chant, Nilla reassures herself “you can do it/just gotta put your mind to it”. By the end of her EP, in her freestyle “tms”, the confidence in Nilla’s delivery has audibly strengthened, the lyrics are more playful. She is comfortable enough in her success to move beyond the grind of her music and allow herself to enjoy the art of crafting witty lyrics like: “oui oui/excuse my French/my granny said I should try keeping it clean/ she don’t like me cursing and saying the things/ I told her ‘granny that won’t get the green”. From a clever wordplay, Nilla has informed her audience that she has transformed herself from a young adult unsure of her “foggy future” to an artist that calls herself “a dragon”. Simply, Nilla Allin has not only risen above the nebulousness of her future, she creates the fog, she is the future.
NILLA
ALLIN
Nilla Allin’s vision for her fiery future is not limited to the concept of her individual greatness either. After recently graduating from the University of California San Diego with a degree in Human Developmental Sciences and an emphasis on equity and diversity, Nilla is ready to use her platform for good use. No matter what happens in Nilla Allin’s future, we are ready to hear her “talk [her] shit”
Prepare for a rising star, Nilla Allin’s debut Single; Don't Do Me Wrong release date July 23, 2021. Already out EP "ALL IN" The EP is four songs, the number four symbolizing wholeness, stability, foundation, and is also Nilla’s line number within her sorority affiliation. The project displays Nilla’s multifaceted approach to songwriting, giving listeners a wide variety of sounds and styles in only a few tracks. Nilla aims to motivate listeners, specifically young women, to start the journey of being “All In”. Being “All In” means becoming the boss that you are meant to be, embracing the beauty that you have, developing the talent you were given, and having some fun along the way.