AMG Review of Everybody Got Their Something

MacKenzie Wilson
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.