Nicole Bus | |
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 Bus during an interview in October 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Nieuwegein, Netherlands |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | www |
Nicole Bus is a Dutch singer who is currently signed toRoc Nation. Her 2018 single, "You", is tied for the fastest debut single to reach the top of theBillboardAdult R&B Songs chart. She released her American debut studio album,Kairos, in October 2019. Prior to signing to Roc Nation, Bus had released a variety of music in the Netherlands and won theGrote Prijs van Nederland ("Grand Prize of the Netherlands") in the singer-songwriter category in 2010. She also appeared on the Dutch singing competition programs,X Factor andThe Voice of Holland.
Nicole Bus was born inNieuwegein, Netherlands[1] and grew up partially in the municipality ofHouten. Her father isDutch and her mother isAfro-Curaçaoan. Bus was raised in church where she sang and learned how to play a variety of instruments, including guitar, piano, drums, bass, and synthesizers. She began writing songs at age 11.[2] When she was 16, Bus was briefly homeless after her parents separated.[3] In 2006, however, she was a supporting act for Americangospel musician,Canton Jones. She also toured as a gospel singer to locations like Israel,Palestine, Nicaragua,[4] and Indonesia in 2008. She would later attend the Pop Academie inUtrecht and theConservatorium van Amsterdam where she studied music and vocal work and received her diploma in 2016.[2]
In 2009, Bus won a gospel music competition. She followed that by being awarded the Grote Prijs van Nederland ("Grand Prize of the Netherlands") in the singer-songwriter category in 2010.[2] The following year, she released the studio album,The Heart of the Matter on Bladehammer throughEMI Netherlands.[5][6] In 2013, she auditioned for the fifth season of the Dutch singing competition series,X Factor, but did advance beyond the judges.[7] Later that year, she appeared on thefourth season of the singing competition series,The Voice of Holland, where she advanced to the quarterfinals.[8]
In May 2016, she released an EP of Dutch-language tracks calledNederlandse Bodem[9] with the singles, "Zonnestralen"[2] and "Lopen".[3] The project was released by the Dutch label,TopNotch.[2] She later opened forSandra van Nieuwland on several dates in November and December 2016.[10] In March 2017, she released a Dutch-language album entitled,Magnolia, also through TopNotch. She also taught music lessons at various schools during that time.[11]
Later in 2017,Atlanta-based producer,Needlz, posted anInstagram video featuring Bus' vocals. The Instagram video caught the attention of Roc Nation executives[12] and prompted them to contact Needlz and Bus.[13] In the meantime, she released an independent English-language EP entitled,T.O.T.A, in late 2017.[14] She was ultimately signed to Roc Nation in 2018.[15]
In December of that year,[16] she released her first Roc Nation single, "You", which was produced by Needlz. The single features quoted lyrics from The Charmels' "As Long as I've Got You" and a sample of theWu Tang Clan's "C.R.E.A.M.". It also became a radio hit in the US, reaching 5.5 million listeners by January 2019 and[17] ultimately topping theBillboard Adult R&B Songs chart in a record-tying amount of time for a debut single (8 weeks).[18] "You" also received several remixes, including those fromGhostface Killah[19] andRick Ross.[8] In the ensuing months, Bus performed at a number of events, includingSummer Jam,[20] Femme It Forward,[21] and theEssence Music Festival. She also opened forCommon on his "Let Love Tour" in July 2019.[22]
That month, she released her second single, "Mr. Big Shot",[23] which would also reach the Adult R&B Songs chart, peaking at number 19.[24] In August of that year, she performed aTiny Desk Concert forNPR Music.[25] On 18 October 2019, she released her American debut studio album,Kairos, on Roc Nation.[26] "Kairos" is the Greek word for "appointed time". The album is co-produced by Bus herself, Needlz,[27] and TL Cross.[28]
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| U Alleen[29] |
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| The Heart of the Matter |
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| Magnolia |
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| Kairos |
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| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Nederlandse Bodem |
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| T.O.T.A |
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| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Adult R&B | US R&B | US R&B/HH Air | |||
| "You" | 2018 | 1 [30] | 15 [31] | 12 [32] | Kairos |
| "Mr. Big Shot" | 2019 | 19 [24] | — | 45 [33] | |
| "Rain" | 2020 | 14 [24] | — | 49 [33] | |