Daily Inspiration: Meet Natalie Nicole

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Nicole.

Hi Natalie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up loving music from a very young age. Watching movies like “The Cheetah Girls,” “The Wiz,” and “High School Musical” inspired me to dream of becoming a superstar one day. I was always a musical and creative child who loved to sing, perform, and entertain others.
My musical journey began in my church choir and continued throughout elementary school, where I played percussion in the school band, sang in choir, participated in school performances and plays, and even joined the Phat Kidz Comedy Club. During middle school, I continued to play percussion while balancing advanced classes.
It was also during middle school that the bright, loud, colorful, and opinionated version of myself began to shrink in order to fit in with others and become part of the “in crowd.” By high school, my dad encouraged me to write down my feelings as a way to better express, communicate, and cope with my emotions. Since I was already someone who constantly sang melodies and made up songs throughout the day, songwriting became a natural extension of that process. While continuing in the marching band, I started writing songs of my own.
However, I didn’t seriously pursue my own artistry until my sophomore year of college. I currently attend Georgia State University as a Music Management major. During my freshman year, I joined the National Collegiate Entertainers Group (NCEG), where I learned live audio engineering and collaborated with artists, songwriters, producers, videographers, and photographers to create music and content.
Through NCEG, I met producer, artist, songwriter, and studio owner DarkSyde, who encouraged me to pursue my artistry and produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered my debut single, “Zoned Out,” which was released on November 11, 2024.
I later collaborated with fellow Georgia State School of Music students and friends Arie’una Long and Jasmyne Porter, who produced my second single, “Satisfy,” while DarkSyde handled the track’s recording, mixing, and mastering. The song also featured artist Anthony Quamé and was released on February 14, 2025.
In May 2025, I left the organization to focus on my own creative pursuits. Since then, I have continued collaborating with artists and producers while developing collaborative records and my debut five-song EP, “Exposure Therapy.” The first release from the project, “I’m Put First,” was produced by Jasmyne Porter, while it was recorded by her and Arie’una, and DarkSyde mixed and mastered the track. The song will be released on July 4, 2026, at 12:01 a.m., marking the beginning of a new chapter in both my artistry and my journey of putting myself first.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road.
Pursuing my own artistry was challenging from the beginning. It took me around seven months to create and release my debut single, “Zoned Out.” During that process, I was learning not only how to make music, but also how to share it with the world.
Part of that struggle started much earlier. In middle school, I felt like I had to dim my brightness and boldness so I wouldn’t be “too much” for other people. Over time, I became quieter, more self-conscious, more people-pleasing, and less willing to speak up for myself. I felt like I was constantly wearing a mask and performing a version of myself that would make others more comfortable or help me fit in. Ironically, because I wasn’t being authentic, I never truly felt like I belonged anywhere.
Because of that, sharing my music and posting content online in college felt—and honestly still feels—very uncomfortable at times. Being an artist requires vulnerability, and vulnerability can be scary when you’ve spent years trying not to take up too much space. Thankfully, I’ve been surrounded by friends and collaborators who were patient with my anxiety around sharing my work and who created a safe, emotional, and creative environment for me to grow. Their support made it easier for me to keep showing up and putting myself out there.
Another challenge has been burnout and perfectionism. After releasing my singles and throughout the songwriting process, I often put immense pressure on myself to make my music, my songwriting, and my artistry perfect. I would compare myself to other music students and local artists until I became overwhelmed and lost motivation. Connecting with songwriting professionals and creatives who openly talked about experiencing similar feelings helped me realize that those periods of burnout are common and survivable.
Those experiences ultimately became the inspiration behind my EP, “Exposure Therapy.” I chose to release the project using the waterfall method as a form of exposure therapy for myself. The project is my way of proving that I can make great music, collaborate with other creatives, release an EP, promote myself, and perform. More importantly, it’s about learning to move forward despite the fear of judgment, rejection, or failure. Every release, every post, and every performance is another step toward becoming the authentic version of myself that I spent so many years hiding.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a singer-songwriter and Music Management major at Georgia State University. Through my music, I create spaces where people feel seen, understood, encouraged, and empowered to embrace themselves fully.
Musically, I specialize in R&B, Soul, and Pop while drawing inspiration from Indie Pop, Bedroom Pop, Alternative R&B, Neo Soul, and 90s/early 2000s R&B. My work centers around emotional vulnerability, self-love, and personal growth because those are journeys that I am actively navigating myself. I am known for creating colorful, energetic, emotionally expressive, and vulnerable music that encourages self-love, self-upliftment, and confidence while inviting listeners to grow alongside me.
What I am most proud of is leading the production and rollout of my five-song waterfall EP campaign, “Exposure Therapy.” The project has required me to manage creative direction, songwriting, collaboration management, release planning, and promotional strategy while continuing to grow as both an artist and future music industry professional. I wrote the majority of the released and upcoming material while collaborating with featured artists on select tracks.
What sets me apart is the combination of creativity, emotional intelligence, and organization that I bring into every project. I am often described as outgoing, colorful, emotionally expressive, caring, resilient, funny, opinionated, talented, and creative. I naturally encourage others, engage openly in new environments, and lead with emotional awareness.
Once I become involved in a team or project, I’m someone who listens actively, supports others, steps into leadership when needed, and brings people together. I often become the primary communicator in group settings, helping bridge communication gaps and keep projects moving in a timely and organized way.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I like most about Atlanta is how lively and diverse it is. I’ve made friends from many different backgrounds and walks of life, and I’ve gotten to experience so many cool places, events, and opportunities throughout the city. There’s always something going on, whether it’s music, food, or community events, and I love being somewhere that feels so creative and alive.
What I like least about Atlanta are the people who zoom down the streets revving their engines late at night. I’m trying to sleep, and they make the most unnecessary noise. Especially the cars that don’t even look good enough to be making all that noise in the first place.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/natalienicole.101
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalienicole.101/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natalienicole.101/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieyoung101/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@natalienicole.101
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/natalie-young-862753122?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/50ZNy2Qvt5aADeA9gVi4wF?si=uGV8lX-2T1SLX-097GB25A