Natanya Popoola, North-west London vocalist and producer, is rapidly cementing her status as pop’s next great auteur, per nme.com. The 23-year-old artist has seen her monthly Spotify listeners surge toward the 200,000 mark following the viral success of her breakout singles “Foolish” and “Dangerous”.
Her latest track, the ethereal “On Ur Time,” recently received a high-profile endorsement from American superstar SZA, who signaled her support for the independent artist on social media. The NME 100 act is currently winning over audiences with a sophisticated, “unboxable” sound that masterfully weaves together elements of electronica, R&B and soul.
Releasing music under her first name, Natanya has spent the last year meticulously crafting a sound that defies easy categorisation. “On Ur Time,” written during a difficult “situationship” while she was studying at UCL, recently exploded on TikTok.
“I made ‘On Ur Time’ because I was in a situationship that was really hurting my feelings,” Natanya explains. After a bike ride past a spot shared with an ex, she retreated to her piano. “The first thing that came out of my mouth was, ‘You know I passed the park where we shook hands…’”
Natanya’s sophisticated production stems from a background in classical piano. However, reaching Grade 6 didn’t initially provide the emotional outlet she craved. “I found piano really hard,” she admits. “My musical understanding is way more ear-dominant.”
The turning point came when she discovered jazz at a weekend academy, learning to transcribe by ear. This newfound freedom, combined with the influence of Amy Winehouse’s Frank and Tyler, The Creator’s Cherry Bomb, allowed her to marry technical skill with raw, experimental production.
Her 2025 EP, Feline’s Return, marked a shift from the purely emotional “documentation” of her earlier work to something more intentional. “The main difference was that I took control,” she says. “I arrived with pre-made demos that sounded nearly identical to the finished masters.”
This artistic growth happened against a backdrop of immense personal upheaval. In 2024, while touring with FLO and Destin Conrad, Natanya balanced university finals with the grief of losing her grandmother. At one point, she nearly walked away from the industry entirely.
Now, Natanya is looking forward, working on a new project that promises to deviate from her current sound while maintaining her signature “vibe.” For her, the litmus test for any track is physical. “The human body knows what makes it feel good,” she says. “If I listen to a song and I can’t feel it, I have to go back.”
With a refusal to release anything “passive,” Natanya is playing the long game. “I really do believe,” she says, “that I’m protecting something that’s going to be legendary.”
•Featured image: Natanya/Alex Radota
