Photo by Sarah McColgan
Nicolay Sereba and Vincent Dery —known better as pop duo Nico & Vinz—originally started filming the music video for “Am I Wrong” in their home country, Norway.
But, as anyone who has heard the worldwide hit single knows, the funky, danceable beat doesn’t exactly match the snowy, gray landscape of the Norwegian winter.
“We thought, ‘we need some color, we need sunshine.’ So, we said, ‘Let’s just go to Africa and do this,’” remembers Nico. “Let’s go to Botswana with a small crew and just shoot. And that’s what we did.”
Both Nico and Vinz’s parents are from Africa—Nico’s father is from the Ivory Coast, and Vinz’s parents are from Ghana—and the unique mixture of the duo’s African backgrounds and Norwegian upbringings plays a huge role in their musical identity.
“When we were in Norway, before all this started happening, we were sitting down in the studio thinking…’How can we have something unique to us; how can we be up there with the Justin Timberlakes and the Katy Perrys and Rihannas?’” Nico says. “We realized that we had to stay ourselves, and we just enhanced everything that we are. So [in our music] you’ll find elements of the pop music of Scandanavia, where we’re from; you’ll find the African vibe, because we have parents from Ghana and Ivory Coast—and there’s a little urban touch to it, because we used to rap. We put everything we are into the music, to stand out, be different, and be ourselves.”
And by just being themselves, Nico & Vinz were launched into international stardom nearly overnight. Last year, “Am I Wrong” reached #2 on the Norwegian Singles Chart, #2 on the Danish Singles Chart, #2 on the Swedish Singles Chart, #1 on the American Top 40 Chart, and became one of the “most Shazamed” songs worldwide. Nico & Vinz performed the single at the Christmas tree lighting at the White House and on several popular American TV shows, including Ellen and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. In St. Louis, it was last summer’s inescapable hit, playing on endless repeat on nearly all our local radio stations.
Oh, and that music video that they decided to re-film with a little crew in Botswana? It has over 238 million views on YouTube.
“The scenery there is so beautiful, something good had to come out of it!” Nico laughs.
But Nico & Vinz are far from being one hit wonders. While they don’t plan on releasing a new album anytime soon, they are hoping to record several singles featuring other popular artists. “We’ve been in the studio with Pharell lately,” Nico hints.
In the meantime, St. Louisans have a chance to see the pop duo perform live when they come to LouFest this September. Music festivals play a huge role in Scandinavian music culture, so Nico & Vinz always eagerly anticipate their festival performances. They promise a high-energy set—as long as everyone makes sure to learn the words to their latest single, “That’s How You Know,” before they come to the show.
“Every time you come out to see Nico & Vinz, it’s a lot of energy and good vibes,” Nico says. “We try to make people smile and sweat and have a good time when they’re at our show, and it seems to be working so far. So I think we can make it happen in St. Louis!”
Nico and Vinz perform Saturday, September 12 at 6 p.m. For more info, go to loufest.com.
