Nia Chennai - It’s Not Me (Don’t worry, darling) (Official Video) 10 Questions

Picture Credit: Jo Veloso

London R&B singer, songwriter and artist Nia Chennai kicks off her 2026 era with ‘It’s Not Me (Don’t worry, darling)’, an upbeat new single that pairs 90s/00s-inspired R&B, pop and neo-soul with a message about boundaries, self-worth and choosing yourself.

Already championed by COLORS, F Word Magazine, Viper Magazine, TMRW, Earmilk and Stereofox, Nia has steadily carved out her own space with a sound that blends contemporary R&B with a strong sense of nostalgia. Away from music, she has also represented brands including Bluebella, The Sensualist Shop and Beyond Retro.

While ‘It’s Not Me’ arrives with a danceable, feel-good energy, its lyrics deal with the weight of other people’s opinions, fake concern and the realisation that you don't have to carry every burden placed on you.

For Nia, the track came from reflecting on an old friendship and reaching a point where she stopped making herself smaller to keep others comfortable. Rather than leaning into bitterness, she wanted the song to feel like a release, confident, funny and empowering.

That approach carries through into the wider creative world surrounding the single, with Nia introducing a new visual identity through its styling, artwork and music video concept. Describing it as the most confident and fully realised version of herself so far, the new era sees Nia embracing her individuality while encouraging listeners to do the same.

Nia Chennai sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:

1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?

From young, I’ve always loved music, and I think that was definitely influenced by my parents. I was always watching MTV, looking at Whitney Houston and Beyoncé completely mesmerised. But I think the moment it really clicked was when my dad bought me SingStar for the PS2. I remember singing and thinking, “Wow, this makes me feel alive.” That was probably the first time I realised just how much music meant to me.

2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?

I’ve always been heavily influenced by Lauryn Hill. She was basically my gateway into neo-soul. Then Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu, Beyoncé... the list genuinely goes on forever. I’m a student of music. I’ll literally sit and listen to the acapella and instrumental versions of songs just to understand how they did that one little thing two minutes in. I need to know!

In the future, I’d love to work with RAYE. Her brain is ridiculous. I feel like I’d leave one studio session with her having learnt about 47 new things. Brent Faiyaz is absolutely on the list too.

Picture Credit: Jo Veloso

3. What projects do you have coming up and can you give us any info on them?

I’ve got a bunch of singles coming that I’m so excited about. I genuinely feel like this next run of music is the most me I’ve ever sounded. There are some exciting features in there too.

I’ve stopped worrying so much about fitting everything neatly into one box and started having way more fun with it. The music, the visuals, all of it feels like people are getting a much bigger piece of my actual personality now.

4. How would you describe your sound?

I always call it Nia Soul. At the core, it’s R&B and neo-soul, but honestly my references can be chaotic. I’ll be in a session pulling up some random old hip-hop song like, “No, listen to THESE drums!” while the producer is looking at me like, girl, where are we going with this?

But somehow we always get there. I don’t really like boxing myself into one sound, so Nia Soul is basically whatever happens when all my influences, experiences and my slightly chaotic brain collide.

Picture Credit: Jo Veloso

5. What’s your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?

The most meaningful one for me has got to be my headline show, and I think it’ll take a lot to top it because never in my life have I felt so seen and loved.

The room felt electric. To see the faces of people who have genuinely connected with my music was just... wow. And we’ve only kept growing since, so I can’t wait to do another one. Let’s manifest it for next year, bigger and better.

6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?

Yasss! Everyone always says, “Be yourself,” which I completely agree with, but I think before you can really do that, you have to know who you want to be as an artist.

What do you have to say? What do you want to represent? What’s your why?

You can’t fully be yourself until you truly know yourself. Dig deep. A lot of the answers you’re looking for are within you, not other people.

Picture Credit: Jo Veloso

7. Are there any artists on your radar right now that we should check out?

I genuinely think there’s an A&R living inside me because I’m forever finding artists and forcing people to listen to them.

Right now I’m really loving KWN, F3miii, Sam Recks, TABÜ and Monique Togara, who is also my bestie, so yes, there may be a tiny bit of bias there, but she’s cold, so it still counts.

8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?

Corinne Bailey Rae’s self-titled album, especially the Live in New York version. I could listen to that forever. Larger Than Life by Brent Faiyaz, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and Amy Winehouse’s Frank are all constantly in rotation too.

Basically, if it’s soulful, slightly dramatic and the vocals make me want to stare out of a car window like I’m in a music video, I’m there.

Picture Credit: Jo Veloso

9. What do you like to do when you’re not making music?

Well, being autistic, music is one of my special interests, so it takes over my brain a lot of the time.

But outside of music, I love watching animation, especially things like Bratz and Entergalactic. I love going to the gym, chilling with my friends and spending time with my little fur baby, Rolo.

10. Name three things you can’t live without when in the studio?

Tea. English Breakfast with Oatly, specifically.

A chinwag, because you have to catch a vibe and feel out the energy of the day. Those random conversations are normally what the songs end up being about anyway.

And lastly, open minds. I’m really selective about who I work with because the studio is somewhere I want to feel safe enough to throw out a completely silly idea without feeling judged. Sometimes the silly idea ends up being the best one.