The Nigerian music industry has been on an unprecedented run since a new wave of rising artists emerged. And this week on The Pick, Abuja-based artist Onikan promises to be the industry’s latest entry as she arrives with her debut project, Saturn EP. More than a rising artist, she’s a reckoning force, blending Afro-fusion with Alté RnB, soul, jazz, and Afrobeats.

Born Timilehin in Lagos and based in Abuja, Onikan started out dancing to hip-hop, drawing, writing and years behind the drums, a background that shaped her artistry before her emergence in 2021. And on her new EP released through CBA For Africa Cohort ‘26, she cements her stance with the 7-track body of work, including lead single “Fire & Ice”.

Built around spacious production, soulful vocals and subtle percussion, “Fire & Ice” continues Onikan’s pursuit of emotional truth through minimalism, silence and pacing. Following its alluring mid-tempo ecstatic instrumentals, the record highlights her incredible ability to weave complex internal dualities over rich, infectious instrumentation.

Upon her emergence into the industry, the track acts as a definite statement, where she makes confident claims of who she truly is — a blend of fire and ice. By using the metaphors of heat and cold to map out real-world vulnerabilities and her artistic prowess, Onikan crafts a track that is deeply authentic and relatable. Amidst the captivating vocals and melodies, the track relies on a sonic framework of dualities, emotional layers, and self-discovery.

With “Fire & Ice,” on her new EP Saturn, she delivers a broader, highly cohesive statement that firmly establishes her as an essential new voice to watch.