Today we’d like to introduce you to Ainae Nielsen

Hi Ainae, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

Bio: Ainae, currently immersed in her musical journey at the prestigious Lillehammer Institute of Music Productions and Industries (in Norway), Ainae effortlessly weaves the threads of Soulful R&B, Hip Hop, and Contemporary Pop into a tapestry of empowering and honest sounds. Handpicked by Kelly Clarkson as a standout on The Voice, Ainae’s ethereal soprano vocals resonate deeply. Hailing from South East Washington DC, her music is a lyrical canvas of personal experiences and fantasies of what reality could be. Stages like Union Stage, NBC’s The Voice, and The National Museum of Women in the Arts have witnessed her captivating performances. Ainae’s unyielding commitment promises an indelible mark on the music world.

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I started making music at around eight years old- writing sappy love poems about a love I hadn’t known yet. From then on, I performed at all the talent shows and found a way to be creative. The year before I went to college, I had an “aha” moment standing at my first The Weekend concert, and at that moment, I knew I wanted to take music seriously versus as a hobby. So I decided to attend Howard University for marketing, to learn all I could about how to market myself as an artist. While in school, I continued to perform, formed a band, and participated in many events around the city (DC). Once I graduated, I got my first office job in New York and quickly realized it wasn’t for me. After saving as much money as possible, I moved back home to do music full-time. I’ve learned along the way that all the times I’ve taken the leap of faith, my life has moved in ways I couldn’t have planned for. Six months into making music full-time, I randomly stumbled across a Norwegian music school named “The Lillehammer Institute of Music Productions and Industries.” I quickly applied (knowing I had nothing to lose). A few months later, I found out I had been accepted into their 9-month program. I packed two suitcases, moved across the world, and have had so much fun here.

We work every single day in the studio, and I can honestly say I have grown a lot. I am currently working on a debut EP that I am extremely excited about and can’t wait to share. The EP will be out very soon. In the meantime, I am very very active on YouTube and post vlogs about my artist journey and R&B covers of popular songs.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

The struggle with being an artist is that you often get in your own way. That can look like indecision, worrying about the details instead of seeing the larger vision, believing everything is permanent, and trying to rush greatness. I struggle with trusting myself, trusting the productions I make (I am a very new producer), feeling like money is scarce, and seeking validation. These are honestly the death of creativity, and to be free in what you do, you have to give yourself the gift of closing the door and just doing what you love to do. The critic inside yourself has to take a chill pill, and asking everyone for their opinions also needs to be put on pause until you are ready for the criticism. I’ve learned this along the way: to treat my art like the baby it is and honor where it wants to go before jumping to conclusions and making it vulnerable. I’ve been reading a lot of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron if you couldn’t tell, haha.

The first year after college was hard for me because, in my last year of college, I was so caught up with being on the Voice and working that I didn’t start applying for jobs until really late. All my friends had job offers, making excellent salaries, and I was like the runt of the litter. I eventually started working and moved out of DC but then found myself lost in New York. I thought I’d move to the Big Apple and everything would fall into place, but instead, I was stressed, anxious, and felt like I could never turn my brain off. While in New York, I was still doing shows in DC, and all it took was for me to have one show at Union Stage (my dream venue at the time) to decide to quit my full-time job after making a little bit of a profit. And I did, haha. I was proud to sit my boss down and tell her I was going to do this. Once I got back home, I quickly felt like this was a step backward, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Little did I know this was all a part of the larger plan to push me to go to Norway.

Being in Norway has been such a blessing. I have grown as an artist, and my music sounds 100% better than when I first left. I’ve also tried new genres and styles of writing. I am now really into Disco, thanks to Allie X’s latest Album. I feel like the barriers I put on myself are shedding, and I am revealing parts of myself that I didn’t know existed, which I am now pouring into the EP I am working on. This wasn’t easy though, it was a lot of tears, fear, and rejection that forced me to see myself vs hoping others would see me and now I have more clarity on my artist purpose and how I want my music to resonate.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I am a singer-songwriter focused on turning off the noise. Often, our opinions and how we feel and perceive life are through the lens of other people. We miss parts of ourselves because we are filling the void with content and other people’s values versus forming our own. My journey from college to The Voice, corporate America, moving back home, and now being in Norway has made me see so clearly the power music has and the power that self-discovery has outside of the lens of social media, TV, and consumerism. I want to create the most inviting room where we can talk and work through life versus finding distractions away from it, and that is what the next body of work will entail.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?

Can we remove this question? I answer it in the previous question

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ainaemusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ainaemusix/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ainae

Image Credits
Henrik Granseth – last brand pictures
Nicholas Ager – first picture