NYIKO, the Los Angeles–based singer, songwriter, and producer, releases his new single and video, Sugar, via Trailing Twelve today. Blending elements of darkwave, post-punk, and synth-pop, the track explores the blurred lines between craving and control, pairing seductive surfaces with a darker emotional current. With this release, NYIKO continues to position himself as a voice navigating the complexities of modern intimacy.
Built on angular guitars, muscular bass, and pulsating synths, Sugar delivers its tension in just under three minutes. The lyrics evoke a relationship marked more by desire than connection, teetering between attraction and detachment: “You take the call late at night / You don’t need to ask if it’s alright.” As NYIKO frames it, “To me, Sugar is about temptation and control. It’s what happens when lust overrides logic—when something looks sweet on the surface but rots you from the inside.”
Written, produced, and performed entirely by NYIKO, the track was mixed by Jynjo and mastered by Joe LaPorta at Sterling Sound. Its polished sound contrasts with its raw themes, a juxtaposition that mirrors the push and pull at the heart of the song. The accompanying video, directed by Peter Donaghy and starring Valentina Vixen, translates those ideas into striking visuals. Edited by Erik Saevi, it follows two figures locked in a cycle of attraction and rejection, circling each other without resolution. Details like custom-designed bubble gum packs and props NYIKO created himself (scouring LA to track down the right wrappers), which add to the sense of hyper-stylised yet fleeting desire.
Since moving from New Hampshire to Los Angeles, NYIKO has crafted a catalogue that draws on nostalgia while addressing subjects such as mental health, identity, and self-love. Sharing stages with Beach Fossils and Alvvays, he has proven equally at home in live contexts. With Sugar, he underscores his ability to balance pop accessibility with darker emotional textures.
