BIA – Sixteen

The first New Music Friday of March, and it’s bringing out the best in some of our favourite female artists. First up we heard Nicki Minaj’s first single of 2023, “Red Ruby Da Sleeze,” which is already receiving rave reviews from fans. Next up for your consideration is a new title from BIA, “SIXTEEN,” which landed on DSPs ahead of her performance at Rolling Loud California on Saturday (March 4).

The track comes via Epic Records, with production crafted by Aziz the Shake and Tim Nihan. Of everything we’ve heard from the Boston-born lyricist so far, this stands to be some of her most emotionally charged work yet. On the chorus, she chants, “Take me back to when I lost my job, I told ’em, ‘F*ck you’ / I came from a place where there’s nobody to look up to,” reminding listeners that she certainly wasn’t born into this life.

It’s been a big few weeks for BIA. While awaiting the arrival of “SIXTEEN,” she took a trip to Milan where she performed at Philipp Plein’s F/W 2023 runway show. Earlier in February, she also joined The Kid LAROI at the AT&T NBA All-Star Pregame Performance where they kept the crowd entertained with some of their biggest hits. According to a press release, more new music from the Los Angeles-based artist is on the way soon.

Prior to dropping her first solo effort of the year, we heard the 31-year-old on Snakehips’ “Solitude” with Lucky Daye, as well as on the Queen Mix of Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl.” Before that, she and J. Cole came together for one of BIA’s most popular releases to date, “LONDON.”