Montreal-based singer and songwriter Nikki Yanofsky found success at an early age, setting a record as the youngest artist to have a #1 Billboard single for the longest period of time, and that song was simultaneously #1 on both the pop and jazz charts. Meanwhile, Yanofsky is also the youngest singer to record for famed jazz record company Verve Records. Also of note is that her credits feature a virtual “who’s who” of pop, R&B and jazz legends, including Herbie Hancock, Rod Temperton, will.i.am, Elton John, Wyclef Jean, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones.
Yanofsky’s forthcoming studio album is titled “Black Sheep” and it will be out on May 8. Produced and co-written by Zachary Seman and Roger Kleinman (Joey Bada$$, ASAP Rocky), “Black Sheep” is a bold collection of pop songs, and it also features the last two songs that “Thriller” songwriter Rod Temperton ever penned; Temperton, one of Yanofsky’s closest friends, also penned music recorded by Heatwave, George Benson, Michael McDonald, Donna Summer, James Ingram, Quincy Jones and LL Cool J.
I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Nikki Yanofsky by phone on March 27, 2020 – in the midst of the current Coronavirus pandemic – about “Black Sheep,” working with Rod Temperton and other legends and future plans. We also talked a little Judaism, including her prior experience co-writing with other Jewish artists, whether she was bat mitzvahed, and whether she would ever record a Hanukkah album.
The full chat is embedded below for your listening pleasure and will likely appear on a future edition of the “Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz” podcast.
More on Nikki Yanofsky and “Black Sheep” can be found here and here.
