SPOTLIGHT
SPOTLIGHT
☆ BY CHARLOTTE ISIDORE ☆
Lea Garn
AT 2 A.M. ON JULY 1, 2026, NIKO RUBIO recorded a video of herself proofreading an essay about the process of starting her debut album, late night swim. 13 days later, she posted that video essay on her Instagram. It was a pretty unconventional album announcement, in that it was more of a spoiler alert than an official announcement with album art and a release date. But there’s nothing conventional about this singer-songwriter, or her debut album.
Rubio is a sonic camelon. In some ways, that’s what allowed her to succeed in the music industry. But that adaptability can come with a cost. When Rubio set out to make an album, she knew she had to approach songwriting differently. Instead of widening herself to a world of expansive inspiration, she honed in on one singular concept: a reggae trip hop album with a heartbroken spy as the protagonist. She said that ultimately it was the limitations she gave herself that allowed her to build the sonic and visual world of the album.
“My constant desire to explore can lead me to the wrong waters. I want Hawaii but I end up in Antarctica. I tell myself they’re both water but fuck, I really really hate the cold,” Rubio said in her video essay.
Rubio is Mexican‑Salvadoran American singer‑songwriter born and based in Los Angeles. To some, she’s a hidden gem; but for many big name musicians, she is the cherished collaborator. She has an extensive career in the songwriting industry across English and Spanish genres. She co-wrote songs for Gwen Stefani, The Veronicas, Andrea Bejar, The Warning and Anuel AA. She’s also collaborated with hit songwriters, producers and artists such as Dylan Brady, BB Trickz, Danna Paola, Cuco, y2k, Anthony Ramos, Mikky Ekko, Ali Tamposi and Julian Bunetta.
She describes her songwriting years as her college days––a bootcamp of sorts, preparing her for the complicated world of artist development
Rubio described those years: “I think being able to adapt in a room is really important––when am I supposed to take the back seat or to be the star? I think that's a really important thing to learn, especially as a writer. You no longer have an ego in the room. We do what's best for the song.”
Working in session rooms she did a lot of songwriter dating, working with a wide array of music makers in order to find her groove, and the collaborators that moved her. On this album, she worked with an incredible lineup of songwriters and producers such Lester Mendez, Austin Ward, Maria Vertiz, Austin Corona, Wyatt Bernard, Jorge Elbrecht, and Olivia Bond with whom she had a special—you guessed it—bond.
Speaking about Bond, who also directed the music video for “tokyo,” Rubio said, “she is my force, for sure. I love her so much, and she really brings that out of me.”
That “thing” that Bond brings out in Rubio is the combination of visual and sonic inspiration. Rubio said that in her current process, “you have to see the music video in your head while you’re writing it.”
They cannot be detached, and that is why this album immediately transports you into a world of elegance, mystery and sexiness.
“That’s how I make my best songs. I see the world, I created the story, whilst I made it. If it doesn’t work in the world, then we’re not making it,” Rubio said.
This album isn’t impressive just because of the heavy hitters behind its writing and production—it is because of the relationships between these collaborators. Despite there being different arrays of songwriters and producers on each song, they all flow into each other seamlessly. There’s cohesion without monotony. At the center of that cohesion lies Rubio’s vision for the album: a story about a melancholy, but malicious woman in a James-bond-esque universe.
All of Rubio’s influences converge so beautifully in this project. She creates a clear sound in the album—”reggae trip-hop” as she would describe it—but she doesn’t pigeonhole herself. This album is reminiscent of The Marias and Buscabulla, but also No Doubt and Sublime. She harnesses the cultural influences of her Southern California upbringing, while transforming them into something uniquely their own. There are elements of trip-hop, reggae, pop and soul. The production in songs like “all i want is you,” “dream” and “tokyo,” are reminiscent of Clams Casino’s short-lived “cloud rap” era, with songs like “I’m God” and “LVL.”
Her voice is sultry and hypnotic, often layered and distorted to bring out the edge. Her vocal prowess shines through, regardless of how it is played in production. Her voice reminds me of Gwen Stefani, Caroline Polachek, María Zardoya, and Dolores O'Riordan from “The Cranberries,” all at the same time. Especially in songs like “kitty” and “que si que no.”
This December, she will be taking the late night swim spy girl world on tour across California, bringing a jazzy, seductive set to cities like San Francisco, Felton, Ventura, LA, Santa Ana and San Diego. If you’re lucky enough to be at one of these shows, you’ll meet the persona who inspired the album.
“She’s like a bond girl, but she’s heartbroken at her own party so what is she to do besides sing these songs and exist in that moment,” Rubio said.
