NVS

HOMETOWN: Toronto, Canada
INFLUENCES: Prince, Kanye West, Aaliyah
ALBUM: Who Is NvS EP, out now
WEBSITE: whoisnvs.com

R&B artist NvS (pronounced “envious”) claims her love of music began before she was born. Her father was a reggae musician and sang to her when her mother was pregnant. “He would take his guitar and play his songs to me,” she says. At age 18, NvS enrolled at Toronto’s Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts where she studied voice, classical piano and dance. After graduation, she sang throughout Canada, and even landed a best new artist honor at the Canadian Radio Music Awards. Those formative years shaped her views on the music industry. “I’ve had some challenges,” she admits. “When you’re trying to be creative in this business, there’s going to be compromise.” NvS, who splits her time between Toronto and New York City, is currently recording her debut full-length album with hip-hop duo Midi Mafia and Grammy Award-winning musician Teddy Riley. “This is feel-good music,” she says. “It’ll make you laugh, cry, or get up and dance.”