How ‘Nota’ Collab Was Born – Billboard

Eladio Carrion released his first official single of the year, “Nota,” and reeled in Argentine artist Nicki Nicole.

Released Thursday (May 19) via Rimas Entertainment, “Nota” best laces Carrion’s signature hip-hop beats with Nicole’s soulful R&B melodies. “It’s something different,” Carrion tells Billboard during an Instagram Live. “People might not expect a rhythm like that but I think it’s the perfect song to start off my year.”

The lyrics bring to light the embarrassing — and sometimes even truthful — things people say when they’re in “nota” (slang word used to describe someone who’s drunk or high).

The Puerto Rican artist explained how the song was done before it was proposed to Nicki and how it couldn’t come out if she wasn’t part of it.

“As an artist, you already know when people have respect for music. I saw that in her,” he says. “When I met her in the studio, I thought ‘wow.’ It was incredible to see the talent that she has and how she plays with her vocals.”

Nicki, who credits meeting Eladio thanks to Argentine hitmaker Bizarrap, adds: “The most important thing is to have personal chemistry, and we connected really fast. He showed me a lot of incredible songs [at the studio], but this was the track where I felt that our vocals would best link.”

The music video, directed by Raymi Paulus, shows the two artists on a split-screen, each doing their own thing before coming together in person.

“A lot of people will relate to this song,” Carrion expresses. “It’s incredible. We did it with a lot of love, and I can’t wait to sing it live and that our fans enjoy it,” Nicole elaborates.

Watch the music video for “Nota,” followed by the Instagram Live interview: