Phoenix, Arizona-born bassist, singer, and songwriter Nik West just released a beautiful and resplendent rendition of Musiq Soulchild’s 2000 hit “Just Friends (Sunny).” She brings her rich, lush sound to the neo-soul/R&B classic and delivers an exquisite vocal performance. She effortlessly infuses her vocals with soothing, sultry soul. The song is finely arranged and performed, elevated by West’s fantastic bass work.
On her Instagram and Facebook pages, West recounts how her cover of “Just Friends (Sunny)” came about. She said that ten years ago, she posted a video of herself playing the song in her room. It's a simple, unadorned video of just her playing the bass and singing the song. She explained that she had been in Australia the day before, where she spent time with Prince during his 2016 Piano & a Microphone tour. Before she left, Prince gave her his beanie, and she put it on, picked up her bass, and recorded the “Just Friends (Sunny)” video in her room.
A little while later, Prince messaged me to tell me how much he loved it. I’ll never forget that. When I posted it, millions of people watched it. Thousands of you danced to it, shared it, and kept asking me the same questions: “When are you going to release this?” Then life changed. After Prince passed, I found it difficult to come back to this song. Every time I heard it, it brought me right back to that moment in time. But some songs wait until the right time. Ten years later, “Just Friends” is finally yours….Thank you for waiting.
It was definitely worth the wait. Her cover of the classic is sublime, bringing a whole new vibe and feel to the song. West continues to grow as a singer, songwriter, musician, and performer, showing that Prince always knew real talent when he saw it. He discovered West on YouTube and mentored and worked closely with her for several years. She has said that Prince is one of the greatest mentors she’s ever had. West is currently touring across eight countries and has 11 upcoming concerts, with the next one coming up on July 25 in Jena, Germany. Visit her official website for her full tour schedule.

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