Meet Nikki Javadi | Music Supervisor & Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nikki Javadi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nikki, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
Honestly, I don’t have an end goal. There’s no tangible ‘end’ to me. I have a goal for today, tomorrow, next week. I have some long term goals, too, of course. But I’m a bit of a shape-shifter, I like to evolve and follow what works (ADHD). I know I want to music supervise, write, perform. I guess as long as I can be creative, be in creative communities, and pay my bills, I’ll be happy.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m really excited about this next year. In respect to my writing, I’ve recently launched my Substack newsletter, called “She Just Changes Her Mind”, which hosts my music essays and reviews. As a writer, my art can feel solitary, but this feels like a liberating way to share my work and connect with people. And I’m so damn passionate about music writing. The music criticism world for a long time was overrun with white, cishet men whose opinions and framing were super limited. I remember after SZA’s Ctrl came out, it was so hard to find published writing that resonated with me. I turned to YouTube comments and Reddit threads instead, and quickly realized that I had a lot to say, too. Around the same time, I discovered Hanif Abdurraqib’s music writing, and my world was changed. I hope my writing falls somewhere on the spectrum between his poetic, thoughtful essays and Pitchfork style criticism. Whatever it is, it’s my voice, and it’s a style I’m proud of.

As far as my music supervision goes, I’ve been lucky enough to work on amazing projects this year, and am excited to expand my business, I Do Magiic, even further by the end of the year. Growing a small business is super hard! Especially when it’s a one-woman show. It works for me for now, but I look forward to bringing other people into the fold down the line. I’m learning how to be better with every new project, and am grateful to my community for wanting to grow with me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh my goodness. Which friend? I’d have to customize the itinerary to the person. I have a wide range of besties! But generally speaking, I’d do mornings at home. I love making breakfast and pour-over coffee in the morning, so we’d do that and sit outside to enjoy it. My street is basically a bird sanctuary, so mornings there feel like the beginning of a Disney princess movie. Then, I’d make us do day trips. I love LA, always have always will, but part of what makes this place so special is being surrounded by amazing other places! We’d have to do to Joshua Tree, then one of my fave nearby mountain towns (keeping these ones a secret, you can DM me), maybe Laguna Beach, etc. Back in LA, I’d also take her to my favorite comedy shows, and maybe some queer line-dancing, too. The food options are endless, but I tend to stay east side. Ugh, this question is too hard.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d love to dedicate my shoutout to everyone in my life! There is simply no way I could be where I am without each and ever person I know and love. My family makes sure I always have a safe landing pad. My friends uplift and support my ever-changing goals… they literally believe I can do anything. My partner is incredible, she’s like my manager – she helps me tangibly work towards my goals & dreams in every way she can, I’m so grateful to her.

Website: https://idomagiic.com

Instagram: @nikkijavadi

Image Credits
Main photo of self – by Charlotte Kennett

Screenshot of my sites – self

Photos of me in the studio with headphones – by Sami Shaffer