To have three original songs nominated for four music awards is outstanding. Not many can make that claim, but Natalie Raikadroka certainly can.

Her songs Good Love (Feat. Phil Dakei) and Rockin Like That (Feat. Drixstar) — are nominated in the Best English Song category at the upcoming Fiji Performing Rights Association’s 2023 Music Awards in nine days’ time.

And her outrageously popular tune Grammar Tu Ga (Feat. Drixstar and Mr Grin), which has received great airplay, is also nominated in the Most Popular Song and Best Hip-Hop Song categories.

“It’s always an honour to be nominated because you have been put to a test and measured against the best artists that have released songs in the same year that you have released yours,” Raikadroka said.

“To be nominated alone is a win and when you are nominated, you are also given a free seat so just to experience it even if you don’t go home with an award.

“Just to be present and experience the whole red carpet flamboyant event and watch others grab awards is exciting.”

Her song Grammar Tu Ga is one of her personal favourites. “A lot of people don’t realise how crazy in love I am with my school.

“It goes beyond the tattoos, and I declare myself mother of lions for a reason.

“When I released my first single in 2012 Let the Lions Roar, that was a hip-hop song about my school which I had featured with Drixstar who is an old scholar as well.

“During the pandemic, I was thinking that we needed to produce a new and better song. Grammar Tu Ga is just a song for the school and all its ex-scholars.

“We don’t need an award, we never needed recognition for the song because when they sing Grammar Tu Ga it comes from the heart.”

Raikadroka is pinning her hopes on her debut 10 song album. But whatever the outcome, she promised there was more music to come.

“I’ve put in a lot of effort into this album. I am very proud of this product that I released last year in April. “It is my first LP album and first full product I have released apart from my singles.

“The album was two to three years overdue, but because I am a perfectionist, I had to perfect the songs and I am very picky with my producers.

“There are five producers in total that worked on the album, and it is very difficult to work with an artist like me because I am very picky.

“A lot of people have been asking me ‘hey Nat are you releasing any new songs’, but I am not releasing any new songs until I know I have fully exposed all the songs in this album.

“This is a 10 original song album that is basically a story of my life. If you hear every song, it is basically telling a story of a different part of my life.”

Raikadroka said that platforms like the FIPRA Music Awards gave her and artists like her recognition and value, and pushed them to continue writing.