– Gardens teen’s second pop single hitting airwaves for the holidays

– The song was inspired by an article Nikki Lickstein read in Cosmo.

– The song will play on WIRK 103.1 and Sunny 107.9FM for the holidays.

PALM BEACH GARDENS

A talented 17-year-old musician who gained international exposure with a catchy pop tune has another single hitting radio waves just in time for the holidays.

Nikki Lickstein’s song “And I’m Still Single” is in the rotation for local radio station stations WIRK 103.1 and Sunny 107.9FM, plus WBEE 92.5 in Rochester, N.Y.

A Cosmopolitan article about being single for the holidays inspired her to write the song last year, she said.

“I just thought it was weird that that was a huge problem and relatable,” Nikki said.

She submitted her work to a music distribution service, and the stations caught on. WIRK offered her a spot as the new artist of the week.

Her earlier single, “Ex-Crush,” appeared on a top 40 countdown in the United Kingdom in 2015, became a featured video on Sunny 107.9’s website and scored her an invite to the Latin Billboard Music Awards in Miami last year.

The senior at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts gets about four and a half hours in school to devote to her craft and practices for another couple hours at home.

If she wants to put off math homework, she’ll do an Instagram Live video.

“It’s where I’m happiest, so I do it as much as I can,” she said. “I’m just constantly trying to find the newest and next best thing.”

Lisa Lickstein, Nikki’s mom, said they have a close relationship, and it’s healthy for her daughter to write about what’s going on in her life rather than bottling it up.

Nikki has been fortunate to connect with adults in the community to help her succeed, Lisa Lickstein said.

“You want your kids to be able to successfully pursue their passions,” Lisa Lickstein said.

Nikki is reluctant to label her music as any particular genre. It has country influences from her frequent trips to Nashville, jazzy qualities from her experience playing in the jazz band, and pop flavors because she likes the sound, she explained.

Nikki said she’s traveled to Nashville every six to eight weeks since she was about 14, playing at legendary venues such as the Bluebird Cafe, Commodore Grille and Douglas Corner Cafe.

But it was a serendipitous meeting at a local brewery that led to a big break. She played at Funky Buddha three years ago, never realizing that the president of a big songwriting association was listening along in the audience.

Bart Herbison, president of the Nashville Songwriters Association International, handed her his business card afterward.

Nikki’s grandmother — and chaperone — was skeptical of the man who approached her 14-year-old granddaughter with his business card, she remembered with a laugh. But since then, he’s helped hone her songwriting craft, and her circle of songwriters and mentors has expanded, she said.

Next week, Nikki is one of 20 people doing a songwriting workshop with Liz Rose. Rose is best known for co-writing Taylor Swift’s early hits, including the Grammy-nominated “You Belong With Me.”

She’s paying it forward, too. She gives guitar lessons to young children when she’s not taking working on her own music.

“It feels like a complete circle,” she said.

Listening party
Salute Market, 5530 PGA Blvd., is hosting a listening party in Nikki Lickstein’s honor 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Song contest
“And I’m Still Single” is in the Nashville Songwriters Association International Top 40 contest. You can vote online at https://www.nashvillesongwriters.com/nsai-top-40-0