Nicolette Louisa "Nikki" Palikat (born 1 November 1985) is a Malaysian American singer from

Tambunan Tambunan ( ms, Pekan Tambunan) is the capital of the Tambunan District in the Interior Division of Sabah, Malaysia. Its population was estimated to be around 35,667 in 2010. It is located 80 kilometres east of the state capital, Kota Kinabalu ...

, Sabah, and a finalist in the first season of Malaysian Idol. She is known for her vocal belting and her ability to sing in the whistle register.

Career

While a university student, she successfully auditioned for Malaysian Idol in

Kuching Kuching (), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak River at the southwest tip of the state of Sar ...

, Sarawak, impressing the judges with her rendition of

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...

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. She eventually progressed through to the 'Final 12' of the competition. After six weeks, Nikki was voted out on 12 September 2004 to some controversy, as she had been seen as a favourite to win by Malaysian Idol judge, Paul Moss. The following lists Nikki's ''Malaysian Idol'' performances: * Audition – Emotions – (Mariah Carey) * Workshop – One Moment in Time – (

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

) * Wildcard –

The Voice Within "The Voice Within" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her fourth studio album, ''Stripped'' (2002). The song was written by Aguilera and Glen Ballard, with production handled by Ballard. It is a piano-driven ballad that talk ...

– (

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...

) * Top 12 –

Crazy in Love "Crazy in Love" is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé, featuring a rap verse and ad-libs from her future husband Jay-Z from her debut solo studio album ''Dangerously in Love'' (2003). The song was released as her official debut single a ...

– (

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

) * Top 10 –

I Want You Back "I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5. It was released by Motown on October 6, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on ...

– (

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) * Top 8 – Against All Odds – (

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

) * Top 7 – I'm with You – (

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, '' Let Go'' (2002), is the best-selling album of the 2 ...

) * Top 6 –

Emotion Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definitio ...

– (

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

) Originally planning to continue with her studies after her exit from the competition, Nikki secured a recording contract with Artistes United Records and released her debut album, ''Maharani'', in Malaysia on 28 November 2005. The title means 'Empress' in Malay. This album showcases Nikki's abilities in the whistle register, with one critic mentioning it as "whistling a la Mariah Carey." The ballad 'Pinta' marked Nikki's official debut in the music industry. Nikki's second single, Caramu, won Nikki and collaborating artist, Zahid, an award for best vocal duo at Anugerah Era 2006, a Malaysian music awards ceremony. Following Caramu, Nikki teamed up with fellow Malaysian singer, Yanie, and both featured in

Ning Baizura Ning Baizura binti Sheikh Hamzah (born 28 June 1975), better known by her stage name Ning Baizura, is a Malaysian pop and R&B singer, actress who sings in Malay, English, Japanese, Italian, French, Mandarin and Cantonese. Early life Sh ...

's August single release, Drama. On 28 December 2008, Nikki released her second album, ''Hawa'' featuring the singles "Relakan" and "Selamat Tinggal".

Personal life

Palikat married Malaysian music composer and producer Audi Mok in June 2009. They have one son. In 2022, she revealed that she and Mok had split back in March 2021. Palikat is Catholic.

Discography

Albums * ''Maharani'' (2005) * ''Hawa'' (2008) Singles * ''Caramu'' * ''Imaginasi'' * ''Drama'' * ''Relakan'' * ''Selamat Tinggal'' * ''Cantik'' * ''Belas-Mu'' * ''Hawa'' * ''Sudah''

Filmography

Television series

References

External links

Nikki Palikat Official Webpage/Blog
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Palikat, Nikki 1985 births People from Sabah Kadazan-Dusun people Living people Malaysian women pop singers People from Berrien Springs, Michigan Malay-language singers Malaysian Idol participants 21st-century Malaysian women singers Malaysian Roman Catholics