NinaRosa Talks “16,” Finding Her Voice Again, and the Making of Can’t Sing Like I Used To
The Manchester-based neo-soul artist opens up about her return to music, the meaning behind her latest single, and the five years of songwriting that shaped her debut EP.
There's something bittersweet about being sixteen. At that age, growing up feels like the only thing that matters. Years later, you find yourself wishing you could go back, even just for a moment.
For English-Portuguese neo-soul artist NinaRosa, that feeling sits at the heart of her new single, “16,” released October 14. The track introduces her forthcoming debut EP, Can’t Sing Like I Used To, arriving in early 2027.
But behind the music is a story that makes the song's message especially personal.
After developing a rare vocal disorder, Nina Pinto was forced to step away from music for two years. Surgery, vocal rehabilitation, and an uncertain future followed. Now, she's returning with a new perspective on the voice and artistry she's spent much of her life developing.
In an exclusive interview with Everyday Jams, Nina opens up about her journey back to music and the experiences shaping this next chapter.
Sixteen, Looking Back
“16” explores the strange contradiction of wanting to grow up faster, only to eventually wish you could revisit those younger years.
For Nina, the song reflects more than nostalgia.
“My body and my voice - I took both for granted when I was younger and leading into adulthood I faced so many challenges that affected them.”
She also speaks openly about the pressure artists face to reach certain milestones early in life, admitting that she's sometimes questioned whether she's behind.
But those years have also given her something she couldn't have rushed: a stronger understanding of herself and her music.
“I do believe that what I’m producing now would have outshone anything I could have done at a younger age - so maybe I just need to trust that more.”
There's another reason “16” felt like the right introduction. The EP's title, Can’t Sing Like I Used To, is actually the song's opening lyric.
As the most recently written track on the project, “16” introduces the artist Nina is today before listeners travel backward through the earlier chapters of her story.
Finding Her Voice Again
For someone whose life had revolved around music since childhood, losing the ability to sing was devastating.
Before surgery, Nina faced the possibility that her voice could change permanently. At that point, she was simply hoping to speak without pain.
She remembers waiting for her best friend to come home and hold her hand before attempting to speak for the first time after the operation.
What came out was a squeak, higher than any note she'd ever sung.
Looking back, she jokingly calls it “a one hit wonder.”
The road back was anything but immediate. Vocal therapy meant learning to speak differently before she could begin rebuilding her relationship with singing and songwriting.
“I was just beyond grateful to have my voice back (well most of it) so I was prepared to sit and work at it and work out the kinks, until creatively I felt secure again with what I was capable of and what would work for my new sound.”
Since returning, Nina has performed across the UK, including headline shows in Manchester and London, and a support slot for Mercury Prize-nominated corto.alto.
Performing again has brought a new appreciation for something she once feared losing altogether.
“I felt so much joy and I realised how I never wanted to take it for granted again.”
Five Years, One Record
Can’t Sing Like I Used To brings together five years of songwriting, with material written before, during, and after Nina's treatment.
Rather than reworking the older songs to reflect who she is today, Nina chose to preserve them. Listening back, she says, feels like reading old journal entries, each capturing a different version of herself.
The EP explores relationships, self-worth, personal growth, and change. It also documents how her songwriting evolved alongside her voice.
“Some of the melodic lines I wrote years ago, I’d struggle to get through now and as time goes on you see my melodies accommodate to the voice I have now.”
It's a deeply personal approach to a debut project, one that doesn't attempt to erase the difficult chapters that came before it.
And while the title might initially sound like a statement of loss, Nina sees it as something more forward-looking.
“The bigger picture is okay yes, you can’t but what will come of it, what’s next.”
That question feels central to everything she's creating now.
A New Chapter
For NinaRosa, returning to music hasn't been about becoming the artist she was before her diagnosis. It's about discovering what she can create with the voice she has today.
And she's not planning to stand still.
When asked what she hopes listeners take away from her debut EP, Nina offers a characteristically candid response.
“I’m a tough cookie as my mum would say,” she shares, adding, “I have way more to give than ever so stick with me.”
With “16,” NinaRosa is introducing herself on her own terms, embracing the years, experiences, and unexpected changes that brought her here.
And with a debut EP on the horizon, there's plenty more to hear.
“16” is out now on streaming platforms. Listen to NinaRosa's latest single and follow along as she prepares to release her debut EP, Can’t Sing Like I Used To, in early 2027.
Photography: Toni McCoy-Hopwood
