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Nia Smith & Destin Conrad Drop Intense Visuals for New Single "Tough"
Ivor Novello & MOBO-nominated British Musician Nia Smith has shared a new single, “Tough,” featuring Grammy-nominated artist Destin Conrad. Touching and emotionally intuitive, the new track is directed at a partner, asking them to let their walls down.
Destin’s vocal agility and warm delivery match impeccably with Nia’s rich and smooth tone. The music video takes us into a sunlit, empty warehouse. Playing with perspective, Nia and Destin feature in the background of each other’s shots dressed in coordinated denim, adding their support to one another’s pleas for softness.
Nia shares her thoughts on "Tough": “I wrote a song about men not needing to be so tough and that they can show a lil soft side too but also a song to remind myself that i dont need to be so tough and that its acc okay to share the love you have to give the world needs more love not more stone cold humans.”
“Tough” follows on from “Limit”, a powerful track that saw Nia exercise her authority in a relationship to ask for change. “Tough” sees Nia soften her message and try a different approach.
In the year since putting out Give Up The Fear, her impressive first EP, Nia has been learning a lot about herself. The Brixton girl with the versatile, unfaltering voice has had self-described “tunnel vision” about her career since she was a kid, via teen years writing songs, learning guitar and piano, attending prestigious establishments like the Brit School and ELAM, before finding TikTok virality with her cover songs and signing to Polydor in 2023. Releasing her first collection last year gave her pause, though. It was all beyond exciting, racking up millions of listens and receiving praise from Billboard, NME, British Vogue, The Observer, Rolling Stone UK, BBC Radio 1, and more, culminating in performances on Later…With Jools and at All Points East, City Splash, she was also invited by BBC Introducing to play Glastonbury and was nominated for Rising Star at this year’s Ivor Novello. Still, Nia was conscious about needing to step back to focus on her craft again. She decided to take some time away in Jamaica. “I've just been living life,” she explains, “I think the whole break was just me living life and just gaining life experience to talk about.”
Nia has also found fans in Prada, who invited her to their S/S26 Milan fashion week show as well as their London Prada Mode party. Last month, Nia also picked up a nomination for Best Newcomer for the upcoming MOBO 2026 awards.
Powerful and technically impressive, there is a tender vulnerability threaded through her storytelling, and although she may just be getting started, Nia’s songs already feel accomplished and full of heart. Further honing her live craft, Nia performed at Mahalia Presents at the Jazz Cafe, supported Pip Millett at Somerset House, supported Sasha Keable at Lafayette, played before SZA at BST, Hyde Park, and supported both Jordan Rakei & Elmiene on their US, UK & EU tour.
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