Naïka releases Haitian Creole version of ‘One Track Mind’ following fan demand

French-Haitian singer-songwriter Naïka has released “One Track Mind (Part II),” a new version of her debut album’s breakout single recorded primarily in Haitian Creole. “YOU ASKED WE DELIVERED,” she wrote to her fans on social media announcing the release, which features Martinican rapper and singer Kalash.

The original “One Track Mind,” built on buoyant rhythms with a konpa-inspired beat and a Haitian Creole outro, became the standout track off ECLESIA, Naïka’s debut album released Feb. 20. 

The song reframes heartbreak as self-affirmation, and its Haitian musical and linguistic textures resonated widely, particularly with women across the world who posted their own interpretations of the track on social media. Many specifically pointed to the Haitian Creole section calling for it to be expanded into its own song entirely.

The new version answers that call. Kalash, who blends trap and Caribbean influences, brings a more intense energy to the track while reinforcing its multicultural identity. 

For Naïka, born Victoria Naicka Richard in Miami to a Haitian mother and a French-Malagasy father, the presence of Haitian Creole and French in her music has never been incidental. In an interview with the Haitian Times in November of last year, she described the multilingual fabric of her upbringing as “feeling in between worlds, feeling like you don’t belong anywhere but feeling like you belong to so many different places. You can relate and connect with all the different parts that make you who you are, but then it’s like feeling like you’re never fully accepted into these places.”

That cultural and linguistic tension is also what drives her connection with fans who navigate multiple identities. The Haitian side of her identity, including Creole, has always been something she’s actively brought into her art. In her 2024 single “6:45,” she moved fluidly between English, French and Creole. ECLESIA as a whole draws on konpa, mizik rasin and R&B, and “One Track Mind” became the album’s most visible expression of that fusion.

“I’ve always been a creative, for as long as I can remember,” she told The Haitian Times. “I feel like I came into this world with this seed implanted in me.” 

That creative instinct, grounded in a Haitian identity she has had to assert and defend throughout her life, is what the Haitian Creole version of “One Track Mind” puts front and center.

“Oh la la… I love it! I’ve already seen Kalash singing in Reunion Island,” one fan posted in French on YouTube. I’m so excited to see you, Naïka ✨️ Keep it up, let’s get this party started.”

Naïka is currently touring ECLESIA across Europe and North America, marking her largest international run to date.

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