When music wonder twins Nina Sky took over dance floors with their 2004 hit, "Move Ya Body," even they weren't sure what they were doing. "Our first album was written about things we hadn't yet experienced in our lives," says Nicole Albino, one half of the duo. "We were 18, straight out of high school." After an exhaustive 2004 tour, Albino and her identical twin, Natalie, holed up in the studio to write a follow-up album that was more mature and filled with experiences that the duo had, well, actually experienced.
Four years later, The Musical is finished and ready for release this fall. The album mixes Nina Sky's love of R&B, pop music, and hip-hop beats and features several top producers including Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Cool and Dre, and Ryan Leslie. "Music is changing," says Nicole. "A lot of hip-hop artists are experimenting with house or techno; more beats are overlapping. And musicians are speaking outside the box, becoming more innovative. It's great for music." The Musical also contains a heavy influence by one of the duo's favorites—Madonna. "She's constantly reinventing herself. We hope to have that longevity in our career."
Finally free from the studio, the sisters are back cruising the streets of Queens, NY, where they were born and raised, deejaying in New York City, and getting tattoos by Andreana at Supernova Tattoos in Astoria, NY . Natalie got a tattoo tribute to her sister—a pin-up girl on a record on her forearm with Nicole's name on the other side. Nicole returned the favor. "I got a tattoo for Natalie," she says. "It's of Ganesh, a Hindu god. She loves elephants." It's now Nicole's favorite tattoo and elicits none of the regret she has over the tattoo of someone else's name she had inked on her arm (which is now covered). "I recommend no one ever, ever doing that. It was a huge mistake."