She stole the hearts of millions at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2000 Olympic Games and now 14-year-old Nikki Webster is set to do it again with her single Strawberry Kisses’.

“The Olympics was just such a fantastic thing,” she says. “I mean, the atmosphere and all the people that I met… I was so overwhelmed. I mean, even today when I walk down the street people recognise me from the Olympics, you know, it’s just amazing. I was just given the best opportunity.”

A debut that huge would surely change a person, but not this young lady. She may only be in Grade Nine, but her head is well and truly planted firmly on her shoulders.

“My life changed, but it didn’t really change me as a person. I’m still the same person, but my life changed in, as I said, with people recognising me and now I’ve got my new single out and stuff like that, so it’s pretty amazing [laughs].”

Written by Jeff Franzel, best known for writing with N’Sync, Shawn Colvin and Taylor Dayne, ‘Strawberry Kisses’ is like a breath of fresh air.

“I think it’s a great song,” Webster says. “The first time I heard the demo CD, that night I walked away and I was still singing it and I thought ‘that’s a really good sign’. I just hope everyone likes it as much as I do.”

Although the lyrics may sound too mature to be sung by this fresh-faced babe, Webster disagrees.

“Well, the way I basically think about it is a girl telling a guy how much they like having their friendship and how much she missed him when he goes away and stuff. I think it’s kind of a cute, fresh song.”

So does Ms Webster have a boyfriend?

“No, I don’t,” she laughs. “I do in the video clip though, but he’s just this little 3D character DJ.”

And it’s because of all the computer animation that the video for Strawberry Kisses’ is the most expensive Australian music video ever made.

“It’s supposed to be, so I’ve been told,” she laughs. “I’m very lucky. It was basically one day and we did the video clip and sort of changed from different sections. And all the dancers in my video clip are my friends and my best friend’s in there, so they got to share the experience too.

“And basically because he’s a 3D image DJ, he wasn’t actually there so they sort of gave me the eye line and where to look and so I was basically acting to nothing. But when they actually put him in, he’s just so cute.”

Strawberry Kisses’ is out now through BMG.

HEATHER WEST

Source: www.timeoff.com.au