Born at Grady Hospital on July 14, 1997, Nicole “Sakura” Watson released her first record, “Chasing Feelings”, in 2020. She was born to a mother of Japanese descent and father of Bahamian descent, and is a singer, songwriter, and producer from the Northside of Atlanta, Georgia. Music was the foundation of Sakura’s upbringing: “I always wanted to sing my whole life. I remember staying up at night and I would listen to people play music downstairs”, as her father was a producer and touring musician. In middle school, Sakura started playing the piano after attending a few classes provided by a close friend of her mother. During high school, she was gifted a guitar by her parents which she began to play regularly, learning through YouTube videos of people playing her favorite childhood songs. She wrote her first record as a student studying film and music at Georgia State University, after purchasing a MIDI keyboard and Logic Pro. Sakura describes her music as neo soul mixed with alternative R&B. Her musical influences include Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse, Jazmine Sullivan and Ne-Yo. Sakura first performed in 2019 at a Jelani Imani showcase and has had numerous performances throughout the year including a performance at Rolling Loud with Kenny Mason, performing his record “Angels Calling”. In 2021, she opened for recording artist Elhae at Aisle 5 in Atlanta, GA, and went on to perform at numerous other musical venues to rave reviews from the audience in attendance.