For Simone Nicole, known artistically as SMA, music is not separate from identity. It is where sound, fashion, memory and visual storytelling meet—and with her new single, “GOODNIGHT AND GOODBYE,” she is turning that intersection into an entire creative world.
Released September 19, the single introduces SMA’s forthcoming VOICEMAILS project, a body of work shaped by toxic relationships, emotional distance and the difficult process of outgrowing past versions of yourself. Rather than presenting those experiences as a straightforward timeline, SMA has designed the project to unfold in reverse. “GOODNIGHT AND GOODBYE” is the story’s final chapter, but it is the first one listeners receive.
That decision immediately changes the way the music is heard. Instead of waiting to learn whether its central character finds closure, listeners meet SMA after she has already chosen herself. Every release that follows will reveal another piece of how she arrived there.
“G&G is about moving on from the past: from relationships and previous versions of yourself,” SMA says. “More than anything else, it’s about me and where I’m at now.”
The idea behind VOICEMAILS began with voice memos and the raw, unfinished emotions people leave behind when a relationship becomes complicated. What started as a concept about toxic love gradually expanded into something more personal: a study of resentment, reflection and eventually gratitude for the lessons that painful experiences can leave behind.
The project’s emotional progression moves from “I hate you for what you did” toward “thank you for what you taught me.” Its introductory track, “I JUST CALLED,” was inspired by turning the sentiment of Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You” in a completely different direction. Other songs—including “voodoo,” “labubu,” “broken,” “yours” and “ghost”—are quietly referenced in the third verse of “GOODNIGHT AND GOODBYE,” giving listeners clues to chapters that have not yet been released.
Behind the larger concept is an artist becoming increasingly hands-on with every part of her work. SMA wrote the lyrics over an instrumental by Mantra Beats and recorded all of the vocals at home using a Volt 2 interface, an Audio-Technica 2020 microphone and Ableton. She later worked with musician Richard Baca on mixing and mastering.
The completed vocals contain no Auto-Tune or Melodyne, a detail that matters to SMA because it represents how much confidence she has gained in her own voice. Her influences—Qveen Herby, Ariana Grande and Eminem—may come from different corners of music, but each can be felt in her approach: fast lyricism, layered vocals, precise pop instincts and a willingness to make personal truth part of the performance.
That same independence carries into SMA’s visual identity. A self-described ’90s baby with a love of thrifting, fashion and repurposing vintage accessories, she developed two contrasting visual settings for the single. One is rooted in Y2K nostalgia, centered around an early-2000s-inspired pink room at 1 Take Studios in Phoenix. The other moves into fairytale territory through a dramatic ballgown, flowers and scenes filmed at the botanical gardens in Albuquerque.
The contrast is intentional. One world represents preparation; the other represents emergence. Together, they show the transformation at the center of the song without simply repeating its lyrics.
Friends Kacee Aguirre, Mallory Laborie and Samantha Bo helped bring the visuals to life through filming, set building and creative collaboration, with SMA directing the overall concept. The result is dreamy, feminine and playful, but it is also highly specific to the artist she is becoming.
For SMA, building that world has required confronting experiences that do not fit neatly into a traditional breakup song. Her writing has also been informed by the loss of an estranged relationship with her sister and by the work of learning to accept what cannot be repaired. Music became a place to process that absence without allowing it to define her future.
She also credits mentor Dounia Tazi with helping shape a season of growth centered on affirmations, intention and learning to love herself in the present rather than waiting to become someone else first.
That message is what SMA ultimately hopes listeners carry away from “GOODNIGHT AND GOODBYE.”
“I want people to feel empowered: not only to let go of what no longer serves them, but to embrace who they want to be and step into their power,” she says. “Choosing to make music has allowed me to fully express who I am and my hope is that the music allows other people to do the same.”
As she continues finalizing three “baby albums,” developing a live set and preparing for the possibility of touring, SMA is approaching her career with the same intention that shapes her music. She is not simply releasing songs. She is creating connected chapters, visual clues and emotional entry points that reward an audience for paying attention.
“My only dream is that my work resonates with someone else,” she says. “Whether it’s a melody, a mantra, or meaning.”
With “GOODNIGHT AND GOODBYE,” SMA makes that intention clear. The song may represent the conclusion of one story, but it also signals the arrival of an artist ready to build the next one entirely on her own terms.
ABOUT SMA
Simone Nicole, known artistically as SMA, is an emerging recording artist from Albuquerque, New Mexico, whose work brings together music, fashion, visual storytelling and pop culture. Influenced by Qveen Herby, Ariana Grande and Eminem, she pairs fast-moving lyricism and layered vocals with personal storytelling. Her forthcoming VOICEMAILS project explores toxic love, growth, identity and the process of leaving old versions of yourself behind.
Artist Links
Website: www.theactualsma.com
Instagram/TikTok: @theactualsma
Spotify: SMA on Spotify
YouTube: SMA on YouTube
