As I have said many times on this blog, TikTok has become my favorite place to find new riding musicians. For all the slop on the app, there are so many cool people promoting awesome art. Niko Rubio is someone I came across in 2025 and immediately got hooked on. Towards the end of last year, I covered her EP Ring Ring, which I totally loved. Her music and overall artistry are truly a breath of fresh air when compared to her peers. Niko Rubio is an artist who draws from many influences, and whose music reaches a wide range of sounds. Her music is adjacent to Indie Pop-Rock, and stretches about as widely in this category as is possible. Some of her music is very light and laid back, and some of it is a bit harder and more energetic. She shifts between Bedroom Pop, Latin Rock, and even Reggae in such a cool manner. Niko Rubio also fuses Spanish lyrics and English lyrics, casting a wide range for her potential audience. In the first few months of 2026, she dropped three singles(two of which have write-ups on Eastside Vibes). These singles led to the release of her EP Sunday Girl, which dropped near the end of April. Below, I wanted to highlight my favorite songs from this EP, as well as give some thoughts on it as a whole to close things out. Please let me know in the comments what you think of Niko Rubio and Sunday Girl.

PINK STARBURST

Of everything on this project, ‘Pink Starburst’ is probably the one most unlike the others. Instead of having an Indie Rock or Reggae element to it, this one feels more like a true Pop song. In fact, it actually has a bit of a Hip Hop element to it, which really makes it stand out in this track list. Compared to the other tracks, the melody is very melancholy. There is a cold and sleek tone to this melody. It is very complex, with the basis coming from a keyboard and synths but with a bass and guitar coming in at times to make it pop. The beat is heavy and glitchy. It has a Trap-adjacent tempo that really hits hard. I love how Niko Rubio’s high-pitched and strong vocals sit on this melody. Her singing almost contrasts the tone of the melody, and it gives the song a hypnotic element which is very cool. On ‘Pink Starburst,’ Niko Rubio sings of making love to her partner in a sweet and sexy way. 

SAVIOR COMPLEX

There are a couple of songs on this project that have a Reggae to the instrumentation, with ‘Savior Complex’ being one of them. Instead of having a more pure Reggae tone like the song ‘Ride It’ has, this one has a bit of a Jazz-Pop fusion. The warm and groovy bassline and laid-back drums are what drive the Reggae theme of the song. This bassline and drum pattern make me think of a hot summer day at the beach. The melody also has some wind instruments that give the song a Jazz Fusion feeling. These wind instruments definitely brighten up the track. Niko Rubio’s vocals on the song are pretty pronounced. She sings with a softness that matches the vibe of the Reggae sound, but has enough emphasis to make the song really pop. On ‘Savior Complex,’ Niko Rubio sings of trying to make a relationship work with someone whose mind is in the wrong place. She wants to help them get through their issues so she can be with them. 

SUNDAY GIRL

The EP’s title track was also the lead single. As I mentioned during the introduction, this one immediately got me hooked and excited. When I wrote about this one earlier this year, I mentioned it had a Latin Rock sound that definitely seems inspired by Julieta Venegas. The guitar riff that drives this track is so floaty and bright. It has such a sunny feeling which is palpable. The drums on this one are pretty upbeat, making this one very danceable. Niko Rubio’s vocals are a bit more subdued on this track than on some of her other tracks. Her softer delivery really matches the light feeling of the track. This is a song where Niko Rubio sings in Spanish and English, which really makes the delivery and feeling of the song unique. On ‘Sunday Girl,’ she yearns for her partner to see her value and wants them to stop playing games with her mind and just be committed. 

As I talked about in the introduction, one of the things I have come to appreciate about Niko Rubio is how wide-ranging her sound can be. It seems like she has the ability to make any kind of music that is in the realm of Pop, Rock, and Reggae. This was very evident in the singles for Sunday Girl, and becomes even more apparent in the other three songs on it. We even got a bit of a Hip Hop feeling on ‘Pink Starburst,’ which is something I hadn’t heard from her. This really made that song stand out. Every song on this project is quality, though, and they all shine in different ways. For only being six songs, the range of sounds on this EP is vast. It seems like she has something for everyone here, which makes it so cool and appealing. Even though you can pick out the influences for this project when you listen, it still feels so individual. Niko Rubio has a way of taking these familiar sounds and morphing them in a way that feels her own. Niko Rubio’s vocals on this project are really great. She has such an inviting tone, and her vocals give these songs such a dreamy feeling. Lyrically, Niko Rubio really lets the listener into how she feels. All of these songs feel so personal. She has a cheeky way of writing that makes the songs feel comical and serious at the same time. Overall, Sunday Girl is a really good EP with so much to love. If you are looking for some fun Indie Pop Rock to enjoy, you will enjoy this project for sure.