Nicky MacKenzie’s Sultry New Single Delves Into Desire, Darkness, and the Trouble We Can’t Resist

Hailing from the serene shores of Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, pop singer-songwriter Nicky MacKenzie returns with I Should Go, a moody, magnetic track that captures a familiar emotional storm—the moment when you know better, but choose the danger anyway. It’s temptation distilled into a three-minute pop gem, where lush production, sharp lyrics, and MacKenzie’s undeniable vocal command all collide in perfect, slow-burning harmony.

“I wrote this song about bad habits, dark and twisted nights, and the feeling you get when you know you’re supposed to say no, but you just can’t help saying yes,” MacKenzie shares. That tension—between logic and impulse, self-protection and self-sabotage—is where I Should Go thrives. It’s about the pull you feel at midnight when the door should close, but your heart’s already halfway in the room.

Blending elements of confessional songwriting and bold pop aesthetics, I Should Go marks a powerful step forward in MacKenzie’s evolution as an artist. The production is polished yet spacious, letting each note breathe while allowing her soulful voice to take center stage. There's a cinematic quality here—dim lighting, slow motion, blurred edges—and MacKenzie floats through it with poise and vulnerability. Her tone, often likened to legends like Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse, and Joss Stone, feels both grounded and otherworldly: a voice steeped in emotion but sharpened by experience.

The track’s lyrics echo this balance of danger and desire. My walls are falling fast / I kind of want some more / Don’t let me lose my senses / I’ve been there before—lines that feel whispered in a moment of self-awareness, when the heart is louder than the head. It’s a confession made not to escape guilt, but to fully own it. And that honesty is what makes the song hit so hard.

The official video for I Should Go amplifies the track’s dark allure. Dripping with atmosphere, it moves like a fever dream—shadowy, sleek, and seductively off-kilter. There’s no clear villain, no moral lesson—just the lingering ache of decisions made in the half-light, and the weight they carry. It’s an ideal visual match for a song that lives in gray areas, somewhere between thrill and regret.

MacKenzie is no stranger to songwriting acclaim. A past winner of the Canadian Songwriting Challenge and a standout on CTV’s The Launch, she’s been quietly building a reputation for songs that don’t just sound good—they say something. Over the years, she’s honed her craft on stages across the country, captivating crowds at festivals like Phillips Backyard and Rifflandia with performances that are equal parts powerhouse and heartache.

With over two million streams and counting—1.3 million on Spotify and nearly a million on YouTube—MacKenzie’s momentum is undeniable. But I Should Go marks a shift: not just in sound, but in artistic intent. It’s the first taste of her forthcoming debut full-length album, a project co-created with heavyweight producers Herag Sanbalian, Jasper Kuijper, and JUNO-nominated Gus van Go. This isn’t just a single—it’s the start of a more daring, emotionally raw chapter.

What sets MacKenzie apart is her ability to balance intimacy with scale. I Should Go feels like a whispered secret, but it's dressed in pop grandeur. The melodies are sticky, the hook undeniable, but it’s the storytelling—the honesty, the vulnerability, the refusal to neatly resolve—that lingers long after the song fades out.

As the new era begins, Nicky MacKenzie proves she’s not just ready to push boundaries—she’s already stepped past them. I Should Go is more than a song about temptation. It’s a declaration: of voice, of intent, and of the beautiful messes that make us who we are.

And if this is only the beginning, it’s clear—MacKenzie isn’t just one to watch. She’s one to feel.