Niko B: Who's That What's That singer on life after lockdown

Who's That What's That: Niko B's second single went viral over the summer

Niko B went into lockdown as an aspiring rapper but emerged on the other side with a top 40 single under his belt and a place on Now That's What I Call Music 106. Confined to his bedroom, he watched remotely as his song Who's That What's That became a viral hit - with three million views on YouTube and counting.

With an eagerly awaited follow-up single out now, he is desperate to get on with his future plans - which include directing videos, learning how to wheelie on his bike and convincing the makers of Grand Theft Auto to visit Newport Pagnell.

The small town on the edge of Milton Keynes is home to 19-year-old Tom Austin, aka Niko B. Its bars, playgrounds and kebab shops provide the inspiration for his music as well as the setting for his videos.

"It's a lot better than Milton Keynes as a whole," he says. "It's more townly and fun, and I can go on bike rides. It's sick."

The video to Who's That What's That offers a virtual tour of Newport Pagnell

Niko B - the name comes via the "elite human" Niko Bellic, a character in the computer game GTA IV - spent much of lockdown in his bedroom of his family home.

It's where he writes songs, sketches designs for clothing or jewellery and got to watch his fame spread.

He had already built up a bit of a following prior to the pandemic. He started with YouTube videos and his own clothing line before releasing his debut single, Mary Berry, last summer.

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The sexually-explicit tale of how he was seeking a girl like the TV baker was designed to "make people laugh and entertain them", he said.

The lyrics also suggested the next GTA should be set in Milton Keynes - "it would be like a roundabout simulator with guns and a story line", he says now.

By the time the country was told to stay at home due to coronavirus in March, Niko B had about 20,000 followers on Instagram, but he was confident he was sitting on a gamechanger in the shape of Who's That What's That.

Niko B says his new single Quick Drive is "best listened to in a car in the evening, or a field, with friends"

The track covers a lot of ground in its storytelling - a drunken night out, a lost wallet, a troublesome girl, and a trip to a well-known hamburger restaurant.

"Anything that crosses me in life I try and put in a song," he said.

"I was sat on that song for seven months, and I kept on delaying the release. I was like Christmas is not a good time, then it got to February, and I was like 'right, I'm going to wait until the start of summer as it will be a good summery song... and then lockdown hit."

Luckily he had filmed a video a couple of weeks before, so once that was edited he decided to release the track on 21 May, knowing "a lot of people were in the house and focusing on their phones".

The track was an instant hit on social media and radio stations, peaking at 26 on the official Top 40.

His Instagram following shot up by 100,000 and TikTok elevated his fame, but due to the pandemic, his traditional opportunities to capitalise on the success were restricted - there would be no supporting gigs, instores or TV appearances.

"I want to learn how to wheelie on a bike. It's very hard. I think I might be too weak. I'll figure it out."

"I've experienced everything from where I'm sat right now," he said.

"I try not to get frustrated, it is what it is. Thinking about other outcomes is pointless."

Niko B is looking to a future where he can "burst through" every creative avenue he can think of.

First comes his follow-up single, Quick Drive, which he said "was made to be pretty and boppy and to show the end of summer".

"A can of Rio is mentioned in the chorus because growing up my Nan always had cans of Rio in her fridge and she's moving away soon - so it's nice to have a little subtle mention to her in the song. Shout out to my Nan, you legend."

And then there are the many other strings to his bow, which help make Niko B much more than a popstar in the making.

"Directing music videos, presenting is cool," he said. "I want to start doing skits, a little show or something.

"You know like Peep Show and The Office - I will never get a role like that because I can't audition, or act at all, so I'm like I might as well make my own."

Niko B says "there are five people in the world who are top tier" - Stevie Wonder, Niko Bellic, Sean Lock, Walter White and Ferris Bueller

"I've experienced everything from where I'm sat right now."

He also hopes to get over his fear of being on stage.

"I'm so scared to perform live," he said. "I'm not going to lie. I think it's helped me, lockdown, because it's helped me ease into things because everything's happened so quick."

Niko B played some shows with NSG last year and next summer will achieve one of his life goals when he performs at the Reading Festival.

This is something he has wanted to do since going as a punter a couple of years ago and seeing "some people beat up a wheelbarrow". He returned last year to interview acts on the BBC 1Xtra stage.

"It's got a special place in my heart," he said. "Hopefully next year I'll be on the stage, running around and shouting."

Beyond that, he hopes of making it two Now albums in a row, and even further ahead he dreams of becoming a regular on TV.

"When I'm like 50 the goal is to be on gameshows on telly, like 8 Out of 10 Cats or QI," he said.

"Sean Lock, I love you. If you're reading this, please can we go out for dinner or something?"