The Second Offering From the Forthcoming Deluxe Edition of Her Critically Acclaimed Project “Painfully Happy”
Out Now STREAM HERE
Johannesburg, Thursday, 11 June 2026 – Nanette returns today with “Ask For Nun’,” her second single from the forthcoming deluxe edition of her critically acclaimed project Painfully Happy, following the release of “Baggage” earlier this year. Recorded in a single freestyle take, the track captures the unfiltered emotional immediacy that has come to define Nanette’s artistry: a raw, unguarded plea for genuine love, stripped of expectation and free of performance.
At its core, “Ask For Nun’” is a song about the most fundamental of human desires: to be fully seen, accepted, and loved without conditions. Against a smooth, emotionally rich R&B production crafted by Ivani, Nanette lays bare a portrait of longing that is precise in its vulnerability and universal in its reach. The narrator asks for no material tokens: no ring, no chain, no money. Only presence. Only the reciprocated want of another. In a landscape where romantic music often performs intensity, Nanette’s offering feels almost disarmingly raw in its conviction.
“This is one of the rare songs that only took one take to record, which makes it incredibly emotional and personal for me. At its core, it speaks to that deep yearning to be fully seen for who you are and to have the love you give genuinely received.” Nanette
Written and produced in a moment of pure instinct, the track carries the rare quality of something that could not have been planned. Every hesitation, every tremor of feeling, every moment of resolve is preserved in real time, allowing the listener to experience the emotion as it formed. It is the kind of honesty that is impossible to replicate. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the song’s most provoking lyric: “If there were bullets in the sky / I’d jump in front of them just to make sure you don’t die.” It is a line that lands with the weight of something spoken only in private.
The release arrives at a significant moment in Nanette’s trajectory. Her 2025 EP Painfully Happy has surpassed two million streams and established her as one of South Africa’s most compelling voices in R&B. That project earned her a feature in Apple Music’s influential ALPHA campaign, a spot on Spotify’s Ones to Watch 2025 list, and a sold-out one-woman show at Untitled Basement. Most recently, she opened for Ella Mai, an international co-sign that reflects the growing recognition Nanette is earning beyond South African borders.
Together, “Baggage” and “Ask For Nun’” are building the picture of what the Painfully Happy deluxe will be: a deeper excavation of the relatable writing, soothing vocals, and provocative storytelling that made the original project resonate so widely. “Ask For Nun’” is available on all major streaming platforms.
Connect with Nanette:
Instagram: @officiallynanette
TikTok: @officiallynanette
X (Twitter): @officialnanette
About Nanette:
Nanette Mbili is a contemporary R&B artist from Durban, South Africa, whose music is defined by emotional clarity, vocal restraint, and narrative depth. Drawing on influences from Whitney Houston and Beyoncé while forging a sound entirely her own, she has built a body of work that moves between raw vulnerability and soulful resolution. Her 2022 debut album Bad Weather reached number 10 on the African Apple Music chart and earned a SAMA nomination for Best R&B Album. Her 2024 sophomore project The Waiting Room featured collaborations with Blxckie, Nasty C, and Tellaman, and her 2025 EP Painfully Happy has accumulated over two million streams, with international recognition through Apple Music’s ALPHA campaign and Spotify’s Ones to Watch 2025 list. With the forthcoming Painfully Happy deluxe, Nanette continues to build a catalogue defined by the kind of honest, expansive storytelling that trusts its audience to sit with complexity.