Athletes around the world have massive fan bases. Similar to the players, there are several beloved sports team mascots with followings of their own. The New York Liberty’s Ellie The Elephant has become the WNBA’s latest breakout star.
It was clear Ellie received the silver dress code notice, as the sassy elephant was rolled onto center court dressed in a mockup of Beyoncé’s tour look. With her own Renaissance World Tour dancers, Ellie slayed the mashup of “Move” featuring Grace Jones and Nina Sky’s “Move Ya Body” with hints of “Formation.”
Users online raved about the Halftime performance. Many even joked that a floral arrangement from Beyoncé would arrive at the arena soon. Ellie welcomed the idea, writing, “If this happened, tears just might fall .”
— Ellie The Elephant (@BigEllieLiberty) June 23, 2024
Ellie’s Beyhive-certified tribute stated well before see hit the Barclays Center’s floor. In a clip shared to Ellie’s official X (formerly Twitter) profile she is seen Sasha Fiercly stomping across the Snipes pre-game carpet in another Beyoncé-inspired outfit with a hand fan made up of the Renaissance cover art.
Nina Sky burst onto the music scene with their infectious debut single “Move Ya Body.” The dancehall-infused track dominated the airwaves and clubs alike in the mid-2000s. Comprising identical twin sisters, Natalie and Nicole Albino, the duo quickly became synonymous with the summer anthem. However, as the years have passed, the once-prominent presence of Nina Sky in the music industry has waned. The industry might not be at the forefront of their lives anymore, but they’re still very much active. Here’s what the duo is up to now.
Nina Sky: Music In Their Veins
Nina Sky’s journey to stardom began in the vibrant musical landscape of New York City. Born and raised in Queens, the Albino sisters were immersed in the rich cultural melting pot. As a result, the diversity around them greatly influenced their musical style. At age seven, the twins wrote their first song, and just eight years later, the girls were DJs, playing in packed clubs.
Drawing inspiration from reggae, hip-hop, dancehall, and R&B, Nina Sky waxed a unique fusion of their own. Their breakout single, “Move Ya Body,” released in 2004, became an instant hit. The infectious melody, catchy lyrics, and danceable beat eventually propelled Nina Sky to international fame. Moreover, the song dominated the charts, reaching the fourth spot on the Billboard Hot 100. “Move Your Body” finished at the 22nd spot on the Billboard Year-End chart. In June 2004, the duo released their debut album Nina Sky, which featured the artists Betty Wright and Jabba. Although the album did not do as well as their debut single, it still held its own.
Despite the overwhelming success of their debut, Nina Sky faced challenges in maintaining that level of popularity. Their follow-up singles and features evidently did not achieve the same commercial success. This led to a period of relative obscurity in the mainstream music scene. Furthermore, some dubbed them “one-hit wonders.” By 2007, Nina Sky were recording their second album, Starting Today, which was slated to be released that same year. However, in late 2007, the twins left their label and signed with Polo Grounds Music.
In 2008, Nina Sky unveiled two singles from the album Starting Today: “Curtain Call,” featuring Rick Ross, and “On Some Bulls**t”. Unfortunately, these singles did not achieve significant success. By December, the duo released their first Holiday album, Christmas. Two years later, they embraced a fresh, masculine aesthetic and released the EP The Other Side, alongside a music video for the lead single “You Ain’t Got It (Funk That).”
In February 2012, Nina Sky released the lead single, “Day Dreaming,” off their upcoming third album, Nicole and Natalie. The album was subsequently released in July, but sadly did not chart, especially due to its independent release. Nonetheless, the duo continued to make music and collaborated with various artists on new tracks. By 2015, they went on a mildly successful Euro Tour and released the single “Forever” from their upcoming album, Brightest Gold. They also signed to a new recording label, Tommy Boy Entertainment. More recently, the twin sisters opened up a children’s clothing shop, Mother Vintage, in 2019.
Natalie Albino
Natalie Albino, the older of the twins, explored her passion for songwriting and collaborated with other artists outside of Nina Sky. On the personal side, Natalie tied the knot with artist Michael Colón. She gave birth to her first child, Max, in 2014. In 2017, she was featured in ‘47’s Mother’s Day YouTube video where she spoke about how motherhood had changed her life. “Watching him develop into his own person, that’s my favorite part,” she said. “He’s charismatic and he’s into music, which is cool.” The family continued to grow as they welcomed their second child, Izzy, in 2018.
Nicole Albino has continued to shine as a DJ, developing the skills she learned from her stepfather. In 2010, she came out as a lesbian and has been dating Erin Magee, a fashion designer since 2009. The two got married in 2010 and began building a family together. Four years later, Nicole released her first solo project outside of Nina Sky- a mixtape album titled Currently Vol. 1. The album featured her remixes of songs by popular artists, including Beyoncé and Mariah Carey.
In 2017, Nicole took to the duo’s Instagram page to announce that she and Magee were expecting a child. Magee carried the baby and gave birth to their daughter, Goldie. Nonetheless, she has continued to push her career as a part of Nina Sky. In 2022, Nicole gave birth to her second child Violet. Speaking to Vogue about motherhood, she said: “No matter how put together I thought I was before, having children really put me in my place. Everything else feels so lightweight compared to motherhood.”
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