‘Nights Alone’ by Niki DeMar Review: A Powerful & Emotional Experience From Start To Finish
Although she got her musical start releasing music with her sister Gabi DeMartino in 2017, Niki DeMar hadn’t come into her own with a more personal sound relating to her current life events until recently.
DeMar’s debut EP Nights Alone boasts anthems like “Messy Room,” and “25.” When you begin listening to the lyrics intently, it’s clear that DeMar, who has spent a majority of her teen to adult transitional period in the public eye, has felt alone too.
The singer has shared publicly that pandemic living kickstarted this for her. She didn’t like being alone, but when that’s all there is left you have no choice but to face it. As she says, “These songs are the honest conversations I had with myself in my head during these nights in my own silence, standing in the middle of what I used to fear.”
“Alone in My Car”
Everyone has a place they use as an escape from life, DeMar’s just happens to be “Alone in My Car.” The track came out last July and has DeMar contemplating whether she should stay or leave the situation she’s in. The song fits perfectly with the time it was written and released because the world was shut down and there was a lot of uncertainty. Once the distractions you have are gone, the thoughts come rushing back in.
“Messy Room”
Something that DeMar champions in her music are her struggles with her mental health. The topic isn’t taboo, and in fact, the more that we discuss and confront the harsh and ugly realities of our struggles, the more we can destigmatize it. “Messy Room” is a powerful start at doing just that with DeMar reclaiming her mental health. “These bad habits/are ’cause of my mind/something’s gotta give so I can unwind.”
“STUCK”
“Stuck” is the perfect anthem for the lost souls. Everyone’s been there, questioning what and who they want to be for the rest of their lives. For those that feel like their lives are in the “same thing different day” cycle. DeMar puts it perfectly: “Over it all/fed up just a little/tired of watching everyone else figure it out.”
“Stuck” definitely takes influence from the early 2000s pop-punk era with the catchy guitar riffs while still sticking to her roots. She even makes a nod to the unforgettable musical era that’s inspired her creatively, “Romanticizing 2005 instead of my current life.”
“25”
Let’s be honest, when you’re young, you plan out your whole life down to the millisecond. Sometimes, though, things don’t go to plan. The trajectory of your path turns you somewhere else. Whether it’s to teach you a valuable lesson or not, “25” perfectly describes that feeling of existential crisis. There is no time limit. When it’s your time, you’ll have all the things you dreamed of when you were young … but that feeling inside doesn’t suck any less.
“City”
“City” is an extremely personal song for DeMar to share. Up until this point she’s left her current relationship out of her music, but “City” is a beautiful emotional ballad that is heart-shattering. DeMar allows herself to be vulnerable in this moment recounting the personal sacrifices made and the mental war and anguish she’s dealt with within herself now ready to take the next step.
That raw emotion isn’t easily sharable especially with an audience of millions. But the strip-backed track has DeMar able to put into words how so many people feel.
“Bite of Me”
Most of us will never know what it’s like to have to juggle living in the limelight and having our every move judged and examined underneath a microscope. However, there are aspects of “Bite of Me” that are relatable to the masses. Who hasn’t had the unfortunate displeasure of dealing with a fake friend that is just after what you can provide them? Angst and anger are felt especially in the lead-up to the second chorus where DeMar finally lets everything she was holding onto emotionally go.
Nights Alone is available wherever you listen to music now.