Have you ever liked something that no one knows about? As for me, I'm a sucker for underrated stuff—Niki was one, many years ago.
Discovering the Underrated
It was in the early 2017 that I first heard of this talented Asian girl from Indonesia. She was the typical foot-of-the-bed-guitar-girl, as she calls herself, who played her original songs on YouTube.
I can vividly remember how it came about. My sister was maneuvering our smart TV, while I was on the dining area doing my plates for Technical Drafting subject. She was searching for song covers on the song Grow Old with You by Adam Sandler on YouTube and found young Niki on the results.
Niki sang the song so differently. She edited the video showing her own rendition, her cute ad-libs, and on-point harmonization. It was so different. But I only realized it was more than that when we hopped on her old YouTube channel. There, we saw a plethora of self-produced original songs and heartfelt song covers.
Mission Failed 1: Try not to fall in love with Words
There was one thing I spotted about her songs; language. Niki has this way of conveying things in such a metaphorical and figurative manner. I remember I would secure a dictionary on the side to search for the meanings of the unfamiliar words she'd written.
A great story-teller, another thing I pointed out while getting to know her through her songs. She has this effect on me that although I haven't experienced love yet, her songs reached my heart. She also has songs about coming of age which pierced me right through as I was in my adolescent stage when I started listening to her. It was a war of wanting to stay young forever and getting caught up with the reality of growing up. I was 15, I was all emo and dramatic. You wouldn't judge, would you?
Mission Failed 2: Keeping Niki a Secret
Over time, while I was keeping Niki like my own little secret, she debuted at a record label called 88rising in 2018. She was still considered an indie artist back then. I followed her, still. Keeping notes of her latest song releases. Until 'Lowkey' happened in 2019. She started gaining more supporters, but still not a mainstream artist. I enjoyed living in my own bubble with Niki's music. I treasured her so much, I could cry.
Few of my Niki-related posts in social media
Fast forward to 2023, when her song Backburner made it to the mainstream. Though it was released in 2022 in her Nicole album, it gained popularity later in 2023. And the rest is glorious history, as her song Tsunami says.
My algorithm says it all
Acceptance and Realizations
From praying for a random radio network to play her song, to constantly hearing it everywhere I go today, the world has finally known Niki, my most precious own little secret 8 years ago, my Shayla. HAHA.
Niki on-repeat
Most of Niki's old videos are now deleted or turned private because of her new branding, she said in one of her interviews. But the nostalgia of what once was my own little world lingers on. She'll always be Niki who would apologize for uploading inconsistently. She'll always be Niki who yaps for context before singing her original song. She'll always be Niki who has made me fall in love with words more.
More than anything, she is Niki who deserves the world. Likewise, the world deserves a Niki.
I know you have an underrated favorite. Spill them now, let's create another little world!