NIKI review
Article written by Michael Jason Perez and photos by Natt Lim
The end of summer has a way of clinging to the air, a subtle shift that signals the twilight of something fleeting. This feeling hung over The Anthem in Washington, D.C., like a bittersweet haze as NIKI took the stage. The venue was packed with fans who came to be transported by her voice, but there was an undeniable sense of something slipping away as the night wore on.
NIKI, with her delicate yet powerful vocals, delivered a performance that felt like a tender farewell to the season. With her new album “Buzz”, her setlist was a carefully curated journey through moments of nostalgia and heartache, each song pulling the audience deeper into the emotional landscape she crafts so well. Tracks like “Did You Like Her In The Morning” and “Paths” seemed to resonate with particular poignancy, their lyrics echoing in the vast space, almost as if they were a collective reflection on the passing of love, like the changing of seasons from summer to fall.
The stage itself was bathed in soft, dusky lighting—purples, pinks, and blues blending together like the last light of day before nightfall. It was a visual representation of the emotions in the room, a mix of beauty and melancholy that complemented NIKI's soulful performance. When she played “Buzz,” there was a moment of stillness as if the entire crowd was holding its breath, savoring the last notes of the song, and perhaps the last days of summer love itself.
As the show came to a close, there was a collective sense of longing in the air. The audience lingered, as if reluctant to step back into the reality that awaited outside the doors. NIKI’s performance was more than just a concert; it was a gentle reminder of the ephemerality of moments, of memories that fade, and of feelings that linger long after the last note has been played. The night at The Anthem was a beautiful, melancholic ode to the end of summer, one that left everyone with a quiet ache and a heart full of tender memories.
