Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Niki DeMar

Niki DeMar is one of the most popular content creators with over ten million subscribers. But before she became a household name on YouTube and social media, she was a singer who entertained her small town in Pennslyvania with her sisters.

Now, she’s returning to her roots and embarking on an exciting chapter in her career as an independent artist.

She’s bringing the same authenticity and reliability that fans have come to expect from her and channeling them into her music.

With a handful of singles already under her belt, Niki has amassed over four million streams on Spotify alone.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Niki about this exciting venture, her latest single “25“, how she hopes her music makes listeners feel less alone, and her upcoming EP.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Niki: The irony is, I was a singer before I was on social media or YouTube. I didn’t make videos. I didn’t have a camera. I didn’t have a computer. All I did was write and memorize my own lyrics, sing and perform for the school talent show with my twin sister, and do theater and choir. I was literally that theater kid, along with my sisters. We grew up putting on shows for our parents. That’s what we did.

Then YouTube came about. There was a surge of all these people doing covers and putting original music out. Basically what I am trying to say is that I was an artist and a singer before I was a YouTuber. I just became known as a YouTuber because that’s what got the momentum going for me.

I feel like everything happened for a reason because in a weird way it all worked out. I wouldn’t be able to do music right now if I hadn’t had YouTube as a stepping stone. YouTube gave me a platform to connect to my people and a way to put out my music. It’s crazy how it all worked out because I feel like I’m finally circling back to where all this stemmed from: music. Everything has come full circle for me.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Niki: I guess it was the start of everything. Gabi and I were still living in Pennsylvania. We’re from there, and if you’re from our area, it’s unheard of to make it in Hollywood or in the entertainment industry. Mario Andretti is one of the few notable people from our area. But there hasn’t been anyone that’s done social media, YouTube, or music.

When Gabi and I first started making videos, we were bullied. Our house would get egged. There would be smashed pumpkins on our cars. People hated us for trying something different.

When my sister and I had our first meet and greet—this was in spring 2014—we had such a huge line. So many people came from all over the country to meet us. People we had gone to high school with saw the turnout on social media and apologized to Gabi and me. They were like, “Wow, you did it.” I feel like that experience showed us that anything was possible. No matter what we’ve been through, we can come out on the other side. We just have to focus and not care about what people think.

PC: You’ve got a new single out now. Tell us about “25” and the inspiration behind the song.
Niki: “25” is one of the most honest tracks I’ve ever put out. It’s a quarter-life crisis song. That’s how I describe it to everybody. I feel heartbroken every day—not from a relationship but from life. Time is passing by so fast and I’m not able to get it back. The pandemic ate an entire year and a half of my life. I entered the pandemic at 24 and I’m leaving it at 26. I literally went from my early twenties to my late twenties. The pandemic took away that time and it’s hitting me harder than I thought it would. I feel like I’m suffering from Peter Pan syndrome.

My inner child is so loud. I want to have fun and connect with people. I’ve been noticing this sickness everybody gets hit with as an adult, where all of a sudden you get used to life being mundane and that’s it. It’s the same thing over and over. I thought I wasn’t an adventurous person until I got older. I’m realizing I want to experience new things now, but the people around me don’t want to join in. It’s like, what do I do? I can’t stop aging. I have to find my people. Where do I belong?

I’m trying my best to be someone, to fall in and out of love. But people are settling down. It’s a little heartbreaking wanting things differently from the people that live around me. I look in the mirror and I’m like, “What’s wrong with me? Why is it so easy for these people to be happy? Why is it so hard for me to be happy?” I have this lyric in the song, “It feels like they’ve found something I can’t find.” That’s why this song is so important because it’s a hundred percent what I’m feeling right now. I honestly feel stuck.

PC: Was it scary to tap into that vulnerability?
Niki: I feel like we get into this mentality of coasting. As adults, it sometimes feels easier to avoid topics in your head by compartmentalizing all your thoughts and being like, “I’ll deal with it later.” You get stuck in your routine. You keep it surface-level, so you feel okay. I feel like I fell into that during the pandemic. But I realized that staying at the surface means I’m not writing the music that I know I can write. I had to let my guard down.

PC: You’re getting ready to drop a new EP later this summer. What can fans expect from that?
Niki: It’s very relatable. That’s what I wanted to focus on. During the pandemic, everyone was on the same playing field. No matter what, we were all going through the same thing. Everyone was forced to live the same exact life. I feel like I really connected with my audience through my music during that time. I never want to lose that feeling. I don’t want to give too much away, but I wanted to create and curate this relatable world with my music that people can visit whenever they need to know that someone else is living the same life they are. We all need to feel like we’re not alone.

PC: If you had to pick a song off the EP that best encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
Niki: That’s hard! There are two songs. One is “Alone in My Car” and the other hasn’t been released yet. I would say “Alone in My Car” encompasses who I am as an artist because it’s really honest. I was going through crazy relationship problems. I was really honest about it during the writing process. I was like, “Should I leave or stay?” That was ballsy for me because my boyfriend could hear it. He did hear it. His family heard it, but they’re great. Millions of people heard that song. I was literally tripping over all my emotions because of the pandemic. I had to release the song.

“Alone in My Car” is honest as hell. I also want to say “25” because my biggest insecurity is that I’m getting older. I feel like I’m getting a late start because I’ve wanted to do music forever. It’s just that I didn’t believe in myself until I was 25. Most people start in their early twenties, so I feel like I’m starting five years late. I feel like there’s something really cool about admitting that in a song. Aging is inevitable. Everyone’s going to be 25 at one point in their life.

I can’t say the name of the song that isn’t released yet, but I do want to tease it a bit. I have this tendency to talk about everything I want to do, but then I don’t do it because I’m scared of change. I’d rather put a little band-aid over the wound. Sometimes that band-aid is a trip somewhere. I’d go somewhere to avoid my problems and try to find something brand new, try to find my next move. Even though I always think these little trips are going to do something for me, I always end up coming back to the same place and as the same person. At the end of the day, I can’t get out of my head. “25” really represents me as a person. That’s me. I hate change, but change is necessary, even though I’m terrified of it.

To keep up with Niki, follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music. Pick up or stream “25” today.