In Review: nijuu - nijuu in the sea

The Korean singer-songwriter and producer basks in the deep blue on her debut.

Posted: 6 July 2020 Words: Jess Edwards

With the desire to leave the world in which one can understand and live alone, the debut album nijuu in the sea is a step forward into a life of reconnection for Korean-born singer-songwriter and producer nijuu.

Though the album heavily revolves around the theme of the sea, "the sea" that nijuu sings of is not that of real space. "The sea is my world. It's both my consolation and my limitation. Since I was fourteen, I've been thinking the entire world is the sea. I imagined I might be a fish, but I live on the ground. Or I might be a person, and everyone else is a sea creature. The water always made me feel free. But it has another meaning to me. We were in the water in our mum's womb, but after we're born, we can't breathe underwater."

Describing her door to the world as that of a revolving, nijuu tells of her beautifully inspiring story, expressing her hesitancy and outlook within the poeticism of seven breathtaking pieces.

Opening track 'BLUE' is the submersion into nijuu's ineffable lo-fi experience establishing a comforting ambience, which sustains throughout the album. The collection of workings offers an effortless form of purity and realness harnessing the discovery of inner strength to escape from a dark place. This revelation is most evident within 'i wanna be strong', which appears the most vulnerable of the compilation. The hushed lullaby conveys an intimate familiarity with every rise and fall of breath: "I wanna be strong / I wanna be okay.”

In contrast 'Deep Down' and 'Sand Castle', however, award more light-hearted and playful tones communicated through their characterful arrangements. Still, each conscious intricacy delicately lifts the next intensifying the authenticity of the overall concept.

Within the final track, 'IF' we hear the lyrics, "I'll walk by your side / You don't need to hide", which is a perfect encapsulation of nijuu's sincere message, "I want to send these songs to people who are like me, people who are struggling with lots of different things, people who are anxious, people who are shy, people who need encouragement, people who need friends, people who love people."