Wipe Away the Stress with Nieri’s ‘Beautiful Music’

Born in Milan but based in LA, Nieri is ready to share his unique brand of pop with the world.

Nurtured by his European roots and inspired by his California lifestyle, the artist pairs catchy melodies, punchy drums, analog synths, and personal lyrics to create a refreshing take on electronic pop that will have listeners dancing through the night.

Nieri is kicking things off with his club-worthy anthem “Beautiful Music,” which is the first single off his debut EP that’s slated to release later this year. According to him, the track is about how music is a powerful outlet to release tension. Conjuring a pulsing beat, his smooth vocals will draw you to the dance floor with a seductive persuasion that dancing is the cure for all your ails.

The song also has an accompanying music video directed by Billie Black.

OFM caught up with Nieri to talk more about “Beautiful Music,” his artistic passion, and what we can expect from him next.

Can you begin by telling us more about the concept and inspiration behind “Beautiful Music?”

“Beautiful Music” is my first single, and basically, the song talks about the need to release tension and finding this release in music. Modern life is super stressful, and sometimes, I think we try to find comfort in things like alcohol, drinking, going out, drugs, and casual sex. Those things never ended up working for me or for people I know.

Music has always been the thing that I go to when I need to feel happier or better, and that’s what the song is about. I can be having a stressful week or feel insecure about everything I’m doing, but whenever music comes on, I’m reminded of how I can be free and forget about everything. I can have this moment of peace and happiness.

Music has always been a therapeutic outlet for you.

Yes, absolutely. I have always been able to turn to music and express my feelings. It’s my passion.

That’s the same message you hope to convey through the music video?

Yes. The music video was very fun, and I think it’s a good visual representation of what the song is about. With director Billie Black, we started the video in this setting that looks like a cage, where I’m feeling very trapped, and then we basically finish it in a field with me dancing and finally being free. That was a cool way to translate the concept of the song into a visual format.

How has “Beautiful Music” been received by listeners so far?

It’s been doing very well! I think the feedback has been great. It’s getting good streams, it’s being placed on some cool playlists, there have been some great articles, and every person that I’ve talked to that has listened to the song say they love it. I also played my first show in a long time a couple weeks ago, and “Beautiful Music” was the closing song. It was cool to see everyone dancing and having fun. I was like, okay, this song is working. I feel very proud of it, and I think it’s a good start.

We now know what “Beautiful Music” does for you, but what do you hope listeners take away from it?

I just hope they can have fun with this song. I hope it will bring them some sort of happiness and allow them to escape for three minutes. Immerse themselves in this dancy, beautiful, shining world. That’s why music is so important: It can transport us in so many different places. I want people to have fun with it and use it to release some stress.

The track is part of your debut EP, which is slated to release in early May. What can you tell us about it, and have you chosen a title?

The title is still in the works. I have a couple that I’m thinking about, but it’s a five-track EP, and it was written with a producer in Sweden called Joakim Buddee. I went to Stockholm in September last year, and I have worked with this producer before, but this is the first time we met in person. We basically had a week of sessions with different songwriters, and that’s basically how the EP was born.

I definitely had a very clear direction of where I wanted the EP to go in terms of sound and themes I wanted to talk about, so I’m very proud of it. I think it is a very good representation of who I am as an artist and where I’m at in life. It’s very personal, so I’m really excited to share it with the world. The follow up single, “Face,” is coming out at the end of the month.

How did you initially discover your passion for singing and songwriting?

If you ask my parents, they will tell you that I grew up singing, dancing, and jumping around (laughs). I was a very artsy child, and in school, I was in plays and was just always interested in everything that was art. Then as I said before, I slowly realized that music was something that could really help me get through difficult times. When I started to write songs, I was like, “OK, I really like this. I can really work with this and share my feelings.” It was a sort of therapy for me.

I’m from Milan, Italy, so I was, of course, writing in Italian, but as I was listening to a lot of American and British music growing up, I started writing in English. Through that, I also discovered my affinity for dance music, and that’s slowly where my music was going towards. I think I’m finally at a place where I feel like my sound is super consistent and where I’ve always wanted it to be. It wasn’t a long evolution, but music has been a part of my life basically since forever.

How would you describe your musical style and aesthetic?

I think the approach is definitely very pop. The top line melodies tend to be poppy, and I think my ear is just trained in those components. I love dance music, electronica music, house music, the European kind of scene, so I think my music is a mix of pop sensibility with the electronic background that I love and grew up with. I’m trying to put those two things together.

What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your musical career?

I would love to do some more shows because I love performing live. I think it’s such a great way to connect with an audience and tell your full story as an artist. There is such a personal aspect. Like I said earlier, I performed a couple weeks ago, and it was such an amazing moment. Dealing with a pandemic for two years, I didn’t perform live at all during that time, and it was such a fun experience to get back to. I went on stage and was like, “Yes, there is where I need to be!” I could see people having fun and responding well to the songs, so doing shows is definitely one of my top goals. I also hope to expand my creative vision with more videos and photo shoots.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you’d like to mention or plug?

No, I think that’s it. There’s the new single and EP, so just follow me and stay updated. Hopefully there will be more news coming up soon!

Stay up-to-date and connect with Nieri by following him on Facebook @thisisnierimusic, Twitter @nierimusic, Instagram @thisisnieri, or visit his official website, thisisnieri.com.

Photos courtesy of Billie Black