Gabriela Otero
DEMAR is a New York City-based alternative pop artist, known for her cover of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Swimming Pools’ that went viral last year with over 1.5 million streams on Spotify. DEMAR will release her debut EP Rebels, featuring five original tracks including singles ‘Fire’ and ‘Wild Ride.’ Additionally, Rebels is a significant first step to put aside her cover songs and bring her brilliant songwriting skills to her listeners.
The EP opens with her single ‘Wild Ride,’ where DEMAR sings about a past clandestine relationship that was quite a rollercoaster. The song gets rhythmical with urban beats and subtle EDM tones that blend perfectly with her powerful vocals. ‘Wild Ride’ has a similar vibe to The Chainsmokers’ hit song ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ featuring Daya, but DEMAR focuses more on her lyrics and vocal expansion.
The next song, ’Fire,’ gives a bolder approach, evoking and describing the physical attractions between two people. In the song, DEMAR’s voice has an unapologetic energy. The instrumental features violins to add tension, coming to a climax with her high notes as the song reaches its peak. It is the most seductive song on the EP and a perfect match with the ‘Rebels’ theme.
After the fiery passion from the past track, ‘Not Afraid’ brings a cooling breeze and a more vulnerable side. DEMAR sings about embracing her dark past and how she is not scared anymore to show it to the world. The bridge is particularly attention-grabbing because it shows her songwriting talent and how she plays her storytelling skills.
“I’m going down the rabbit hole the darkest place you know because I’m comfortable”
The EP closes with its titular track, ‘Rebels’ bringing style similiar to her viral Kendrick Lamar cover. The song is about the process of moving on and walking away from all the damage that a bad relationship brought. Additionally, ‘Rebels’ helps DEMAR close that chapter of her life with all the lessons that she learned from the past.
Rebels is an EP that introduces DEMAR perfectly and also shares her journey from doing covers to original music. The tracks are organized intelligently because it tells a linear story that can get you hooked right away. Her songs are very different from each other, but they still complement each other perfectly. Rebels shows the various layers of DEMAR’s voice and how her voice plays a vital role in the songs’ production that blends across different genres. Overall, Rebels is a smart debut EP that many music fans will add to their Spotify and Apple Music repertoire.
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