"Nico And The Niners" is one of two singles released to promote Twenty One Pilots' fifth album, along with "Jumpsuit". The single was initially released on Wednesday, July 11, 2018. It was first scheduled to premiere on some radio stations but was instead released ahead of schedule on iTunes and YouTube respectively. The word "Niner" comes from the pronunciation of the number 9 in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
The song has a somewhat upbeat tempo, with dark undertones. This is emphasized by the pitched down voice seen in the bridge and in the background throughout the song.
The album is an allegory for depression and it is supported by a website called dma.org that documents the life of a fictional character named Clancy. In the story, Clancy lives in a walled city called DEMA. The city is ruled by nine bishops who work to keep the inhabitants of DEMA inside its walls. With the guidance of a group of individuals who call themselves "banditos", Clancy eventually escapes.
This song acts as a rallying cry for the banditos, often repeating their claim that "East is up." The song is a reminder that they are safe from the bishops if they wear their jumpsuit. As seen in the music video for "Jumpsuit", the jumpsuits defining feature is their bright yellow stripes. The bishops are unable to see this color, thus providing the wearer's safety.
In a literal sense, the song is a rallying cry for the depressed from those who have escaped the grips of depression, the banditos. Tyler reminds listeners that the bishops, your emotions, and negative thoughts, do not control you. Furthermore, he points out the best time to seek help for depression is now, singing:
"What a beautiful day for making a break for it"
At the same time, he recognizes that not every attempt to get better will be a success, and it is not always easy to escape.
"We'll win but not everyone will get out"
Nico is the name of one of nine bishops that rule over the fictional city of DEMA. Nico and the Niners is a collective term for all the bishops in this story. The bishops are a metaphor for various internal struggles. These traits were previously used to describe the makeup of Blurryface in the band's last album, Blurryface. The city of DEMA represents depression. The bishops prevent individuals from attempting to escape from DEMA, as one's internal struggles can prevent someone from seeking help for recovering from depression.
-Credit to genuis lyrics-
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The Story of DEMA
Non-FictionIf you don't know what DEMA is all about, this explains all of it. If you don't know, twenty one pilots came out with two new songs title "Nico and the Niners" and "Jumpsuit". They are coming out with a full album by the name of "Trench" on October...
