Nite Jewel, whose real name is Ramona Gonzalez, went through a lot over the last few years. In 2018, her twelve-year marriage dissolved. Gonzalez used this pain and channeled it to produce something creative, her new album No Sun. She announced the album in June, accompanied by her first single off the album, “This Time,” which was inspired by Prince’s revolutionary pop ode “Purple Rain.” Now the singer dropped her second single, “Before I Go.” The song was written right after Gonzalez’ husband left. She says about the song, “I really did mean before I go…forever, that I would die. It was this feeling that tumbled into the container of song. The harmony and the melody became the safety net for the emotions that might kill me.”
The album is all about dealing with loss and grief, and “Before I Go” is no exception. The electro pop song starts with super soft beats in the background. It also feels like Gonzalez just sings by herself. Later the beats become a little louder and sound like a fast-beating heart, supporting her voice beautifully. The pain and grief that Gonzalez felt while writing this piece is noticeable, due to the closeness of her voice, the song also sounds very private and intimate. But with all this pain, there is also a certain degree of frustration in the song that captures the messy feelings of a break up pretty well.
Her album No Sun will be out August 27th.
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
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