We all know relationships ‒ not just the romantic kind ‒ are two way streets.

NEIMY’s new song “Selfish” concerns itself with this topic. However, it’s clear that the person our singer was with took advantage of her love.

Before getting into the lyrics, I want to address the instrumental part, because I think it’s crucial to understanding the tone of the song as a whole. The track is, in large part, electronic-pop, but what’s interesting is the noticeable presence of the acoustic piano during the lyrical parts. Sure, there’s some electronic beat in the background, but the piano is almost as center-staged as NEIMY’s voice. That being said, right after the beat drops ‒ following each chorus ‒ there’s a hard EDM flow.

The significance of this is simple. As she gets her thoughts out in a calm and collected manner, the piano mirrors her emotional state. Contrarily, once the beat drops for the electronic interludes, it’s pretty much a “mic drop” moment.

Now, for the lyrics. Let’s start with the first verses:

I spend a lot of time

just trying to understand.

I feel I can’t decide

if this is for the best.

You have so many great

qualities I like.

I guess things are like that,

not just black or white.

It’s pretty clear that she does care about her significant other, because if she didn’t, she wouldn’t be having this internal conflict in the first place.

Then we have the pre-chorus:

I know I’m not always

expressing my point of view,

I bet that’s the problem.

Now I’m gonna tell the truth.

This is key to the narrative because she acknowledges her own faults prior to unleashing her thoughts in the chorus:

You’re so selfish.

That’s the word I’m looking for.

I don’t mind helping out,

but this is so much more.

I could go on about

all the times you let me down,

but for my own sake I

put you on hold for now.

What I love about this is that we can actually see her mental process as she literally voices the line “that’s the word I’m looking for.” Either way, her placing her relationship “on hold” is a clear metaphor for taking a break.

But perhaps it’s not really a break, and is, in fact, something more permanent? For those of us who watch Friends, we know that “taking a break” can be interpreted in many different ways. This sentiment is reflected in the second set of verses:

I know we’re humans and

we all make mistakes.

That’s what I keep in mind

when our relations fail.

You always have your way,

there’s no in between.

I’ve gotten used to that,

just wish that you could see.

The line that gives it away is “when our relations fail.” Granted, once failure occurs, there is always an opportunity for another chance at redemption. But, from the lyrics, it seems that the person our singer is talking to is too selfish to be changed, as is evident by her plea for him to see himself for what he really is at the end of the second stanza.

She told him, alright.