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Nightbirde's rise to fame is as authentic and inspiring as her life story. The 30-year-old Ohio-based singer-songwriter has taken the Internet by storm since appearing on America's Got Talent last month. Simon Cowell shed a tear, hit the golden buzzer and went on stage to give a personal standing ovation and hug. If that's not a miracle, then what is!
Jane Marczewski, who goes by Nightbirde on stage, came alone with a big smile and left with a million fans. As soon as she started singing, it was clear she would be a shining star on season 16 of America's Got Talent. Indeed, the singer had the judges, audience and viewers at home in tears as she sang the touching lyrics after revealing her ongoing battle with cancer.
Her performance was so moving that it has been shared widely on social media, raking up 27 million views on YouTube alone. It sent "It's OK" to the top of Apple Music charts with over 2 million Spotify streams.
But what fans of Nightbirde may not know is that the song also came from a place of deep faith, struggle and tells a story.
The story of "It's OK"
Described by Jane as "the story of the last year of my life", the infamous song is her open letter to the world. It's a brave, hopeful melody that is inspiring millions worldwide.
The story dates back to the first time she had breast cancer. After being given 3-6 months to live, everything fell apart for her. But with donations from friends, family and fans, she secured a treatment that saved her life. However, the journey wasn't quite over as her marriage fell apart.
After the finalization of her divorce, she suffered a severe mental breakdown, developed a physical head trauma, gave up on music and lost a ton of weight. Even though brain wave therapy did help, it took a tremendous toll on her body, leading to the regrowth of cancer in her lungs, spine and liver.
With a 2% chance of survival, most people would've given up. Jane, however, woke up as Nightbirde and along came the song "It's OK". To sum it up in Nightbirde's own words:
I have a 2 percent chance of survival, but 2 percent is not 0 percent. Two percent is something, and I wish people knew how amazing it is.
How did Nightbirde become an inspiration?
Jane arrived at the AGT stage with a big smile and a positive vibe that melted hearts. Even though her recent life story is sad, the world saw her brighter side, the way she intended to. As Jane said,
You are so much more than the bad things that happen to you.
Without dwelling on her cancer story or asking for pity, she captured the world with a memorable original song and a voice as pure as her heart. To quote Howie Medel,
That felt like the most authentic thing I've heard this season.
The authenticity in her smile, voice and her story is the reason we all gravitated to her. Everyone loves a good comeback story, and to see her smile through all that pain and offer this world something worthwhile is a win for all of us. In a time full of hardships and pain, Nightbirde has become a reason for faith, hope and love.
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How Jane 'Nightbirde' Marczewski Got Her Name?
The Golden Buzzer winner gave herself the nickname Nightbirde after a nighttime encounter with birds sitting on her window. She dreamt birds were singing outside of her bedroom in the dark for three nights in a row. The first two times it occurred, Jane was asleep. But the third time, it was reality.
Jane said,
The birds were singing as if it was morning, but there was no sign of the light yet, and I wanted to embody that.
Being somebody that could sing graciously through a dark time filled her up with hope and assurance that there's a sunrise in sight. That's when the name 'Nightbirde' came into existence. And every last one of us is thankful that it did!
Other works of Nightbirde
Nightbirde might've burst out into the public eye just last month, but her career as a singer-songwriter goes a long way back. With an extensive playlist to her name, "It's OK" isn't the only heart-melting song from Jane.
Here are some links to her previous works. Even though she hasn't released many official songs, a simple Google search reveals all her songs.
