new music: neo-soul act nicotine’s famous honey transforms heartbreak into a powerful declaration of self-love on ‘an open letter’ #soundcheck

It’s the rare breakup album that has the strength not to wallow. On Nicotine’s Famous Honey’s An Open Letter, the singer songwriter transforms her pain into power. The opening poem in “The Introduction” sets the stage: “but it’s over now and you’re missing me / and I’m in love unconditionally / which surprises me / because I thought you fucked it up for everybody / but in reality / you just brought me to the one that I’m supposed to be with / so thank you for the experience / I hope you see me, and I hope you hate me.” The neo-soul EP flows from that, looking at the breakup from every angle, and always returning to that refrain: I’m better off without you. It’s an ode to self-love through the lens of heartbreak, with songs like “Bantu Knots and Boudain” flying high over the hurt. It doesn’t hurt that the grooves are deep and the melodies are hooky as hell. This an album for anyone who’s ever realized they didn’t need that shit, and learned to love themselves instead.