Sometimes a leftover item from a failed relationship can bring pain, but in Leni Black’s
new single “Black Sweatshirt” it’s a symbol of healing.
The Nashville-based artist reflects: “I wrote the chorus melody for ‘Black Sweatshirt’
pretty much simultaneously as I stared back at my reflection wearing my ex-boyfriend’s
favorite sweatshirt. Up until that point, I could never bring myself to get rid of it or wear
it for fear of it being too painful. I wrote this at Christmas in my childhood bedroom. It’s
a song about closure and the ups and downs of heartbreak. It’s not a linear process.”
Watch the video for “Black Sweatshirt” below or find it on streamers.
“Black Sweatshirt” is just one of the many highlights of Leni’s new EP, i quit my corporate job for this. Elsewhere on the five-track offering, “How i Feel” is a perfectly crafted pop gem that could easily be a multi-format radio hit and “Sydney” is both a vocal and visual triumph because the video puts Leni alongside her favorite film star Audrey Hepburn in the heart-wrenching finale of Breakfast At Tiffany’s.
Although Black has worked with several producers (including Grammy winner Marc Swersky), she seems to have a special chemistry with Israel McFarland, who gave both “Black Sweatshirt” and “How i Feel” the radio-friendly dazzle that’s reminiscent of Jack Antonoff’s work with Taylor Swift and Lorde.
Before launching her musical career, Black was a fashion industry executive who spent five years in China. Her next album will in fact be a musical retrospective on her experiences in Asia.
Leni Black’s i quite my corporate job for this EP is out now. Follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
