When I first heard Leni Black’s new single “Thank Me!”, I thought it was a surprise Billie Eilish release. Both artists know how to lure the listener in with intimate vocals and ultra-hooky choruses.
It’s not easy to write ‘conversational’ lyrics that feel natural and unforced, but on “Thank Me!” the songwriter accomplishes this with ease. It feels like we’re actually eavesdropping on Leni’s response to a suitor who doesn’t know when to quit. The song concludes with a gorgeous bridge and outro.
Says Leni: “I was inspired to write ‘Thank Me’ after I ended things with my friend turned more-than-friend I was dating for a couple of months. He was not happy about the breakup and constantly making it harder than it needed to be by posting on social media, reaching out to me just to have an argument, and doing his best to get a reaction out of me. I thought: I can’t believe how much he hates me, we used to be friends! If anything he should be thanking me for our time together and that I gave it a shot in the first place. The lyrics are all true. I bought a one-way ticket out of town to Paris and ultimately decided to stay in Europe for a month so that things could cool down back in Nashville.”
Black is putting the finishing touches on a nine-track album titled Fall For Me, due later this year. She’s definitely not a bedroom pop artist working in isolation because her songs capture the magic of her world travels, from Zurich to Beijing. Think of her as the Audrey Hepburn of indie pop: self-aware and charismatic.
Watch the video for “Thank Me” below, or find the song on the streaming services.
