Njomza's new EP, sad for you, is rife with red eye moments. Whether it's from self-medicating with a little ganja or from crying, the haze of a breakup hovers throughout. Its seven tracks are full of vibes, and richly layered and mixed. Despite its title, there is no wallowing here; there's reluctance in accepting the truth of the matter, but acceptance nonetheless and the feels of the coping methods that follow. sad for you is the sad stoner girl soundtrack for those moments when you need to escape or find a silver lining.
sad for you marks Njomza's return after a two-year hiatus, during which she became the first to sign to Mac Miller's Remember label and "learned to get back in the groove and be inspired to make any type of art." She came to land on the EP by working on her craft every day and surrounding herself with creative friends who not only inspire her but helped create her image. Of course, there was a whole breakup situation, but sad for you isn't totally about that. Not anymore, at least. "The EP initially started about somebody specific," she explains. "When I was writing these songs, I felt a certain type of way about somebody but as I continued working on the project, the scope became broader—more about a toxic situation rather than me and a particular person." Her use of the genderless "you" in her lyrics makes songs like the EP's title track, "someone like me," as well as "perfect fit" universal in meaning: A listener can project anyone in their life who fits the lyrics' bill onto any of the songs.
"Everyone's got a little sad in them," she says. "At the time I was writing, I was actually very, very low." Now, with that experience behind her, she has hindsight on her side. "I'm most proud of my persistence," she says. "I hope, moving forward, that I will continue to be inspired and see the beauty in everything all the time." We also pray that inspiration breeds more EPs (and an album!) as somber and beautiful as this. Njomza's back, finding strength in the sadness, and is better than ever.
