Nikki Nicole comes correct in the form of her latest single, “OUT,” featuring Ron Browz. It is a raw, compellingly emotional, and soulfully charged song with a soulful freedom that feels as honest and real as any song you have ever heard. Bringing her personal stories into unforgettable melodies that leave everyone feeling emotional yet ready for whatever comes their way. “OUT” is the moment you decide to stop sugarcoating all of this and start to step into your truth, no matter how hard or ugly that truth may be. Nikki Nicole, in her usual fashion, transforms heartbreak into solace, molding her written form and vocal modulation like brushstrokes to an emotional canvas.

Her voice surfs a tide of vulnerability, sometimes soft and aching, at other moments bold and willful. Balancing on the tightrope between Pop and R&B, the track possesses the smooth grooves and melodic textures of early 2000s heartbreak anthems and 2020s production and emotional precision when it comes to storytelling. There’s just an artist putting herself on the line, met by beats that keep it happening, that beat-thump like a racing heart that just wants to calm the hell down. What’s remarkable about “OUT” is Nikki’s emotional intelligence as a writer. She’s a writer who takes on the subject of lost love and into the realms of self-discovery that come into focus as love dims.

It’s the tiny lyric that implies self-blame, the quivering moment before the explosion, and then the breath of clarity. This is for anybody who has ever had to take their voice back, who has ever had to walk away, and who is willing to do it in style, to do it with flair, with a fire playing in their heart and a killer hook playing in their head. “OUT” is unapologetic, artful, and achingly human. It’s a testament to the fact that sometimes the greatest love story is the one you write with your own life after you leave.