- Grace Chapman
Review: "Nothing" - Jess Meilman
Jess Meilman’s “Nothing” is a gut-wrenching track about the aftermath of a relationship when all love is not lost. Sometimes, the hardest breakups are not from betrayal or toxicity, but the sad truth that someone you love with all your soul, just isn’t the one. A person came in, took a piece of your heart, and is now gone without a trace, but every word they said, kiss you shared, and hope for a happy ever after still lingers. They move on to the girl they swore up and down meant nothing and subsequently seem happier than ever. Now, every place you went together reminds you that you no longer are enough. You’d die for someone who could move on so easily, and you’re left with nothing. You feel like nothing, and you want to call them, but you have nothing to say, There’s a magnetic pull between two people who were in love, and that pull does not just disintegrate because one person decides to leave. A breakup can be amicable until the aftermath sinks in that someone is inevitably going to move on before both hearts are healed. You’re left with scars that the best doctor in the world couldn’t heal, and yet, there they are seemingly happier than ever with a new girl and a fresh start. You can convince yourself it was never real and they never even cared, but the 1% of you that is not cynical and self-loathing knows they still love you… they are just way better at pretending. You can avoid all the places you went, compare yourself to the newest notch on his belt, and blame yourself for not seeing it sooner, but you should never be ashamed for properly mourning a relationship that molded you and showed you real love does exist. People are never going to handle things the way we would have, and that’ll drive you crazy if you let it. Give yourself grace; give yourself time to heal. Soon enough, you’ll be happier than ever, and he’ll just be a guy you used to date. You’ll see him at your favorite restaurant that you used to avoid, and as he’s hit with everything that was and how much he wants you back… you’ll feel nothing.
“Nothing” is the quintessential indie-pop tearjerker. Jess Meilman’s therapeutic release acknowledges all the words we left unsaid after a devastating heartbreak. She wrote this song from a place of confusion after her own run-in with heartbreak when there is still that palpable, magnetic love between the two parties. Her music comes straight from the heart. She uses her past experience as a guidepost for her artistry and lets us read the secret diary she keeps in her mind. Her song plays like a movie, and we’re instantly transported to our very first heartbreak. This is the breakup song where you’re allowed to be sad and give yourself time to mend what you didn’t break, so we’ll turn it up, roll down the windows, and take the long way home with “Nothing” on repeat until our hearts start to heal.
This New York bred singer/songwriter launched her career with powerhouse bops, “Guilty Soulmate” and “Plenty.” She combines thought-provoking lyrics with ethereal vocals to create a sonic masterpiece. She honed her craft from a young age in the family’s piano room where she would spend hours on end writing songs and performing them. Inspired by the soundscapes of SZA and Tame Impala, her deep soul and wisdom bleed into every track she touches. Jess uses her music to connect with her audience, heal herself, and understand the world. Jess is an indie soul who has a creative outlook on the world and the heart and intuition of an empath. Constantly in the studio in Los Angeles, this is just the beginning of what’s to come for Jess Meilman in 2023!
Written By Grace Chapman
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