Recommended Tracks: “Get Over It,” “Savage,” “Ugly Black Woman”
Artists You Might Like: Jennifer Hudson, Whitney Houston, Ella Mai
We would not be who we are today without the efforts of those who came before us. Whether those efforts were praised, ignored, or unappreciated, they contributed to an event that would eventually have an impact on how we live today. We all come from somewhere, and we are all connected to the past. When you listen to Ugly Black Woman, the debut album from Nicky Lawrence, you can feel this history, this link to the past. As she shares her own story, Nicky also incorporates the stories of the many Black women throughout history who have come before her. Containing both songs and poems, Ugly Black Woman is an emotional exploration of the lives once lived and a life that is currently being lived.
On Ugly Black Woman, Nicky gives us songs that bring to light the feelings that we hold inside. With tracks like “Doormat” and “Done,” for instance, she stands up for herself and explains that she will no longer be a victim. She sings, “I’m not a doormat / I thought I was your friend / But you keep on stepping on me, thinking I won’t bend,” on the former and “Stop playing with my mind / Stop wasting all my time” on the latter, ready to move on. There’s also “Worthless,” where Nicky expresses the torment of watching someone she loves have feelings for someone else. She reveals, “This is damaging to see / The way you look at her you never looked at me” and “You don’t know that you hurt me / You don’t know that you brought me to my knees,” boldly stating her private thoughts and actions.
Nicky continues to share more details about her life, especially the desire for love and the urge to walk away when love goes missing. On “Middle,” she admits, “Don’t know what I’m gonna do,” when it comes to deciding whether to work things out with someone or end things for good. Elsewhere, tracks like “Savage” and “Waiting For You” are her final attempts to keep love around, even though they are leaning towards a solid goodbye. The lyrics suggest that this is the end of the road for her in these relationships, lines like “You and the crazy things you do / I don’t know if I can survive / Another moment in your life” and “There’s nothing I can say if you don’t feel this way / There’s nothing I can do if you don’t want me to / Nobody I can be ‘cause I can see you don’t trust me,” serving as a final send-off.
Still, there are moments that impart messages of unity and solidarity. With “Young Ones,” Nicky delivers an encouraging anthem about perseverance. Over the light rhythms, she sings, “Hanging on / But the past is still there / Hanging on / To what we were / The young ones, fighting for themselves / The young ones, got nobody else,” and reminds us, “Don’t despair / It won’t get you anywhere.” Speaking more to those who are dealing with forms of anxiety, depression, or heartbreak is “Get Over It.” Here, Nicky calls out that notion of simply “getting over your problems,” implying that this strategy never works. She also acknowledges those out there who have dealt with this situation before, singing, “Put your hands in the air if you can’t get out of bed / Put your hands in the air if everything makes you sad / Put your hands in the air if somebody once said to get over it.” The last track we hear is the title track, which focuses on inclusion and acceptance. It wraps up the themes we have heard on the album, but it also addresses the misconceptions that Nicky and those before her have faced as a Black woman. She states, “What do you see when you look at me?” and “What do you hear when they call my name? / She’s a sister, so she must be angry / Ugly black woman,” looking for change.
The poems that occur between the songs on Ugly Black Woman make this a unique album. While they are brief, they make an impact. They enhance the songs. They elicit a broad spectrum of emotions and reactions as they recount creative contributions, violence, silent wins, mistreatment, heroic acts – people and places and occurrences that inspired Nicky to create this album. Sometimes you need more than music and lyrics to ignite a feeling – you need direct words, impassioned words.
There are so many ways I could wrap up this album review, mentioning that Ugly Black Woman is a compelling piece of art or a moving retelling of history. Yet, you need to hear this album for yourself to fully take in what it offers. It speaks for itself, showing that Nicky is a gifted songwriter and storyteller. She has refined “the depths of my emotional degradation, pain, sorrow, fears and joy” on this album with these songs and poems, each word serving a purpose. She shamelessly shares her truth and the truths of others, emphasizing emotions that we all share. Whether or not listeners are “are ready to feel those intense emotions with me,” as Nicky also previously mentioned, they will feel and connect, making Ugly Black Woman a riveting debut.
You can listen to Ugly Black Woman on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
