Chicago artist Jinishi turns personal adversity and an interest in psychology into an exploration of how unhealed pain can shape relationships with “Broken People, Break People.” The song looks at the ways hurt can move from one person to another, particularly when experiences from formative relationships continue to affect how people approach love later in life.
The idea behind the song came from a phrase Jinishi encountered while listening to a podcast: “broken people break people, hurt people hurt people, and love people love people.” The words stayed with the artist and became the foundation for a song about the patterns that can develop when emotional wounds are left unresolved.
Jinishi’s interest in sociology and psychology also plays an important role in the writing. Describing herself as a bookworm with a particular passion for both subjects, the Chicago artist uses that curiosity to examine the connection between early experiences and adult relationships. One of the themes explored in “Broken People, Break People” is the impact that an absent or fractured father-daughter relationship can have on a woman’s love life.
The song is not limited to the perspective of someone experiencing the original hurt. Jinishi also considers the people who encounter the effects of another person’s unresolved pain. Even when listeners have not experienced the specific circumstances explored in the track, they may recognize what it feels like to deal with someone carrying wounds that have not been addressed.
That wider perspective is central to what Jinishi hopes listeners take from the release. The song speaks to people who have experienced brokenness themselves, while also acknowledging the ways that pain can affect those around them and shape their understanding of relationships and themselves.
For Jinishi, the music comes from a period of real-life brokenness that could have been defined solely by tragedy. Instead, that experience became a catalyst for creative expression. The purpose of the music through the lyric, “so take my hurt and minister to someone’s hurt,” captures the intention behind turning personal pain into something that can reach another person.
With “Broken People, Break People,” Jinishi uses music to examine hurt without separating it from the possibility of healing. The result is a deeply personal release built around relationships, emotional patterns, and the hope that something meaningful can emerge from experiences that once caused pain.
Stream below:open.spotify.com/track/0FGuD
Follow Jinishi:@jinishiafro