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Photo by Oliver Leone

There is a particular catharsis that Novulent has built a career around: the ability to make devastation feel strangely beautiful. On “self destruct,” the Texas artist leans into that tension once again, delivering a shoegaze-laced anthem that transforms heartbreak into something far more powerful. As the first glimpse into the forthcoming VOL. 3 Deluxe, the single serves as both a return to familiar emotional territory and evidence of how much Novulent has grown within it.

Produced by Kuga, “self destruct” opens with a towering wall of guitar that immediately swallows the listener whole. The track slowly gathers momentum before erupting into crashing drums and deep bass, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that feels weightless and overwhelming all at once. Amid the distortion, Novulent’s voice remains remarkably clear, carrying the song’s emotional center through layers of noise and reverb.

Throughout the track, the singer-songwriter wrestles with the lingering damage left behind by a fractured relationship. “Come back to me when you’re sober,” he repeats throughout the song, turning what initially sounds like a plea into something closer to a boundary. The line “I hear the sounds of shattered glass when I speak to you” offers one of the track’s most vivid images, capturing the exhaustion of trying to reach someone who continues to hurt both themselves and those around them. The repeated refrain of “over and over and over and over” emphasizes the cyclical nature of the conflict by mirroring that frustration.

What makes “self destruct” especially interesting is the sense of resilience that emerges beneath its grief. While the emotional heaviness recalls the vulnerability of Novulent’s breakout single “scars,” this track approaches pain from a different vantage point. The connection is intentional. “I promised myself I’d never make another song like ‘scars’ again unless I felt that heavy feeling,” Novulent shares. “That day has come. In the end, I never really grew up. I just found a different problem.” Even as “The angels, they speak to me / They tell me it’s over,” there is an unmistakable feeling of acceptance woven into the song’s last moments.

Heavy, immersive, and deeply cathartic, “self destruct” finds Novulent turning old wounds into proof of growth. As the artist prepares to bring VOL. 3 to stages across the country on their biggest headlining run yet, the single arrives as both a reflection and a release, one that feels destined to be experienced at full volume.

Listen to "self destruct" below: