Nia Smith steps into sharper emotional territory with her sophomore EP Payback Is A Dog, a project built around love, loss, self-worth, and the messy work of outgrowing people.
Led by new single Stuntin, the EP balances airy production and hopeful melodic detail with lyrics that actually bite. The guitar-led track lands with one of the project’s cleanest emotional cuts: “I would never, never take you back sober.” No over-explaining. Just truth with teeth.
Across the EP, Nia moves through joy, anger, peace, exhaustion, and release, framing relationships, romantic, platonic, familial, as make-or-break spaces where people either grow with you or get left in the group chat archive. Nia explains:
‘Payback Is A Dog‘ is an EP about the experiences we all go through in life. It’s about falling in and out of love with people, places, and versions of ourselves, outgrowing and navigating change.
Following High and her debut Mahogany session, the project confirms Nia as one of the UK’s most emotionally direct new voices. Since Give Up The Fear, she has picked up major press support, millions of streams, live momentum, and a Rising Star nomination at the Ivor Novello Awards.
With Payback Is A Dog, Nia Smith sounds less like an artist proving herself and more like one trusting herself. Big difference.