Album Review: Ink – BIG BUSKIN’

Photo Credit: Matty Vogel.

There are artists who chase trends, and then there are artists who bend them into something entirely new. Ink, the GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter who’s already carved her name across some of the biggest moments in contemporary music, is firmly in the latter category.

After lending her pen and her voice to giants like Beyoncé (COWBOY CARTER) and Kendrick Lamar (GNX), including the chart-topping juggernaut “Luther”, she steps into her own light with her debut EP, BIG BUSKIN’, arriving October 3. And make no mistake: this is not a tentative first step, it’s a fully-formed artistic statement.

The EP takes its name from Ink’s roots on the streets of Atlanta, where she cut her teeth busking with raw grit and unfiltered fire. That origin story isn’t just a footnote, it’s the foundation of the record. BIG BUSKIN’ feels like the culmination of everything Ink has been building toward: larger-than-life and genre-defying, yet deeply personal and unapologetically authentic.

The newly released single “Sweet Tea” is the perfect gateway into her world. A hybrid of country swagger, rock energy, and hip-hop edge, it’s as refreshing as its title suggests—equal parts summer anthem and soul-baring confession. The video doubles down on that intimacy, blending baby photos and home footage from Atlanta with shots of Ink revisiting the same neighborhoods that raised her. It’s not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake, it’s a grounding of her story, proof that the girl who once sang on the curb hasn’t forgotten where she came from.

Ink herself sums it up best: “Each chapter you’re going to get something new, and each story you’re going to get something true.” That promise holds across the EP’s 13 tracks. From the rollicking stomp of “Hoedown” to the swaggering defiance of “Turquoise Cowboy”, from the spiritual rawness of “God’s Been Drinkin’” to the soulful reflections tucked inside the “Stevie Wonderlude”, this is a project unafraid to sprawl, to push, to experiment. And yet, it never loses its centre, Ink’s voice, both literally and lyrically, remains the guiding force.

Critics are already catching on. Rolling Stone, The Tennessean, and Music Row have praised her fearless approach, while Variety recognized her as one of their Power of Women Top Songwriters. Spotify named her Songwriter of the Month. And with “Luther” now buzzing with Song of the Year talk at the 2026 GRAMMYs, the stage couldn’t be set higher for Ink’s solo breakthrough.

But what makes BIG BUSKIN’ so compelling is not just the acclaim or the big names. It’s the way Ink manages to take all the weight of her experiences, collaborating with icons like Childish Gambino, Kacey Musgraves, Justin Bieber, Lil Nas X, Jennifer Lopez, and Nipsey Hussle, and channel it into something that still feels street-level, still feels close, still feels hers.

Born in Germany, raised in Georgia, sharpened on sidewalks, and now commanding global stages, Ink is writing a story that feels both intimate and epic. BIG BUSKIN’ is the sound of an artist owning her past while fearlessly charting her future. And if this debut is just the beginning, then Ink isn’t just poised for global domination, she’s already halfway there.

Standout Tracks: Sweet Tea, Hoedown, God’s Been Drinkin’, Turquoise Cowboy

Release Date: October 3, 2025

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