If you’re in CA, you can probably break the lease if you really want to. You might be able to negotiate a rent reduction at least to save you both some hassle.
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/tenants-right-break-...
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/tenants-right-break-...
I would be on the hook for the empty months as well as the difference between the current rent I'm paying and the rent the new tenant is paying.
So, no, I can't really just "break the lease" and I can't imagine why they would reduce my rent.
I suppose worst case the landlord would get a judgement for the rent, which they’d have a very hard time collecting on. Civil judgements don’t affect credit scores anymore.