Au/Ra’s new era is super weird and metal, please

For someone who broke through as a teenager, Au/Ra has spent much of her life walking the line between being seen and being herself — between building her own worlds and performing in one that demanded polish and perfection. Born in Ibiza to German parents and raised in Antigua, she arrived seemingly fully formed in the digital pop landscape, her voice a blend of precocity and poise that instantly set her apart. Early releases like “Concrete Jungle” and the platinum hit “Panic Room” made her a streaming phenomenon, while collaborations with Jax Jones and Alan Walker cemented her as a distinctive voice navigating the anxieties and contradictions of her generation. Yet, behind the virality was an artist contending with contractual issues, expectations and the industry’s unrelenting gaze, learning in real-time what it means to survive both creatively and personally.

Now twenty-three, and following a period away from the limelight, Au/Ra is well and truly back, making music with a renewed sense of freedom, humour and mischief. Her latest single, “SWAMP” — an acronym for “super weird and metal, please” — channels that spirit into cathartic chaos and unfiltered personality. It’s loud, playful and alive: a reclamation of the singularity that has always made her work so enthralling. In conversation with HUNGER, Au/Ra opens up about her evolution, her reclaimed independence and the joy of creating entirely on her own terms.

It feels like an exciting and busy time for you creatively right now. Has it felt as full-on as it looks from the outside?

Oh yeah, for sure! I give myself a lot to do, and I feel like I always thrive when there’s a lot happening creatively. I like being really busy.

Let’s talk about your new single, “SWAMP”. It’s an acronym for “super weird and metal, please”. What does that mean?

Before I’d written “SWAMP”, I’d spent about two days with my producer working on a very dark and emotional song, and we were emotionally exhausted at that point — our brains were fried. I needed to create something that would bring us joy again. So it really started as a joke, and then I thought, Oh, how funny would it be if it was also an acronym? We tried for about three hours to make it work, and this was the closest we could get, and I thought, You know what? I’m happy with this! This makes sense to me. ‘Super weird and metal, please’ is exactly what the song is.

What was the mood like when you were making “SWAMP”? What were you trying to capture sonically?

I was trying to capture the carefree, digital, silly side of me, because, as serious and dark as I love to get most of the time — and I do think that’s still my core; I love to play with the darker side of things — there’s also this kind of meme-thing between me and my listeners. I really wanted to pay homage to that vibe with this song and just be silly with it. It’s for my fans, and it’s been so much fun to perform live. It’s a song that really gets the energy going.

What do you want people to feel or take away when they hear “SWAMP”?

“SWAMP” is a celebration of escapism. I think that in this day and age, when there’s so much going on and we’re constantly bombarded with information on a massive scale, we need to do our best to keep a little childlike wonder alive. I feel like this song is very much about me trying not to be so serious in a very serious time.

You’ve called your recent single, “BLAH”, the end of Act One and “CRACK!” the start of Act Two of your musical journey. What does this new act — this new era — mean for you, personally and creatively?

Looking at Au/Ra as a character and a persona, I feel like everything before — everything in Act One — was the story that led up until that point. “BLAH” was the conclusion, the closing chapter of that era, so I really needed to make that distinction. Creatively, there’s always been a loose narrative running through my music videos, but now I really want to start developing an actual narrative and world-building — because I’ve realised that’s my biggest love in all of this.

You’re still only twenty-three, which is crazy considering how long you’ve been putting music out for.

I feel crazy! It’s strange when you start really young, and people are like, Oh, you’re so young! Like, Yeah, but I feel old!

How has growing up in the industry shaped your sense of self?

It’s been really hard. I went through my first real business betrayal at eighteen, and at that age, it’s a tough thing to go through. Nobody really prepares you for that, especially in this industry. I feel like so many young people get into contracts and deals without really knowing what’s going on. I honestly didn’t have a full grasp of those things until recently, which I think is also pretty normal in this business. Finding a sense of self and learning to separate that from my career was really tricky. I had to go through that over the past few years, especially when things slowed down after that relationship fell apart. But I think I needed that. If I’d kept going down the same path, it would’ve been bad for me moving into adulthood. When you’re young and people praise you for your talent, and then suddenly things don’t go the way you planned, you start tying your self-worth to that. That’s what happened to me. Singing and being an artist was my whole identity, and I realise that’s not healthy. There has to be a distinction between who you are and what you do if you want to survive in this industry mentally. So yeah, it’s been really healthy for me to dismantle that way of thinking. Now I feel like I’ve built a much healthier boundary between the two, which feels good.

After a few years away from releasing music, what feels different now — in how you write, record, or even see yourself as an artist?

I think I’ve probably learned to appreciate it more. I used to maybe take the privilege of making art for a living for granted. I think it was because I was so busy for so many years, from the age of fourteen. Then, when I had that period where I couldn’t do it, it hit me how much I love it. Now I have this really deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for anyone who follows my journey and listens to my music.

You recently opened for Katy Perry and played sold-out shows in London and Manchester. What has reconnecting with your audience been like?

It’s been so good! Honestly, I cried after every single one of those shows — they were so emotionally overwhelming. It felt like everything was coming full circle, and it’s so nice to see that happen. Going years without performing your music in front of people sucks. It’s great to be able to do it again and actually see the connection happening in real time.

Having been through so much behind the scenes — contracts, expectations, growing up in the spotlight, being unable to perform — what does creative freedom actually feel like to you now?

Everything, really. It’s the whole reason I started doing this. I always want to follow my vision as much as I can — and being able to do that now is incredible.

What’s inspiring this new era for Au/Ra?

It’s definitely a blend of reconnecting with that younger part of myself. I absolutely love fantasy and escapism. I’ve been reconnecting with that part of myself who used to write fan-fictions based on The Lord of the Rings and anime on my Wattpad, and it’s definitely been inspiring this era as well — kind of a blend of fantasy, tech and digital soundscapes, with some alt-rock mixed in. It’s just a fusion of all those aesthetics and sounds.

You’ve explored social media, alienation and the performative side of online life in your older music, which has mostly been sombre and mellow. Can we expect to hear more of that, or are you looking to put out more uplifting music now?

Oh, don’t worry — there’s always sad stuff. I don’t think I’ll ever stop that. I’m a deeply emotional person, so there will always be songs about how that makes me feel in the world. There’s definitely loads more of that coming, too.

Finally, what’s next for Au/Ra — what can we expect in this new era?

There’s going to be loads more music — which I’m very excited about — and definitely some more live dates, too. And, of course, loads more world-building. I’m so excited for my fans to hear what’s to come!