Discover New Zealand's new Alt Pop princess Rita Mae!

New Zealand’s emerging Alt-Pop princess Rita Mae returns with a fresh burst of restless energy on her latest single, ‘Poster Child’. Lifted from her debut EP ‘Kiss The Sky’, due 8th November, the track finds Rita channelling a sense of creative urgency into one of her best offerings to date.

Talking on the track, Rita spoke of the emotions she couldn’t articulate at the time but felt compelled to express through music: “all I knew is I was feeling antsy, I needed to make a song that had energy, that matched this restless feeling that I couldn’t pinpoint”. And express them she did... ‘Poster Child’ pulses with an infectious, danceable energy from start to finish, with her raw emotion translated into a driving, upbeat track that’s as fun as it is cathartic.

According to Rita, her new release is the start of her “entering a new era”. ‘Poster Child’ is notably more upbeat than her previous offerings, like the grungy ‘Kiss The Sky’ or the stripped-back ‘Big Star’, yet it still maintains the emotional depth that has come to define her music. Vocally, she’s in top form, with her voice rhythmic and raw in equal measure; she darts in and out of her upper register with ease, crafting a melodic hook that pulls you in and stays with you long after the track is over. It's a performance that's both effortlessly cool and emotionally charged, perfectly aligning with the track’s sleek Indie-Pop sheen.

With immersive production from Harry Charles, ‘Poster Child’ blends elements of Indie and Alt-Pop, with a rock-tinged guitar line anchoring the track and giving it that gritty edge. There’s a depth and texture to the production that hints at Rita's versatility as an artist; it’s a track that straddles genres, offering something for everyone without losing its own identity.

For a song that was written and recorded in just one day, ‘Poster Child’ feels fully realised. Rita's decision to let the song capture a fleeting, visceral feeling rather than a more common emotional experience is a bold move, and it pays off. The result is a track that feels urgent and immediate, a snapshot of the restless energy that drives much of her best work. If this single is anything to go by, ‘Kiss The Sky’ promises to be another compelling step forward for an artist who’s constantly evolving.

Words by Donovan Livesey