Alice Merton gets 2024 underway with a bang as she shares a new track entitled ‘run away girl,’ out now via her own label, Paper Plane Records International.

‘run away girl,’ which comes alongside an accompanying visualizer, puts a classic ‘80s tinge on Merton’s propulsive dark-pop, a blend which infuses her brooding, introspective lyrical themes with an even greater power. She wrote and produced the song with James Dring (Lana Del Rey, Self Esteem) and her regular collaborator Paul Whalley (‘Charlie Brown,’ ‘Waste My Life’).

Merton introduces the track, saying: “Since I can remember, in every life phase I have been in, I have always questioned two things: who am I, and who am I supposed to be? I thought when you grow up, all these questions magically get answered but as I continue to witness, I don’t think you ever quite know.

“‘run away girl’ comes from an introspective look at oneself and feeling lost in the outside world but especially feeling lost on the inside. Where do I fit in, in all this craziness? Who do I actually want to be in life? We are constantly surrounded by the opinions of others, who show us what their version of happiness is, so we automatically assume ours must be the same. It often isn’t.

“We try to break free from past lives and past memories, pretending they no longer exist. I have found it’s much easier to accept the past, rather than forget it, and occasionally letting myself dwell in those memories. Moving homes regularly has taught me many life lessons, but it has also contributed to feeling unsettled in life, restless for what else is out there, and adventurous for the unknown.

“This song comes to you in a new chapter full of questions to myself and to you. It is the beginning of a series of events that have led me to realise that the more I learn about life and myself, the less I actually know. But what do I know? I am happy to share this with you. I hope you enjoy the next chapter.”