Luca George‘s first single of the year is finally here.
The Aotearoa-born alt-pop artist has today shared “Before You Hold Me,” which is his most vulnerable offering yet.
George achingly reveals his desire for a more ideal body in the song, detailing the painstaking challenge of embracing one’s own beauty. As George makes clear, feelings of self-doubt and unworthiness are never too far away.
“I’ve suffered with body dysmorphia my whole life, I have all of these rules for myself before I let someone hold me whether it’s a hookup situation or dating or just being vulnerable with someone. This song is all the stuff that I do, the whole process before letting someone hold me,” George explains.
You can listen to “Before You Hold Me” below, which George co-wrote with Gabrielle Aplin and Joseph Wander (Lewis Capaldi, The 1975).
The accompanying music video (watch below), was shot in Los Angeles, produced and directed by Landon Juern and Luke Shaw for Altar8.
George is releasing his return single, which follows his 2023 EP You’ll Never Know Me Sober, at a good time, with his first international show taking place this weekend. He’ll open for Australian pop star Peach PRC at her sold-out London show at Electric Brixton tonight (October 4th).
George featured in Rolling Stone AU/NZ‘s ‘Future of Music’ series earlier this year, tipped as one of 25 artists from Australia and Aotearoa destined for the very top.
“Admired by Troye Sivan, New Zealand has a future pop powerhouse in its midst,” we wrote. “You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep, and you can also tell a lot about an artist by who wants to work with them, so it felt notable that Sivan selected Luca George as the sole New Zealand artist to take part in his SongHubs songwriting camp.
“The fledgling Kiwi pop star flew to Sydney to take part in the camp, getting to work with top songwriters and producers from around the world. And a lot of the same qualities that helped Sivan rise to the top are prominent in George’s music: sugary vocals, natural charisma, and melancholic yet hopeful pop aesthetics. The Wanaka-born artist is ready for the world.”
Luca George’s “Before You Hold Me” is out now via Island Records Australia / Universal Music.
