Fresh from performing at The Great Escape Festival in England, Luca George has returned with “Grow Down”.
The cinematic pop single sees the Aotearoa New Zealand-born, London-based singer-songwriter reflect on childhood wonder and the bittersweet reality of growing up.
Co-written in London with singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin and songwriter-producer Joseph Wander, who has worked with Lewis Capaldi, Only The Poets, and Declan J Donovan, “Grow Down” was co-produced by Wander alongside Mike Spencer, whose credits include Ellie Goulding, Zara Larsson, and Kylie Minogue.
George says the track imagines what it would be like to grow down instead of growing up, holding onto the freedom and imagination that often fades with ages.
“Grow Down is a song about wishing I could stay young forever. It plays with the idea of growing down instead of growing up, holding onto the innocence and magic that seems to disappear as you get older,” he says.
The song draws on some of George’s favourite childhood memories, from pretending he could fly on a trampoline to collecting rocks at the beach and making wishes on shooting stars. As the track unfolds, those carefree moments give way to the realities of adulthood.
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“The song moves through the moment where that childlike wonder slowly starts to fade. When someone tells you your wishes will never come true, when you suddenly become aware that people are watching you dance, when the rocks you used to treasure become ice cubes melting in your glass, and when the shoes you wear are too expensive to jump in puddles anymore.”
The release continues George’s recent momentum. Earlier this year, Rolling Stone AU/NZ named him one of its Future of Music 2026 artists after a breakout period that has seen him build an international audience from his London base.
At the time, George described the recognition as a career milestone.
“It means a lot. I feel like it’s really reassuring to be seen by something as amazing as Rolling Stone. Growing up, Rolling Stone was always such an iconic thing to be recognised by,” he told us. “I literally have a big photo of Rolling Stone on my mood board this year, so it’s kind of a dream come true.”
George has now amassed more than 6.9 million global streams, supported Peach PRC on her first UK tour and shared stages with Callum Scott and Harper Finn.
“Grow Down” arrives alongside a lyric video directed by London-based Aotearoa filmmaker Oscar Keys. Filmed at Hilly Fields with support from NZ On Air, the visual starts George alongside David Taylor as the pair sit on a park bench overlooking London, reflecting on a life lived.
The single follows George’s 2025 EP Say hi to Paula, which featured “Flowers For You”, “Better Apart”, “Crying In The Bathroom”, and “brOken”.
Luca George’s “Grow Down” is out now.
