Tāmaki Makaurau singer-songwriter Bridges is stepping confidently into her pop era with her latest release.
Expansive and emotionally charged, “Close to You” trades in soft intimacy for cinematic drama—her boldest, most polished work to date.
“It’s bigger, bolder, more committed to the pop genre, and leans into the drama a whole lot more. It’s the kind of music I’ve always wanted to make. ‘Close to You’ signifies the beginning of that,” says Bridges.
Produced by UK-based Roberto Panovski and mastered by Grammy-winning Chris Gehringer (Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga), “Close to You” is an exploration of romantic love—something Bridges has spent a lot of time reflecting on.
“I was trying to figure out how it differs from how I love my friends, which got me thinking about how it’s all the smallest moments that amount to such a powerful feeling,” she says.
The song arrives with a dreamy video directed by New Zealand filmmaker Tom Grut. “We filmed it all in the studio, bringing in the grass and the motorcycle, open sky and butterflies – with a little help from visual effects,” Bridges explains.
You can check out the clip below.
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“Close to You” follows her 2024 single “Lungs”, with both tracks set to appear on her upcoming EP.
Bridges—aka Christchurch-born Rachel Hamilton—has been steadily making her mark. Her 2023 debut EP TWENTY SOMETHING featured fan favourites like “Pills” and “Gone”, earning buzz across Spotify playlists and local tastemakers.
In 2024, she was selected for the APRA Aotearoa Mentorship Programme with Fazerdaze and showcased at the Going Global Music Summit.
Beyond her own releases, she’s also ventured into music-adjacent projects—most recently composing “Aria’s Lullaby” for the global release of Dreamslinger, the first book in a new fantasy trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Graci Kim.
Bridges’ “Close to You” is out now.
