Shortly after performing to a crowd of over 50,000 at Coldplay‘s Auckland shows, rising pop star Frankie Venter has released her new single, “Backseat Driving”.
Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin praised the 18-year-old singer-songwriter when she took the stage with him to sing an original verse she wrote for the English pop-rock band’s song, “WE PRAY”.
“Frankie Venter is only 18 and incredible! She’s going to be a big superstar,” Martin exclaimed to the Auckland crowd.
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Aotearoa pop artist Georgia Lines offered similar praise to Venter, when the young artist was featured on Lines’ music web series INTROS. Lines commended Venter for having a “voice well beyond her years and an online presence that I admire a lot.”
Originally from Mount Maunganui, Venter has today followed up her hit single “How You Like Me Now” with “Backseat Driving”, a pop-rock track about “heartbreak and discovery.”
The narrative-driven ballad was inspired by a disappointing experience of “going home with a guy, only to realise he already has a girlfriend.”
“One hand on the wheel, the other on my thigh / You were backseat driving / How was I so naive to think that you weren’t lying?,” Venter laments in the song.
“I hope it makes you feel less alone, but I hope it also makes you want to get up, dance and sing or scream along,” the singer shares about her new single.
Today’s release includes two “Sped Up” versions of “Backseat Driving”, which Venter’s fellow Gen Z listeners are sure to appreciate.
Venter has already amassed waves of support and interest both before and since her Coldplay appearances. With over 40,000 combined social media followers and a string of sold-out performances to her name, Venter is well on her way with her career that she left school to pursue.
Venter has previously collaborated with English artist Griff and Wellington pop-rock outfit Drax Project. She’s currently on tour with young pop star Cassie Henderson and Max Allias on the ‘Springboard: Seconds to Midnight Tour’. Venter also features on the bill for Rhythm and Vines and Soundsplash this summer.
Frankie Venter’s “Backseat Driving” is out now.
