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The rising R&B artist shares a personal reflection on heartbreak, growth, and reclaiming self-worth, shot on sacred ground
Rejjie Fanning & Ariel Riley
Two-time ARIA-nominated artist PANIA is entering a new chapter with “Pity Party”, her latest single and accompanying music video.
A slow-burning, emotionally resonant track, “Pity Party” finds PANIA sitting in the wreckage of a past relationship, unpacking the cycle of self-pity that follows when closure never comes.
“This person really let me down,” she shares. “As someone who’s always willing to work through challenges in love, it felt like I was being strung along. It also dives into the aftermath of the breakup, when my friends admitted they’d always known he wasn’t right for me… It was ultimately a lesson I had to learn for myself.”
The video, directed by Shae Sterling, deepens the song’s emotional pull by grounding it in PANIA’s whakapapa. Shot at her Marae, Maungatapu, and featuring her family, the clip is a poignant visual rooted in cultural strength and personal healing.
“Pity Party” follows the release of “Switch Sides” earlier this year, offering the first taste of new music from PANIA since her 2023 sophomore EP WE STILL YOUNG, which featured standout tracks like “P STANDS 4 PLAYA”, “BURNA FONE”, and “PLAYLIST (ROCK DA BOAT)”.
That project earned PANIA her second consecutive ARIA nomination for Best Soul/R&B Release, solidifying her status as one of the most vital voices in the country’s R&B renaissance.
Sitting on the precipice of Australia’s next-gen R&B rise, PANIA’s coolly confident delivery and genre-blurring style have made her one of the most compelling voices rising from the Southern Hemisphere.
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Over the past two years, she’s supported major international acts like Kehlani, RAYE, Givēon, and Anees, and last November was invited to join Coldplay on stage for two sold-out nights in Melbourne.
PANIA has also headlined her own shows in Sydney and Melbourne, including a sold-out performance at the Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid LIVE. She’s earned back-to-back ARIA nominations for Best Soul/R&B Release – first for her breakout hit “P STANDS 4 PLAYA” and again for WE STILL YOUNG.
Outside of music, she’s featured on a Times Square billboard as Spotify’s Equal AU Ambassador and fronted campaigns for Converse, Platypus, and Nike x Footlocker.
In a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ, PANIA reflected on her journey from past jobs to sold-out tours and iconic stages, describing her rise as both surreal and deeply personal: “I don’t want to be underrated, I want to be rated properly, you know?”
“Pity Party” by PANIA is out now via Say Less and Warner Music Australia.
In This Article: PANIA
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