Image: Rejjie Fanning & Ariel Riley
Published: 14 May 2025

Australia’s PANIA today drops her new single ‘Pity Party’ which solidifies her return to music after the February release of ‘Switch Sides’, her first new music since 2023.

Written by PANIA and produced by Chelsea Warner and Sam Vergese, ‘Pity Party’ is a theatrical, audio feast that brings together R&B, electronica and rap in one glorious package. The dramatic chorus, with its call-and-response, multi-layered vocals, is a highlight and has a brooding, claustrophobic feel as PANIA sings of a relationship that has ended, but she cannot find closure: ‘Why’d you have to keep me down? / I wanted you to come closer / Now that I’m not around / How does it feel when you hold her?’

“‘Pity Party’ reflects on a past relationship where I often found myself seeking closure and stuck in a cycle of self-pity.,” PANIA says. “This person really let me down, and 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 and that I deserved better. While their confessions made me question my judgment, it was ultimately a lesson I had to learn for myself.”

Also out today is the music video for ‘Pity Party’. Shot by Shae Sterling, it embraces PANIA’s Māori heritage and was filmed at her Marae (Māori meeting ground), Maungatapu, Aotearoa with her family.

One of the leading lights of the Australian R&B movement, in the past two years PANIA has received two ARIA Award nominations and has supported global acts including Kehlani, RAYE, Givēon and Anees, as well as being invited to perform on stage last year with Coldplay during their Australian tour.

The very definition of a rising superstar, PANIA brilliance lies in her music that never quite fits the standard box. Based in R&B but with no defined sound, it can lean into retro sounds one minute before crossing over the line into cutting edge experimentation. all backed up by her expressive vocal and raw, honest stories that truly resonate. With ‘Switch Sides’ and now ‘Pity Party’, and more music to come, PANIA can surely expect that third ARIA Award nomination to roll her way later this year.

‘Pity Party’ is out now via Say Less/Warner Music. You can download and stream here.
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