NEWS
In 2015, Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora released her debut EP, Running With the Wolves. She followed in 2016 with her first full-length, All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend, which reached No. 28 on Billboard's U.S.-based Top Rock Albums chart.
Both sets begin with the song "Runaway." Fast-forward to 2021 and the track is gaining more widespread worldwide recognition on the back of, what else? TikTok virality. On the latest lists, dated April 24, "Runaway" leaps 99-34 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and 130-49 on the Billboard Global 200.
"Runaway" received its own colorful interactive TikTok filter that dramatically changes the backlighting from day to night and back again, spurring the #RunawayChallenge. The song's global sales and streams have been building each week for more than a month, from 7.8 million streams and 500 downloads sold in the week ending March 18 to 23.7 million streams and 2,400 downloads sold in the week ending April 15, according to MRC Data.
The song's success is rare for songs of a certain age: of 51 songs released in 2015 or before to make the Global Excl. U.S. chart since the list launched last September, "Runaway" is only the second to crack the top 40. Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams," from 1977, followed its own social media resurgence No. 30 for two weeks in October.
Further, it’s the fifth such song to hit the top 50 of the Global 200, following “Dreams” (No. 10), The Weeknd’s “The Hills” (No. 44) and a pair of DMX tracks, as “Ruff Ryders' Anthem” and “X Gon’ Give It to Ya” debut on this week’s chart at Nos. 27 and 32, respectively.
Growth for "Runaway" has been healthy both in and out of the U.S., although its share of streams in the past month has shifted slightly more internationally; while four weeks ago its streams were 24% domestic and 76% international, this week brings an 18% U.S./82% outside the U.S. split.
Stateside, still, "Runaway" debuts on this week's U.S.-based Alternative Digital Song Sales and Alternative Streaming Songs charts at Nos. 14 and 15, respectively, while jumping 12-3 on the LyricFind U.S. chart. Aurora herself re-entered the Emerging Artists two weeks ago and has climbed 42-32-15 the last three weeks.
NEWS
Lola Young has joined forces with Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to release a new T shirt for the charity’s Lifelines collection.
The shirt supports CALM’s suicide prevention work, with proceeds helping to fund vital resources such as its helpline and CALMzone mental health app.
CALM introduced the Lifelines range last year, with Fontaines D.C., Blossoms and Inhaler also contributing their own designs to the collection.
Young’s design includes the words, “There’s a flicker of light. There’s always morning after the night”, taken from her track ‘Flicker Of Light’.
“I wrote this song about realising there is hope. I have often felt like there isn’t, but there is always a reason to keep going,” Young said. “That’s even when you don’t want to get out of bed, you do, and that is amazing, and you’re still here, and you’re still alive, and if anything, that’s something to be proud of.”
CALM CEO Simon Gunning also shared his appreciation for the collaboration, saying: “We couldn’t be more grateful to Lola for supporting ‘Lifelines’ and showing just how powerful music can be as a force for good.”
Priced at £30, the T shirts come in both standard and boxy fits and are available to purchase here.
Young has regularly spoken about her experiences with mental health. She returned to performing earlier this year after calling off her 2025 tour because of exhaustion. The decision followed her collapse during a performance in New York City. During her time away, she later discussed receiving support for addiction and attending AA meetings as part of her recovery.
In an interview with NME in May, Young explained that she believes “all healing journeys are never ending”, although she is now “definitely in a much better place”. She also said she feels “excited and ready to perform and to release music”.
Reflecting on the encouragement she received after publicly discussing those challenges, Young said: “My fans inspire me in the same way I hope to inspire them. I feel like I’ve never tried to be especially honest… it just comes very naturally to me.”
“I don’t really have any other choice but to be honest, so if people connect to that, and that’s amazing.”
Several musicians have also applauded the ‘Messy’ singer for honestly addressing the pressure placed on touring performers. Lily Allen said she was “in awe” of the BRIT and Grammy winner, while Victoria Canal credited Young with bringing greater attention to the damaging impact demanding tour schedules can have on artists’ mental wellbeing.
When NME asked whether musicians were beginning to establish firmer boundaries around their health, Young replied: “I never intended it to start a movement, but I hope that it does in some way.”
