Filipino-Australian singer-songwriter daine returns with their first new music of the year, unveiling the emotionally charged single “PQC” via Pack. Records. Arriving alongside a playful yet sharply satirical music video directed by Dylan Marriot, the release marks the beginning of a new creative chapter and offers the first glimpse into daine’s forthcoming debut album.
The accompanying visual places daine at the center of a cheerleading routine built around the song’s unforgettable refrain—“You’re plastic / You’re tragic / Overly-romantic…”—using irony and theatricality to reinforce the track’s themes of vulnerability, judgment, and self-acceptance.
Written and produced with Curtis Everett Pawley, “PQC” represents a notable evolution in daine’s sound. Moving away from the heavily processed vocal aesthetic that defined much of their earlier work, the new single embraces a more organic and exposed production style, allowing the songwriting and emotional honesty to take center stage.
Lyrically, “PQC” explores the emotional resilience required to remain open in a world that often punishes sensitivity. Rather than retreating behind emotional defenses, the song reframes vulnerability as a source of strength, celebrating the willingness to be misunderstood while continuing to love openly.
Speaking about the release, daine describes the track as:
“‘PQC’ is a total embrace of failure, in all its glory. An optimistic love letter to oversensitivity. It explores the strength and softness it takes to show yourself to the world…the erosion of your boundaries—the courage to be publicly hated and feel it all. It is an ecstatic forgiveness of self and the world.”
Over the past several years, daine has established one of the most distinctive voices in alternative pop by blending hyperpop, alternative rock, electronic music, and emotionally confessional songwriting into a singular artistic identity. Initially gaining wider recognition following an early endorsement from Charli XCX, the artist quickly developed a reputation for transforming deeply personal narratives into expansive, genre-defying productions.
That momentum accelerated following the release of the 2025 EP i want the light to swallow me whole, which showcased an increasingly refined approach to songwriting and sonic world-building. Their profile grew even further through a standout appearance on Ninajirachi’s acclaimed album I Love My Computer. The collaboration “It’s You,” particularly after receiving a widely circulated remix from underscores, became one of the project’s defining tracks and introduced daine to an even broader international audience.
Beyond solo releases, daine has continued building an impressive list of collaborators spanning multiple corners of contemporary alternative music, including Oli Sykes of Bring Me The Horizon, Ericdoa, 100 gecs, and Kreayshawn.
The new single arrives ahead of a busy touring schedule. This summer, daine will join Ninajirachi and Lucy Bedroque for an Australian tour beginning in Sydney before making stops in Brisbane, Adelaide, and Melbourne. Later this year, they will also perform at both Pitchfork London and Pitchfork Paris, following an earlier European support run alongside yeule.
With “PQC,” daine strips away layers of digital abstraction to reveal one of their most direct and emotionally resonant songs to date. As the first preview of an anticipated debut album, the single signals an artist embracing vulnerability not as weakness, but as the defining strength behind an increasingly compelling creative voice.