After years of becoming one of electronic music’s most recognizable voices, XIRA is finally stepping into the spotlight on her own terms. The Australian-born, East London-based singer-songwriter makes her solo debut with “Feel,” arriving June 19 via Anjunabeats, marking the beginning of a deeply personal new chapter after years of writing and performing alongside some of dance music’s biggest names.
Pronounced “zeer-uh,” XIRA has spent the past several years lending her unmistakable vocals to releases from artists including Audien, Nicky Romero, 3LAU, Daniel Allan, and Polar Inc. While those collaborations have amassed millions of streams, global radio support, and festival exposure, “Feel” marks the first time listeners are hearing the artist fully on her own.
The single introduces a more intimate side of XIRA’s artistry, trading the role of featured vocalist for that of songwriter and storyteller. Written during one of the most challenging periods of her life, “Feel” explores the emotional complexity of healing, embracing vulnerability rather than attempting to escape it.
“I wrote this song about being in the middle of those really tough times,” XIRA explains. “Everyone around me was trying to make me feel better, distract me, and help me stop hurting. I didn’t want to avoid those feelings. I needed to go into the darkness so I could actually heal.”
That philosophy lies at the heart of “Feel,” a song that argues healing isn’t found by suppressing pain but by confronting it with honesty. It’s an emotionally resonant debut that reflects both personal growth and artistic confidence, signaling a clear evolution beyond the collaborative releases that first introduced her voice to audiences worldwide.
Music has shaped XIRA’s life from the very beginning. Raised in Adelaide, she grew up surrounded by music, inspired by a jazz pianist grandfather and family singalongs around the piano. Summer jazz camps eventually led her to study at the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney, where she began performing live while discovering her own creative voice.
A subsequent move to Austin, Texas, immersed her in the North American music scene before she returned to Australia, where she wrote her first original songs. Early support from Triple J, combined with a publishing deal, quickly established her as one of Australia’s most promising emerging songwriters.
Her breakthrough in dance music arrived in 2019 with “Tokyo,” a collaboration with 3LAU that has since surpassed 25 million streams. The success of that release opened the door to a string of acclaimed collaborations, including “Only For You” with Nicky Romero, “One Last Dance” alongside Audien, and “Eyes Off You” with Polar Inc., solidifying her reputation as one of the electronic scene’s most in-demand vocalists.
Behind that success, however, XIRA was navigating an intensely difficult personal chapter. Years of IVF treatment, a divorce, the disruption of the COVID pandemic, and ongoing health complications resulted in extended hospital stays that often made performing impossible.
“Writing music became my saving grace,” she says. “I couldn’t perform or do much of anything I used to do anymore because I was stuck in a hospital bed so often.”
Those experiences ultimately became the foundation for “Feel,” transforming hardship into a song rooted in resilience and emotional honesty.
Now healthier and settled in East London, XIRA enters this next phase with renewed clarity and creative purpose. Her debut solo release not only introduces listeners to the artist behind the familiar voice but also lays the foundation for what promises to be an exciting new chapter.
As XIRA puts it: “Sometimes the only way out is through it.”
With “Feel,” she delivers exactly that message—an emotionally fearless debut that transforms vulnerability into strength while establishing her identity as an artist in her own right.
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