Feel

After years of becoming one of dance music's most recognizable voices, XIRA is finally telling her own story.

Born in Australia and now based in East London, XIRA, pronounced "zeer-uh", has spent the past several years lending her voice to some of the genre's biggest records. Collaborations with artists including Audien, Nicky Romero, 3LAU, and Daniel Allan have earned her millions of streams, global radio support, and festival exposure around the world. Chances are you've heard her voice before, even if you didn't know her name.

Now, with the release of her debut solo single 'Feel', XIRA steps forward not as a featured vocalist, but as an artist entirely in her own right.

Growing up in Adelaide, music was woven into everyday life. With a jazz pianist grandfather and family sing-alongs around the piano, she was immersed in music from an early age. Summers spent attending jazz camps eventually led her to study at the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney, where she began performing covers and playing live shows while discovering her own artistic identity.

A move to Austin, Texas, followed, giving her firsthand experience of the North American music scene before she eventually returned to Australia. It was there, in her mid-twenties, that she wrote her first original song and discovered a talent for songwriting that quickly opened doors. Support from Triple J and a publishing deal helped establish her as one of Australia's most promising emerging writers and artists.

Her introduction to dance music arrived in 2019 with 'Tokyo' alongside 3LAU. The track became an instant breakthrough, accumulating more than 25 million streams and introducing XIRA's distinctive voice to a global audience.

The years that followed brought a string of successful collaborations, including 'Only For You' with Nicky Romero, 'One Last Dance' with Audien, and 'Eyes Off You' with Polar Inc., cementing her reputation as one of dance music's most sought-after vocalists and songwriters.

Behind the scenes, however, life was becoming increasingly challenging. Years of IVF treatment, a divorce, the disruption of COVID, and ongoing health complications arrived in quick succession. Extended hospital stays often made performing impossible.

"Writing music became my saving grace," XIRA 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."

One of the songs that emerged from that difficult chapter was 'Feel.'

Written during some of the darkest moments of her life, the record embraces vulnerability rather than avoiding it.

"I wrote this song about being in the middle of those really tough times," she 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 sentiment forms the emotional core of 'Feel', a powerful reminder that healing often requires confronting pain rather than escaping it.

Now healthier, happier, and settled in East London, XIRA enters a new chapter with renewed clarity and confidence. 'Feel' marks the beginning of that journey, introducing listeners to the artist behind the voice and setting the stage for what comes next.

As XIRA puts it: "Sometimes the only way out is through it."

'Feel' is out now on Anjunabeats.