Listen to the first track from Girl In Red's debut album, 'Rue'

Girl In Red has shared the first taste of her forthcoming debut album with new single ‘Rue’ – you can listen to it below.

• The NME Big Read: Girl In Red – “World domination, that’s what I want”

The Norwegian singer-songwriter, whose real name is Marie Ulven, marked “the start of a new phase” in April with ‘Midnight Love’. She later shed some light on her first full-length record, explaining that it would be “definitely more mature” than her previous releases.

Ulven has today (August 26) offered up the first track to be lifted from her debut LP, further details of which have not yet been revealed.

On ‘Rue’, Girl In Red deals with escapism while presenting herself in “a completely different light, one much darker than ever before.” In the first verse, she sings: “I remember you couldn’t stop crying/ You found me when I thought I was dying/ Believe me when I say/ I tried so hard to change“.

“I wrote this song for my loved ones who are affected by my mental health,” Ulven explained of the song. “I will always try my best to get better for them, and I am forever grateful for their presence in my life.”

The creation of ‘Rue’ began when Girl In Red was trying out acoustic guitars at the Guitar Centre shop in Times Square, New York, where she came across its chord progression. She then fleshed out the song while on tour, having been inspired by the parallels between herself and the character Rue on HBO’s Euphoria.

‘Rue’ arrives with a woodland-set accompanying official video, which was directed by Niels Windfeldt.

In June, Ulven explained that fans would “definitely get to know a more mature version of me” on her new material, adding: “I’ve been able to reflect way more on things that are not only happening on my behalf, but also understanding other people’s feelings.”

Speaking to NME in April, she opened up more about the project: “The album is still cooking and I want to be sure that I put the best stuff on there. I want it to feel present and close to me. I’ve got plenty of bangers that are still on the table.”

Girl In Red featured in the NME 100 list at the beginning of this year, and went on to become NME’s first Big Read cover star of 2020.