Australian singer Grace Pitts [1], better known as Graace, has gifted fans with a new music video for her song "Hard to Say." The ruminative tune, featuring Sydney-based singer and rapper I.E. [2], tells the tale of someone grieving a loved one. "Lost a friend, had to watch him go / Can't believe that he took his soul," Graace croons. "There was something about him / And I'm sorry I'm doubted." The accompanying visuals show her and I.E. struggling to overcome mental and situational battles.

According to Graace, who worked on the track with songwriter and producer Xavier Dunn [3], the track is inspired by a very personal experience. "I lost someone very close to my heart over a year ago now, and it's something that I don't talk about often," she said in a statement. "But as soon as Xavier started playing these chords, I felt like it was finally time to sing about him and bring light to the topic of suicide and mental health. It's a beautiful thing to be able to sing your thoughts when you can't fully articulate it in a normal conversation, because it's so hard to grasp your feelings when you're grieving. I hope people who listen can know that they're not alone and can see that everybody has somebody who has their back, whether it's someone they're close to or a stranger, like me."

The new single is Graace's first release of the year. Since dropping her 2018 EP Self-Sabotage, the 22-year-old singer has unveiled other indie-pop jams, including last year's "Have Fun at Your Party [4]," "21st Century Love [5]," and "Overthink [6]." You'll also likely recognise Graace's vocals from her 2017 collaboration "Numb [7]" with Aussie DJ Hayden James. Watch her new video for "Hard to Say" above, then check out some of the up-and-coming artists we have on our radar [8]!