Teenage First Nations singer Bella Rae has released a new single.

Tilted 'This City', the new single is a nostalgic love story brought to life through powerful vocals and heartfelt songwriting.

'This City' hits like a wave—raw emotion wrapped in a tale of love, longing, and the way a place can hold onto memories.

It's feels real and familiar: a park bench, the keys to a shoebox apartment, laughter in the rain. It's the kind of story that listeners see play out like a film in their minds.

Rae says her new single is nothing short of a great love story, explaining how the track describes two people who fell in love when they were young.

"My latest single, 'This City', tells a story I created about two people who fell in love when they were young, lost touch, and then reconnected years later," Ray told Style Up.

"Despite everything they'd been through, they still managed to find their way back to each other.

"It's a love story that I wrote to feel like a 90s rom-com, I wanted listeners to be able to hear the song and picture the story unfolding in their minds like a movie."

Rae is passionate about showcasing how her career has progressed as a young First Nations woman navigating her next moves.

"I've been singing since I was seven, and I started gigging in 2023. Music means everything to me—it's how I express emotions that words alone can't capture," she said.

"It's a beautiful way to connect people through shared thoughts, feelings, and experiences. I'm proud to be a Torres Strait Islander, specifically Meriam/Mir from Murray Island.

"To be honest infusing my culture into my music hasn't happened yet, as my main inspiration has always been navigating life as a teenage girl.

"However I do get the chance to perform "My Island home" by Christine Anu frequently, which is always a great way to feel connected to my culture."

Rae says it has been with the help of Boss Arts Creative - a First Nations-led not-for-profit organisation dedicated to breaking down barriers that prevent First Nations communities from engaging in the arts and culture - that has lead to her being offered a range of opportunities.

"I feel lucky to be surrounded by so much love and support, especially by BossArts Creative who have helped me produce my music as well as my first ever music video which I never would have had the opportunity to do without them," she said.

"BossArts have provided so many opportunities for a lot of young First Nations people as well as myself to grow and pursue our dreams."

What makes Rae's music even more powerful is the weight she carries behind the scenes.

With her father seriously ill, music has become her therapy. Her songs are a way to take her family's mind off what's in front of them—especially her Dad, who finds joy and strength in her music.

Her voice keeps their spirits high through deep uncertainty, taking one day at a time.

And just like many Torres Strait Islander families, Bella-Rae carries the ancestral gift of story and song that lift, heal, and connect.

With a stunning, unforgettable voice singing: "You ran through the streets screaming, 'It's you and me against this city!'" One lyric, and you're right there with her.

With influences such as Olivia Rodrigo, Beach Bunny, and Taylor Swift, Bella-Rae's blend of folk-pop and emotional storytelling makes This City a standout release.

And at just 18, the young singer is determined to progressively grow her career.

"I am currently working on a whole bunch of songs to hopefully put together an album in the near future," she said.

I am hoping to have a whole lot of opportunities to perform live, because there is nothing I love more than performing."

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