Eora/Sydney singer-songwriter Giselle Kwong is switching heartbreak for hope on her new single This Way, a loved-up pop number capturing the whirlwind of finally finding some romantic certainty.
Produced by Fletcher Matthews (The Buoys, Adam Newling, CLEWS), the track opens on warm acoustic guitar before expanding into bounding vocal melodies and propulsive four-on-the-floor choruses.
Giselle Kwong – ‘This Way’
For Kwong, This Way marks something of a departure from the romantic territory she’s explored in her previous releases.
“My previous releases have focused on unrequited love, heartbreak and confusion, This Way is the first time I’ve written about hope and certainty instead,” she explained.
“I wanted to invite listeners into the whirlwind of falling in love, capturing how quickly everything can change when you meet the right person.”
After spending years gravitating towards sadder and slower material, Kwong also sees the new single as a reflection of her growing confidence as an artist.
“After years of writing primarily sadder, slower songs, I feel This Way reflects the confidence I’ve built in my songwriting and artistry.”
The single arrives alongside a playful lo-fi music video filmed across Tokyo, Shimoda and Osaka in Japan by cinematographer James Krockenberger – who also happens to be Kwong’s partner.
That relationship became part of the concept itself, with Kwong expressing her love through the song while her partner captured his through the camera.
“The aim of this music video was to visually depict what falling and being in love feels like,” she said.
“It doesn’t have to be perfect – it’s imperfect, genuine, fun and playful. My partner filmed the music video, and the idea was that my love would be showcased in the song that I wrote, and their love would be showcased in the way they shot the film clips.”
Kwong has spent more than a decade performing, beginning as a busker on the streets of Sydney before going on to play stages including the Sydney Opera House, Oxford Art Factory and The Lansdowne.
She’s also the founder of Save Sydney Busking, an advocacy initiative aimed at preserving the city’s street performance culture.
Drawing inspiration from the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Gracie Abrams and Taylor Swift, Kwong has teased that This Way forms part of a larger release set to be announced in the near future.
This Way is out now.
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