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Some songs arrive like confessions. Others feel like conversations. Lucky Star, the latest release from Aotearoa artist Em, does both. It is reflective and imperfect in the best way, stitched together with friends and grounded in authenticity, yet elevated by Em’s production craft. Together, that tension defines what she calls the “Em sound” - a space where honesty and sonic experimentation live side by side.
Built on driving acoustic guitars, bass, and drums, the track layers in drum machines, emotive electric guitars, and some of Em’s most distinct vocals yet. The song was sparked by the death of a famous musician, pulling Em back into her teenage years as a music-obsessed fan. Through that lens, Lucky Star becomes less about grief itself and more about the shared experience of music lovers everywhere: the collective ache of losing someone whose art helped shape who you are.
Em’s catalogue has always blurred the lines between indie, pop, and folk, weaving moody synths and layered vocals into grooves that feel both intimate and expansive. But Lucky Star signals an artist more comfortable than ever in her craft, folding her skills in audio and production into something that feels both polished and deeply personal.
What makes Lucky Star special is how it acknowledges both the artist Em is becoming and the teenager she once was. It holds space for memory, loss, and celebration, reminding us that music is as much about who we were when we first heard it as it is about who we are now.
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