Reigns

Off the back of a breakout year that saw viral success, sold-out headline shows and major radio support, Reigns steps into 2026 with renewed purpose, deeper creative vision, and the launch of her own record label. As she prepares for the release of her next single 'Closer Than Your Shadow', her latest collaboration with producer Waives, the soul-pop powerhouse continues to carve out a space defined by emotional honesty, independence and fearless storytelling.

Originally written years ago as a soul ballad, 'Closer Than Your Shadow' has evolved into a cinematic, emotionally charged drum & bass anthem about unconditional presence, for others and for yourself. The track reflects Reigns’ personal and artistic growth, shaped by heartbreak, loss, resilience and self-discovery, themes that also underpin her upcoming debut album 'Love Languages', due later in 2026.

Reigns opens up about revisiting old music through a new emotional lens, why vulnerability is central to her songwriting process, the importance of mental health conversations in music, and how building her own label allows her to protect creativity while empowering the next generation of female artists.

Hi Reigns, how is 2026 treating you so far? 

I’m actually feeling blessed! I feel like 2025 was the set up and now to kick off the year I’ve started my own record label which initially I will release my own music on and then start to sign new female artists - I really feel like I wanna pass on some of the industry lessons I’ve learnt over the years of being in development

You’re returning with your most powerful collaboration yet, ‘Closer Than Your Shadow,’ out on the 13th February. Continuing your creative chemistry with Waves, you bring a soul-drenched vocal performance to an immersive drum and bass soundscape - bold and vulnerable in equal measure. What initially inspired you to write the track? 

The track was initially played to me by writer/producer Dee Adam and it was a soul ballad originally and we made a version for me where I could put my slant on it and over time..  We kind of forgot about the track as we were so busy writing new material! Dee was updating her studio and going through the hard drive and found the old version of the song and when I heard it again.. I really understood what it meant and I asked if it would be cool to collaborate on it with Waives.. The rest is history!!

The track seems to perfectly capture the moment when everything feels like its unreaveling - yet the force of love, friendship or family can pull you back to yourself in a world where mistakes can often feel both permanent and public. Were there any moments or personal experiences that led to this realisation? 

Finding the track again it just felt like the right time. When I originally recorded the track it was right at the beginning of my career and so much has happened since then. I’ve had my heart broken, I’ve lost people.. I’ve also found myself just from growing up really. So revisiting it and resinging it just felt electric! What I love about Waives’ production is that it’s got this really beautiful composition and it just fits so well in that drum and bass world but it’s also it’s own entity. I just think it sounds incredible!

Originally written as a soul ballad and hiding in your ideas for years, you were waiting for the right collaboration to bring this track to come to life. How did it finally come together with Waives, and do you think the track’s cinematic sound enforces it’s meaning? 

The song has two meanings to me. One is that it’s about being there for yourself but it can also be about being there for someone who is lost and you’re basically saying it doesn’t matter what’s going on - I’m here for you and I think those are words we all need to hear. Just knowing people are there for you when you don’t have the mental capacity in itself is part of healing, I believe. Particularly the last couple of years - the songs that we’ve been writing for my album have been therapy. I try to bring my truth to everything I write and in my writing sessions we dig deep and before I know it - my heart’s on the table and I think that’s what is resonating with my followers. They can hear the authenticity in the songs we’re writing. 

How do you hope the song’s encapsulation of feeling lost resonates with listeners, and is it important for you to use songwriting as an emotional outlet? 

I hope the way the song captures that feeling of being lost really resonates with people in a hopeful way. For me, it’s not about sitting in the darkness, it’s about reminding people that even when they feel at their lowest or like they’re pushing everyone away, there is still someone fighting their corner. Whether that’s another person, or whether it’s them learning to do that for themselves. It’s about bearing the scars, wearing them, and still choosing not to give up.

Songwriting is 100% an emotional outlet for me… it’s a form of therapy. When I’m in the studio, I lay my heart on the table and everything comes from real life experiences, real conversations, real moments. Writing is how I process things, and I think that honesty is what allows people to see themselves in the music. If someone hears this song and feels even a small sense of comfort or hope, then it’s done what it was meant to do.

Your voice blends blues grit with a fearless pop edge - who would you list as your all-time vocal inspirations, and how and why do they influence you? 

Top of my list is P!nk, she’s an artist that I’ve grown up listening to. I love that she fights and stands up for what she believes in and I feel like her music has given me a lot of courage in my younger years. Aretha Franklin because when I first heard her singing she was singing from a place so deep I was, and still am, transfixed by her vocals and listening to her taught me to feel the song not just sing the words. Most recently I’ve been listening to a lot of RAYE’s stuff. I just think she’s a genius, her vocals are on point, her songwriting is raw and she’s waving the flag for independent artists releasing music through their own independent labels which has really paved the way for what I’m doing in my career. 

Your music is seeped in honesty - covering everything from heartbreak and hope. Do you think this translates better artistically to not hold back? How has it helped you emotionally? 

It took me a minute to be as honest in my music as I am now. Mostly down to growing up, all those usual things you go through in adolescence like being self conscious and wanting to fit in. I feel like my skills have developed over time with my producer as I’ve been empowered and that has lead to me being brave enough to speak my truth. 

Last year was a breakout year for you - from the viral success of ‘Collateral Damage’ to releasing your critically acclaimed EP ‘Approval Not Needed’ to playing festival main stages - what was your proudest moment? 

Getting playlisted on Capital dance for 7 weeks and then having a sold out headline show were two of my proudest moments of 2025. Hearing my song come on the radio when I was on the way to the gym with my twin sister - it was mind-blowing.. such a surreal moment!! Then with my headline show I couldn’t believe that people were queueing up tp see me perform and talk to me after the show.. and some showed me tattoos they had of me on their skin - I just couldn’t believe what was happening! It was a lot to take in but I my feet are firmly on the floor. I got the tube home after that gig with a big suitcase full of merch! Most people call it the Elizabeth line but for me it was cloud 9!

If you could give one piece of advice to young pop artists starting out, what would it be? 

Patience! In my opinion there’s no such thing as an overnight success and we all want everything so quickly but you also have to be prepared mentally and emotionally for what the music industry brings. Find your tribe and keep it small. Lots of people wanna get involved after all the hard work is done but it’s the people that helped you get there that will have your back. 

Next, you're making your mark with your upcoming debut album ‘Love In Languages.’ How are you preparing for its release, and what can you tell us about this next era of REIGNS? 

My debut album ‘Love Languages’ is written! This year I’ll be releasing 4 singles leading up to the album at the end of the year. What I can say is that the songs from and leading to the album in my mind complete the journey. I think I’ve dealt with many high points as well as low points within the writing and I’ve tried to be as authentically honest as I can be. The big thing for me this year is performing these songs live as many times as I possibly can. The energy that I get from performing live is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced in my life!