There's a moment in "I'll Be Your Friend" where everything opens up — the guitars lift, the rhythm surges, and Ruti's voice cuts through with the kind of warm, unshakeable conviction that makes you feel like someone genuinely has your back. It's a small moment. And it's everything.

"I'll Be Your Friend" is the first in a series of forthcoming releases ushering in an exciting new era for the London-via-Essex singer-songwriter, out via Big Family Music. The brighter, more anthemic new release brings a sense of momentum and urgency to Ruti's repertoire, which has previously luxuriated in minimalist piano-led confessionals.

Written and produced with Theo Hutchcraft of HURTS and Will Bloomfield — whose credits span Fred Again, Bastille, and Alfie Templeman — the single arrives with a visual where a troupe of characters moves from a suburban setting into the forest, led by a guitar-wielding Ruti. It's joyful, communal, and quietly radical in its simplicity: a song about showing up for people, plain and unadorned.

At the tail end of last year, Ruti unveiled their Maybe I Got It Wrong project — described by Ruti as "the most me I've felt" — written across London, LA, and Stockholm, blending folk, lo-fi textures, layered harmonies, and electronic flourishes. "I'll Be Your Friend" feels like the natural next step: the same emotional honesty, now given room to breathe and soar.

For fans of Florence and the Machine, Adrienne Lenker, or anyone who believes pop music can still mean something — Ruti is your next favorite artist. This one's going to travel far.

Stream "I'll Be Your Friend" now on all platforms at ffm.to/befriends.OYD