Kevin Bronson on September 18th, 2020

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Just in time to start her musical studies (remotely, for now) at the University of Michigan, Ai Bendr returned this week with her second single, “Runaway.”

The singer-songwriter, born Chioma Ai Bendors Ilozor and having triple citizenship in Nigeria, Australia and the U.S., established herself as an artist on the verge with the June release of “Love Me Low,” a collaboration with producer Simon Jay.

The new single, her second fully produced affair after a string of self-released songs and covers, builds from a steady beat and a gentle ukulele strum into a dreamy paean to escape. Her creamy croon, ranging from intimate and aching to free-spirited and soaring, seems the perfect narration for a long, languorous drive.

“‘Runaway’ is a song I wrote about getting out of town, ditching life’s constant pressures,” she says. “As a 17-year-old female artist, I have already begun feeling some of the weight that comes with the lifestyle of being a musician. I have good days and bad. This song is for those who are strong enough to be able to pack up and leave, start a new chapter in their lives, learn from the past and become a better, more genuine person. That’s who I strive to be.”

||| Stream: “Runaway”

||| Previously: “Love Me Low”