In 2005 Bic Runga released ‘Birds’, an album inspired by Paris, and French chanson. 20 years later she returned to the city of light and recorded her new album, ‘Red Sunset’, writing Paris in the Rain on her last night in the city, during a storm.

Where ‘Birds’ featured a sad melancholy at its (gorgeous) heart, ‘Red Sunset’ is a different affair, with a lightness and deft touch among the effortless and beautiful tracks, unsurprising when you consider the pedigree of Runga and her recording partner, co-writer co-producer, Kody Nielson’s work.

Introducing ‘Red Sunset’, early single Paris in the Rain has delicate, pulsing electronics and woozy vocals, while Red Sunset sounds like a contemporary French electro-pop classic. More familiar in Bic Runga style is It’s like Summertime, her crystal-clear voice drifting across an instantly memorable melody, while the arrangement has a breezy ’70s vibe, with a hint of something else in the electronic instrumentation.

Released in February 2026, the album’s remaining songs are just as arresting. The urgent, harmony-drenched Ghost in Your Bed, and melody-driven Escape From Planet Earth are two highlights that deserve multiple plays.

On first consideration ‘Red Sunset’ seems front loaded with singles and the most immediate songs. Repeat listens reveal the second half of the album to be nuanced and introspective, quieter, but full of yearning. Recorded last year in a Parisian holiday rental accomodation, ‘Red Sunset’ fits neatly into Runga’s discography, simultaneously sounding like an evolution of her early work. While continuing a sonic trajectory that began with 2016’s ‘Close Your Eyes’, a mostly synth-focused covers album, ‘Red Sunset’ is a timely reminder that Bic Runga is a musical force to be reckoned with.