10 Feb 2022
Azure Ryder rides high atop Sydney icon in new music video for Destination NSW
To extend Destination NSW’s Feel New brand proposition, rising music star Azure Ryder has released the official new music video for her single ‘Feeling Good’.
Singer-songwriter Azure Ryder has raised the bar for music talent globally, becoming the first artist in the world to release a music video filmed atop globally renowned icon, the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The music video forms part of a second phase of the NSW Government’s state tourism marketing campaign which sees the state reposition itself under its Feel New moniker. The song, released in December is a mesmerising rendition of Nina Simone’s 1965 hit, Feeling Good, and the single release now becomes further accelerated with an official music video.
Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Minister for Tourism and Sport and Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said: “I am delighted with the music video for the soundtrack behind our Feel New campaign. It captures all the things I love about our state. From the vibrant energy of Sydney to the welcoming relaxation of our regions, NSW offers remarkable destinations and experiences that re-energise visitors like nowhere else.
“We are incredibly blessed in NSW to have some of the most spectacular filming backdrops in the world and to have one of our brightest talents in Azure Ryder pay tribute to her home city and state this way highlights what incredible places Sydney and NSW are to live and visit,” Mr Ayres said.
Shot in a dramatic and emotive style, the clip takes viewers on Azure’s personal journey of discovery; from the Blue Mountains to the city of Sydney. Beginning deep within the Blue Mountains, Azure is energised by the awe-inspiring natural beauty of the Megalong Valley and Lincoln’s Rock as well as the night time energy of Mary’s Underground in The Rocks. Then against the striking backdrops of Sydney Harbour and the Sydney CBD skyline, Azure brings her incredible adventure to a climax alongside the magnificent, curved steel arches of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
General Manager of BRING, Adam Ireland said: “Azure Ryder perfectly captures the spirit of Nina Simone’s timeless song and working with Destination NSW on this campaign showcasing the diversity within NSW was a gift. In collaboration with the artist and Destination NSW, the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge played a critical role offering the ultimate stage to create a breathtaking official music video. The music video and supporting song play a strategic channel for the brand’s visitor economy which BRING and Universal Music Australia will support from launch.”
Singer-songwriter Azure Ryder said that filming Feeling Good was something special to her, one that embodied both the energy of her home state and the lyrics of the classic track.
"This experience that you will see through my music video is one that I grew up my entire life believing in. The importance of what our surroundings can teach us, show us how to feel, and ultimately teach us how to be human. The soul that Nina embodies and speaks of in Feeling Good is the soul that is all around us if we just step out, open our eyes and look up to the beauty and the story written along mountain tops and city pavements. I am grateful to have been a part of telling this narrative alongside the most incredibly talented humans that lifted me to literal heights of my dreams. We know how to exist but along the way I think we have forgotten how to live, so to share this journey with you around the special places I grew up in NSW was really important to me. I hope it encourages people in realising that to feel alive starts with you and the step forward you decide to take, living is right outside your front door and I think we are so lucky to have such magic in the land on our doorstep," Ryder said.
To complement the NSW landscapes, BRING secured some of the most exciting NSW fashion stylists, Paula Joye and Cheryl Tan, who created a contemporary, ethereal look for Azure, which also drew inspiration from one of her musical inspirations, Stevie Nicks.
The music video was filmed in collaboration with Milkmoney and is available to view now.
Watch the Feeling Good video HERE and follow Azure Ryder on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Samantha Antoun - 0447 429 269 samantha.antoun@dnsw.com.au
Emma Reyes – 0424 425 813 emma.reyes@dnsw.com.au
NOTE TO EDITORS:
Media Assets:
Click HERE to visit the Destination NSW Media Centre to download video and image assets.
Credits:
DESTINATION NSW
General Manager Consumer Marketing: Kathryn Illy
Director, Brand Strategy and Customer Experience: Bohdi Lewis
Director, PR & Visting Media: Kristy Meudell
BRING
Adam Ireland, General Manager
Brooke Pilton; Music Partnerships Director
James Griffiths, Executive Creative Director
James ‘Wilko’ Wilkinson, Creative
MILKMONEY
Production: Milkmoney
Head of Creative: Ethan McLean
Head of Production: Carrie Williams
Director: Matt Dempsey
DOP: Matty Ower
Additional Filming: Mitch Ayers
Editor: Jamie Rusiti
Producer: Rachel Sheridan
Production Manager: Emma Woodward
About Destination NSW
Destination NSW is the lead NSW Government agency for the State’s tourism and major events industry and is responsible for devising and implementing strategies to grow the State’s visitor economy. Our particular focus is driving tourism and acquiring and developing major sporting and cultural events for Sydney and regional NSW. In addition, Destination NSW is the major investor in Business Events Sydney (BESydney) with the aim of securing more international conventions, incentive travel reward programs, corporate events and exhibitions.
About Azure Ryder
Singer-songwriter Azure Ryder burst onto the music scene in early 2020 with the release of her debut EP ‘Running with the Wolves’. The release came off the back of a cosmic connection to being represented by Tap music management, after a chance meeting at a music festival. Her second EP, ‘Crazy With The Light’, followed later that year. For her debut releases, Azure received plaudits on these shores from the likes of the BBC, Sunday Times, Notion, BBC Radio 1, and triple j. Her debut single, ‘Dizzy’, peaked as the most played track on Australia’s triple j. Ryder later received this same honour on ‘Some Kind Of Love’, the lead single from her recently released third EP ‘Ladder to the Moon’. December 2020 saw her make her debut live shows, selling out four shows in Sydney. With only three EP’s under her belt, Azure has already amassed over 32 million global streams.
About BRING
BRING. The Catalysts of Culture. BRING is a creative agency, part of the world’s leading music-based entertainment company, Universal Music Group, unmatched in developing and marketing the planet's most influential artists. BRING offers brands unique ways to connect to fans through Universal Music’s world-class talent, tools & capabilities. They create Cultural Capital for Australian brands, turning fan love into brand love. Harnessing unparalleled streaming data, they create bold, strategic and relevant work for some of Australia’s biggest brands, including American Express, EA, Klarna, Powerball, Oppo, Adobe & more. BRING have previously won multiple global and local awards for their work on EA, Klarna, Wrigley’s and Air New Zealand, among others.
About Universal Music Group
At Universal Music Group, we exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. UMG is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content. Featuring the most comprehensive catalogue of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans.