AU/RA is giving one of the defining tracks from her latest album a darker, more explosive transformation. The German-Antiguan alt-pop artist has released “CRACK! (shattered version),” bringing together MOTHICA’s dark-pop vocals, Halo Boy’s futuristic production and the experimental songwriting of K.Flay.
The new release revisits “CRACK!,” originally issued in 2025 and later included on AU/RA’s debut full-length album, heartcore, which arrived on June 26. The original track has accumulated 2.4 million streams on Spotify alone, establishing itself as one of the notable songs from the project. Rather than simply extending the original recording, the shattered version reshapes its rebellious energy through a collaboration that pushes further into electronic and alternative territory.
Your daily dose of music news, trends, and fresh drops.
InMusic Newsletter
At the center of the song is the tension between emotional numbness and the desire to break free. AU/RA wrote the original with K.Flay and producer Halo Boy during a difficult period in Los Angeles, drawing on feelings of disconnection, depression and the exhausting relationship between social media and personal identity. Its digital imagery turns the online world into a metaphor for a mind struggling to escape an increasingly artificial existence.
That subject matter fits into the larger concept behind heartcore. Released in June, the album follows a metaphorical hero’s journey through the dungeon of AU/RA’s mind, using influences from fantasy, video games and anime to explore personal trauma, self-worth and the possibility of finding hope. Each song represents a different room or obstacle along that journey.
The original “CRACK!” helped introduce that world through bass-heavy synths, distorted electronic textures and a confrontational, almost punk-like attitude. The new remix continues the track’s disruptive spirit, with MOTHICA and Halo Boy bringing additional voices and production ideas to its central themes.
AU/RA will bring the new version to the stage on Friday, December 4, when she performs at The Roxy on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip. The concert will feature songs from heartcore, offering an opportunity to hear the album’s material in a live setting. Halo Boy will also appear with an opening set.
Fans can now stream AU/RA, MOTHICA and Halo Boy’s “CRACK!” Remix on all streaming platforms.
Leave a Reply