Abstract
From entering a high-school music competition to being honoured with the New Zealand Order of Merit, Bic Runga has an established place within contemporary popular music. Focusing on her iconic album, Drive, and including informative case studies of representative tracks on the album, this book provides not only an in-depth study of one album, but skillfully navigates Runga’s creative work over three decades to illuminate some of the key stages of her career. The book offers comprehension of the performer’s rise to stardom, musical style, accolades, and performance achievements. Blending popular music studies with media analysis, the book is the first to offer a detailed study of Runga’s creativity, and a close-up study of her debut and critically acclaimed album.