Life tends to throw many challenges our way and Australian DIY pop artist Aaron Lee, who goes by the name AIRPORTS, is no stranger to knowing how true such a statement and reality is. A full time creative who has endured two life threatening illnesses and been responsible for projects with big name brands such as Coca-Cola, record labels including Capitol Records and several artists and performers including multi-platinum JPOP groups, he’s so stranger to fighting against adversity and coming out the other side standing tall, stronger and more determined than ever to achieve his goals and live life to the full.

An avid voice for the importance of mental health, AIRPORTS’ sound blends hip-hop, punk, pop and electronica and he undertakes all the writing, producing, singing and engineering of his music himself – there is no aspect of the music process he’s not willing to complete or try himself, and for that he’s rightly earned himself the tag of a truly independent artist.

His latest single “U Feel It 2”, which pays homage to several of his influences including LANY and Troy Sivan, was written with the intention to be interpreted as either a love song about someone who makes us feel free, or a dark song about a vice that keeps us trapped. Asked about the creative process to the track, AIRPORTS says: “It started out being written as a song about a haunting relationship with depression in contrast to uplifting music, but when some of the lyrics started to spill out I realised I was also writing about positive romantic feelings for my partner. At that point I was emotionally overwhelmed and realised this song has a great dualism.” He goes on to add: “The final vocals are actually the first and only demo vocals. I tried to re record them but felt the original ones caught the emotion of the song correctly. It really taught me the value of connection over perfection.”

The video for the song, which PopWrapped are delighted to premiere, was created when AIRPORTS invited individuals from all over the world to submit videos of themselves answering questions he’d given them about their personal loves and struggles. At a time when the world is living in crisis, and mental health is perhaps more important than it has been in years, the result is both thought-provoking and powerful. “The intention of the video was to show that everyone walks the tightrope of this duality in their own lives,” Aaron explains. “No one is exempt from happiness nor suffering.”

With support behind him from Triple J radio in Australia, George FM in New Zealand and having racked up more than half a million independent Spotify streams to date, AIRPORTS continues to forge his own path, in his own unique way, in the world, and he has much, much further to go yet.

Check out “U Feel It 2” below and for more information on AIRPORTS, give his page a like on Facebook or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.