Seth Haapu Returns with New Single ‘Ranginui’
Award-winning artist and psychologist Seth Haapu (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Ātihaunui-a-Pāpārangi) returns with his latest single Ranginui – a Pacific Soul meditation on acceptance, healing, and release through atua pūrākau (ancestral narratives).
Named after the sky father whose tears fall as rain, Ranginui moves from intimate, stripped-back verses into a soaring R&B soundscape, where taonga pūoro and modern soul textures intertwine. Written and produced by Haapu, and co-produced by Noema Te Hau, the song continues his kaupapa of using waiata as rongoā (healing medicine) – an approach grounded in both artistry and lived experience.
“I wrote this during a difficult season of change,” says Seth Haapu “When it rains, it pours – and I couldn’t pretend otherwise. Reading about our atua reminded me that sound itself was born from the desire to transform. Looking to Ranginui, I realised healing isn’t about stopping the rain; it’s about trusting the cycle.”
Currently completing a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Auckland, Seth’s thesis Te Oro Oranga explores waiata as a healing practice for rangatahi Māori. Through his dual roles as composer (Kēhua Music) and researcher, he continues to treat sound not just as creative expression, but as rongoā – music as medicine.
As a producer, Seth has collaborated with artists including Whirimako Black, Stan Walker, TEEKS, and Maisey Rika, earning both the APRA Maioha Award (2021) and Best Hip Hop & R&B Album at the Waiata Māori Music Awards (2024).
Ranginui marks the beginning of a new chapter for Seth, offering the first glimpse into his forthcoming 2026 album – a continuation of his exploration into transformation, spirituality, and sonic healing.
The single is distributed by DRM NZ and supported by Te Māngai Pāho.
