| "Runaway" | ||||
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| Single by Aurora | ||||
| from the EP Running with the Wolves and the album All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend | ||||
| B-side | "Runaway (Lvl. 2)" | |||
| Released | 16 February 2015 | |||
| Recorded | 2013–2014 | |||
| Studio | Lydriket (Bergen) | |||
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| "Runaway" on YouTube | ||||
"Runaway" is a song by Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora, included in her debut extended play (EP) Running with the Wolves (2015) and debut album All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend (2016). It was released on 16 February 2015 by Decca and Glassnote Records as the lead single of both projects. The song was written by Aurora with Magnus Skylstad and produced by the latter with Odd Martin Skålnes. Musically, "Runaway" is a downtempo folktronica, synth-pop, electronic, and electropop song with influences from Nordic-folk music. Its lyrics, which were inspired by the grief the singer experienced when being far from her family, express escaping reality and realising the need to return home.
"Runaway" was lauded by music critics, who praised its musical style and lyrical content. In spring 2021, the song went viral on the video-sharing platform TikTok, resulting in new chart successes and streams on various platforms. "Runaway" became Aurora's most successful single in her native Norway, charting at number 14. Although the song did not enter the US Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at number one on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart for two weeks. The song also charted in various countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Norway, Germany, and Ireland.
"Runaway" was certified platinum in Norway by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Kenny McCracken and was released on 27 February 2015. It shows Aurora walking through various landscapes of Bergen while singing the song. Aurora included "Runaway" on the setlist of her All My Demons Tour (2016). The song was later added to her first compilation EP For the Humans Who Take Long Walks in the Forest (2021).