Aotearoa's lockdown anthem at 1.7 million views and counting

A week after its launch, catchy pop waiata Stay - Tūtahi has amassed more than 1.7 million views, with its message for Aotearoa to “stay home, save lives.”

Produced by Loop and written by Anna Coddington, Rob Ruha, Scott Tindale with Brad Kora, Ara Adams-Tamatea and Joel Shadbolt (L.A.B), the track features 18 of Aotearoa's finest musicians.

“He wairua māhorahora tō te waiata nei, nā te hao kia whakakotahi tātau i a tātau,” says Rob Ruha, co-songwriter. “The spirit of the song is warm and inviting, inspired by the desire to bring people together.”

Despite the vast number of contributors spread across the motu, the track was cut in seven days – all from the safety of each person's home.

“With Waiata/Anthems we all saw the unique power of the music, te reo Māori combination. It was a very simple decision for us to support this initiative and we are very grateful for the creativity and generosity of the team that made it happen,” says Te Māngai Pāho Kaihautū, Larry Parr.

Te Māngai Pāho is encouraging friends and whānau across the motu to post a video of themselves jamming to Stay - Tūtahi. Videos are being posted across social media with #StayNZ to share the message.

The waiata is available now on all streaming platforms, with all profits generated going to MusicHelps, an organisation that provides emergency assistance to hundreds of Kiwi music people experiencing hardship and illness. The official music video for Stay - Tūtahi can be found here.