With “RUNNING,” Ukrainian artist Vi Talli delivers a statement of intent. Released via soundPUPPY as the latest preview of her forthcoming debut album NO TIME FOR PERFECTION, the track captures a pivotal emotional shift: the moment when standing still becomes more painful than stepping into the unknown.
Where the previous single “YOU DON’T KNOW ME” introduced an artist unafraid to expose vulnerability, “RUNNING” pushes the narrative forward. It’s not about doubt, it’s about decision. Built on a foundation of steady momentum and swelling, cinematic production, the song feels like forward motion incarnate. There’s a lift in its structure, a sense of rising breath and widening horizon that mirrors its message of self-reclamation.
“Running is about the moment you realize you simply can’t stay where you’ve been,” Vi explains. “It’s not just leaving. It’s reclaiming yourself.” That clarity cuts through every layer of the track. Her vocal performance balances strength and fragility, carrying the emotional weight of someone who has endured upheaval but refuses to be defined by it.
Vi’s personal history inevitably deepens the resonance. Raised in a musical family in Ukraine, she was preparing to release her debut when the 2022 invasion forced her to flee with her younger sister. What followed, street performances in France, small clubs, constant reinvention, sharpened her artistry rather than silenced it. By late 2023, she had relocated to the United States, immersing herself in scenes from Miami to Nashville to Los Angeles. “RUNNING” feels like the sonic embodiment of that journey: displacement transformed into direction.
Sonically, the track is uplifting without being naïve. There’s determination in the rhythm section, subtle emotional tension in the melodic arcs, and a quiet beauty that never tips into melodrama. It doesn’t scream triumph, it earns it. The production leans modern and expansive, yet the emotional core remains intimate and grounded.
As a preview of NO TIME FOR PERFECTION, “RUNNING” suggests an album shaped by resilience rather than polish, music that embraces imperfection as proof of survival. If this single is any indication, Vi Talli isn’t simply telling her story. She’s stepping into it fully, with momentum that feels unstoppable.