Ari Abdul is examining the cost of seeking acceptance on “SEDUCTIVE,” a dark-pop track that sets the tone for a larger project expected later this fall.

Released through Slumbo Labs/RCA Records, “SEDUCTIVE” leans into the Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter’s atmospheric sound while focusing on identity, self-suppression and the desire to feel wanted. The track was produced by Stint, whose credits include work with Demi Lovato and Sabrina Claudio.

“‘SEDUCTIVE’ is a song all about the debilitating desire to be accepted/loved that you’ll do anything, even if it means suppressing everything you are,” Abdul said. “I wanted this track to feel like losing yourself for everyone else. It shows the lengths we go just to feel wanted.”

Rather than framing the song around a single relationship, Abdul said she approached it as a broader examination of the need for validation.

“The song came from a place of always trying to be enough and rather than a love song to one person it’s a plea to the listener to be enough,” she said. “A huge focus on the project is identity, avoidance and navigating purpose, seductive sets that tone perfectly by confusing love, devotion and self-destruction.”

The song continues themes Abdul has explored across several recent releases. “EGO” and “SO GOOD” examine volatile relationships, jealousy and obsession, while “ENAMORED” emerged from feelings of loneliness and lovesickness when Abdul’s girlfriend, Ella Boh, was away on tour.

Boh and Stint co-produced “ENAMORED” and have been among Abdul’s recent collaborators. Her songwriting collaborators also have included Emma Rosen, who has worked with mgk and Gunnar, and Trey Campbell, whose credits include Dua Lipa and Bebe Rexha.

The new material represents another stage in a career Abdul did not initially expect to pursue.

Growing up in Brooklyn, Abdul immersed herself in artists including The 1975, Lana Del Rey, The Neighbourhood, Melanie Martinez and Arctic Monkeys. She did not originally envision herself becoming a recording artist. After high school, a friend invited her into a studio and encouraged her to try songwriting.

That session eventually led to “BABYDOLL,” her debut single, in 2022. The track gained attention on TikTok and helped Abdul build an audience. She later signed a record deal, performed at Lollapalooza, released two EPs and toured with Nessa Barrett.

Her musical background also reflects the range of sounds she encountered growing up. Abdul’s mother was born in Ecuador and her father in Costa Rica, and she was exposed to Latin pop and New York hip-hop. Her older brothers introduced her to underground and less mainstream artists, further shaping her interest in music outside the Top 40.

Four years after “BABYDOLL,” Abdul is now preparing a project she says more closely represents the artist and songwriter she has become.

“With this upcoming project, it feels so much like me, and it feels so real to me,” Abdul said. “I feel like it’s a perfect reflection of what I’ve always wanted to say.”