Empire Child Drops “Negativity Be Gone,” A Track Rooted in Strength and Self-Belief

Empire Child is the new musical project of Ruth Rothwell. Having spent decades shaping music culture from the inside out, Ruth—formerly a senior A&R manager at MCA/Universal—was a key figure in the UK dance music explosion of the 90s, starting out as a club promoter before becoming label manager at BCM Records, the most successful UK dance label of the era. During this time, she helped launch Digital Underground in the UK, worked closely with Andrew Weatherall, and later went on to manage and develop artists including Dina Carroll, Carleen Anderson, and Juan Atkins. At MCA Publishing, she signed and nurtured globally influential acts such as Zero 7, Basement Jaxx, and Air. Alongside artists, Ruth also nurtured key songwriters, most notably Rob Davis, during whose time with her he went on to co-write era-defining hits including Spiller’s “If This Ain’t Love” and Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”. While looking after Eg White she put him forward for a co-write with newly signed Adele. This resulted in the song “Chasing Pavements”.

Despite her success behind the scenes, songwriting was always her true calling. “Songwriting is really my calling and I could no longer ignore that fact,” Ruth says. That pull eventually led to Empire Child, her long-form artist project, with the forthcoming record produced by Madrid-based jazz professor and producer Mariano Diaz.

Her debut single “Trace the Race” introduced the project with a deeply personal reflection on identity, ancestry, and belonging. Inspired by her heritage—her mother Indo-Jamaican, part of the Windrush generation, and her father from Cape Town, South Africa, who fled apartheid—the song explored migration, legacy, and the reminder that “your ancestors were immigrants once.”

Now Empire Child returns with her new single “Negativity Be Gone”, a song about reclaiming control over the thoughts and influences that shape our lives. Rooted in the idea that what we think every day affects our mood and outlook, the track is a call to push away self-doubt and destructive thinking. “I’m trying to get the message across that we have choices,” Ruth explains. “Choices about what we think and who we surround ourselves with. There are so many wonderful people in the world that you’ve yet to meet. Find the good people.”

Lyrically, the song speaks to the quiet but determined process of healing, confronting inner fears and refusing the lie that we are somehow beyond repair. Lines like “Let the feeling of healing become your way in life / The feeling you’re broken, can’t be fixed, is just a lie” capture the spirit of perseverance that runs through the track. Musically, it continues the project’s blend of jazz, soul, singer-songwriter intimacy, and subtle reggae influences, giving space for reflection while carrying a sense of forward movement.

The wider album expands on these ideas, telling the story of growing up in London and navigating identity, heritage, resilience, and self-belief. “The music is inspired by my life so far,” Ruth explains. “Themes of letting go of the past, having the courage to move forward, believing in yourself, and managing past hurts and disappointments.”

Travelling between London and Spain to write the record, Ruth Rothwell steps forward with clarity and purpose. As she puts it: “Music is my sanctuary, a way to deal with life on life’s terms.”