Gang of Youths have released "Things Take Time", their first new original single in four years, marking a deliberate shift away from the maximalist indie-rock sound that defined their earlier work towards a sparser, jazz-inflected groove built around piano and horns. Frontman David Le'aupepe told NME the change was intentional, saying he wanted the track to feel "speedy and light" rather than weighed down, and that the finished song felt like "a proper break with the past". It is the first taste of the band's long-awaited fourth studio album.

The single follows 2022's acclaimed "Angel In Realtime.", which NME rated four stars and which propelled the band to the biggest shows of their career, including headline arena dates in Australia and a sold-out Brixton Academy show in London. Since a closing performance at British Summer Time with Lana Del Rey, the band had largely stepped back from public life, aside from a 2023 Christmas single, with Le'aupepe explaining the group avoid social media and value privacy. He said the band now feel ready to re-emerge, and are currently performing two sold-out shows at the Sydney Opera House.