By Tiana Severino-Fidow @maybetfidss
Australia has always prided itself on being a multicultural country alongside being home to the world’s oldest continuous cultures. Our music scene is a reflection of how diverse, cultural and insanely talented Australians are; particularly our women of colour.
If you’re into RnB or soul then man, oh man, do I have some artist recommendations for you!
Kee’ahn
If you’re into the Teskey Brothers, Thelma Plum, or Lianne La Havas then 22-year-old Kuku Yalanji, Jirrbal and Badu Island artist Keeáhn is for you. The soulful artist lives up to her name, coming from the Wik people of Cape York, that translates into “to dance, to sing, to play.”
‘Better Things’ presents itself as an uplifting anthem with some hard-hitting truths in the pre-chorus about fear and complacency, ‘but how can I grow flowers when all I’ve got is weeds? / I’m digging them all up and planting some new seeds.’ Daaaamn.
Kee’ahn is relatively new to the scene, with this jam being her debut single, so be sure to keep an eye on her over the next year.
Madam3Empress
Not wanting to confine herself to one genre, Madam3Empress has elements of neo-soul, jazz, RnB, and Rap throughout her music.
The Sydney-born artist has spent her youth going between Australia and South Africa with music being the middle ground between the two. Her sound is inspired by Cape-Townian jazz, gospel music, and her love for other genres like RnB has given her space to create something new.
‘Locking eyes’ has an equally fun yet intimate vibe to it, bringing a strong sense of a femine energy and passion onto the scene.
I had the pleasure of seeing her live as a support act for New Zealand artist JessB at the beginning of last year and she is even better live!
KAIIT
It would be a cardinal sin to talk about Australian RnB and not mention Kaiit. Born in Papua New Guinea spending time going back and forth between Australia and her homeland. She has spent some time on the scene, blessing our ears with a voice that feels like a warm hug.
Gaining inspiration from her idols like Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse and, adding an extra layer from her contemporary influences like SZA and Noname, she carries a sound that’s instantly recognisable.
Kaiit has been dubbed “the musical love child of Jill Scott and Erykah Badu from downunder.” Do you really need any more convincing?
BILLYMAREE
If you’re a fan of Australian Rap you might’ve already come across BillyMaree’s feature in Hooligan Hefs’ EP ‘Living in Sin.’ If not, get ready! The Samoan songstress who resides in Greater Western Sydney has arrived on the Australian music scene with no plans on stopping anytime soon.
BillyMaree’s ethereal voice over soft synths is producing the type of music you’d want to cruise to during a late night in the middle of summer. You can’t listen to ‘On Top’ and tell me otherwise.
Slowly building her discography, she’s definitely another artist to keep an eye on.
VETTA BORNE
Multi-instrumentalist Vetta Borne has dropped some crazy good tunes, mixing in elements of RnB, Soul, and Pop. The Melbourne based producer and singer-songwriter thanks her Filipino peers and family for being her main source of inspiration growing up.
Vetta Borne’s unique sound can be heard on Young Franco’s tracks like ‘Miss You’ and ‘Girls Don’t Cry’ and has also worked alongside other producers like Djemba Djemba with artists like Kehlani and Sia. So be sure to follow her as she continues to drop timeless tracks!
