#switch tape

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Tkay Maidza

By: Kyle Saavedra 

These past couple of years have seen many female rap artists climb to the top of the charts and media attention, but not many have been able to retain such massive fame. But that curse doesn’t seem to be the case with Australian rapper Tkay Maidza. Coming onto the scene in 2014, Maidza remained an enigma to the rap world. She released two singles, “U-Huh” and “Switch Lanes”, which both sparked her popularity with online consumers. Additionally, her name became engraved in the minds of thousands more when she featured a mesmerizing verse on Troye Sivan’s track “DKLA” in 2015, establishing herself as a voice to be reckoned with. She’s toured with the likes of Charli XCX, and even headlined her own tour in Australia. And her momentum didn’t stop there either.

Beginning her own discography, Maidza released the “Switch Tape” EP online, which features her previous two singles and three new tracks. Accompanying this record, she posted five different visuals to her VEVO account, each portraying a different cyber-anime fantasy of pinks and purples. In fact, there resides an uncanny resemblance to the promise and charm of Azealia Banks’ early work, specifically the Fantasea era. But Maidza puts her own spin on such a cyber fantasy, and even animates herself in a video for “M.O.B.” Her ability to shift from one visual to the next shows promise, and it’s what caught my eye while discovering her music. One of my personal favorites from her EP is the track “Ghost”, which, if I’m honest, may be one of the best rap songs of the year. The song switches from Maidza delivering slow vocals on a haunting atmosphere, to rapid-paced verses with strong EDM instrumentals and a blaring bass. It’s almost as if she knew she needed to give the audience some breathing room before she hits them with subsequent verses. And it’s that methodical, intelligent structure in Maidza’s music that I hope will resonate with future fans and bring her a massive audience. It’s what caught the attention of brat-pop duo HOLYCHILD, who collaborated with her on their “America Oil Lamb” EP this past June. The short, yet wickedly smart track “Lying Too” proved Maidza could coexist with Liz Nistico’s sarcastic pitch that appears on HOLYCHILD-signature songs. Maidza possesses a quick tongue that can stick to any beat, without feeling lost in translation. On top of that, her magical visuals and futuristic approach to the rap world has the capacity to propel her to headlines everywhere. 2016 is only halfway over, and Tkay Maidza is ready to close out the year with her overwhelming ambition.