After her recent stint in America which included an appearance at this years prestigious SXSW, Australia’s leading hip hop up and comer, Tkay Maidza, returned home for a string of sold out shows. The M.O.B national tour had two sold out nights in Melbourne, and Tkay bought along two more of the country’s most promising upstarts JOY and UV boi along for the ride. It was a big night to showcase three of the best young talents in Australia with all the artists still under the age of 20, with no signs in slowing down.
JOY, the 17 year old classically trained prouducer, singer songwriter, and multi instrumentalist from Brisbane opened proceedings on the night. JOY starred in the opening slot, she graced the stage solo with just her laptop but seemed confident standing up there alone in front of the growing crowd. Her voice captured the audience, with it’s beautiful, sweet and soulful tones, paired with her honest songwriting and captivating arrangements highlighted the young songstress’s talents.
The set was full of unreleased material, and also her singles “Weather” and “Stone” from her mini EP released earlier this year. All the songs featured in the set showed a clear influence from a multitude of genres and artists, something the signer has taken as her own to build a satisfying live performance.
Following JOY another young producer from Brisbane, UV boi, took to the stage to unleash his unique brand of music. The young producer has already appeared at some the biggest festivals around Australia and has just been announced as an act on the massive Splendour in the Grass lineup, his performance at the Northcote Social Club showed why. During his set the producer lifted the energy of the crowd with his tracks that crossed over from electronica, to trap and hip hop, which saw plenty of movement and dancing among the crowd.
UV’s collaborations with Ryan Hemsworth, Young Franco and his BANKS “Begging For Thread” remix clearly won over the crowd, as the room was at fever pitch. Multiple stage invasions took place, with revelers dancing on stage with UV, and UV himself coming from behind the booth to dance and interact with the crowd. The image UV has created for himself with the voice overs, iPhone message samples, and internet jargon doesn’t get gimmicky but feels like a unique strength to the music. His mellow, bass heavy, and very danceable tracks do all the talking for the young producer, and had the crowd particularly hyped for the nights main act.
Tkay Maidza hit the stage, to a rapturous sold out crowd ready for a fun and energizing performance. The 19 year-old pocket rocket from Adelaide didn’t disappoint, opening with crowd favourite “Brontosauraus” before heading straight into a catchy new electro-pop track called “Wishes.” Her long time collaborator and producer DJ Elk worked production while Tkay effortlessly worked the crowd, without missing a beat. “U-Huh” and “M.O.B.” got the crowd really moving, clapping along, and involved with the whole room shouting “Money Over B****es” when prompted.
Tkay’s set was fast and furious, with her showcasing her ability to both own singing and rapping while performing, she only stopped to thank the crowd for all their support and for helping her sell out two shows at Northcote Social Club. The non-stop onslaught of hits and energy quickly finished, but Tkay took to the stage once again to play new track “Handle my Ego,” and her Triple J Hottest 100 track “Switch Lanes.”
Tkay showcased why she’s been on the rise ever since she released her debut Switch Mixtape last year. Her signature slick, party-ready rapping has got audiences across Australia, and the world, waiting for what is next for this young gun. The night at the Northcote Social Club was an excellent showcase of some of the best young talent in Australia, and with all three of the artists under the age of 20 it’s exciting to see what the future will hold for these artists.