Album Review: Tkay Maidza - Last Year Was Weird (Vol 1)

Tkay Maidza is back with a new-found confidence on latest EP Last Year Was Weird (Vol 1).

An electric guitar riff introduces a reggae-influenced rhythm section on opener Big Things. Featuring her own dad on bass, the track is a nod to the music she grew up listening to and a perfect way to kick off the record.

She switches from singing to rapping on empowered, dynamic single Flexin', delivering bars for days over well-produced, minimal trap beats. The swagger-filled track features an electric verse from Los Angeles rapper Duckwrth, the EP's only guest appearance.

Lullabies boasts some of the EP's best lyricism, while Say It has a bit of a gospel feel. Growing Up embodies the real theme of the record as Maidza embraces getting older and coming into her own. White Rose is a totally different flavour altogether. With a new soul and R&B vibe, the song easily stands up against the works of her US and UK contemporaries.

Maidza shows her range with this release, each track sounding distinctive from the last, but what unifies them is the consistently brilliant hooks. With Last Year Was Weird (Vol 1), Maidza lives up to her label as Australia's true queen of modern hip hop.