Music

getting to know tkay maidza ahead of her debut afropunk performance in atlanta

August 5, 2021

Last month we revealed our artist lineup for #AFROPUNKATLANTA2021 which includes world-renowned artists such as Wale, Smino, Rico Nasty, as well as incredible rising stars such as Tkay Maidza. On July 9th, the Australian-Zimbabwean singer/songwriter just concluded her genre-fluid trilogy “Last Year Was Weird” with the release of Vol.3 which features singles Eden, Kim ft Yung Baby Tate, and the smooth. n silky record, Cashmere. The final chapter of  Maidza’s “Last Year Was Weird” series is a perfect conclusion to a beautiful story that has been a place of comfort for many fans in the past year or two. We sat down with Tkay Maidza to find out more about her and the inspiration behind her music.

In 2018 you kicked off the EP series “Last Year Was Weird”, which you capped off with Vol.3 this year. What has been the journey, and what are some pivotal moments in your growth that influenced this series?

I started last year was weird because I was going through a lot of changes and the only way I could really summarise how it felt was the word weird. I wanted to change my sound and feel more connected to who I was, so I felt like doing the three-part series would help me understand who I was by the end of it all. The biggest moment in each chapter for me was picking the tracklist. I think it was about finding the songs which tell my story best in the moment. And another big moment was finding the right creatives for the artwork & the music videos. I think that’s what really helped push everything further than I expected.

With each volume in the series, you seem to find your footing and you’re not afraid to experiment with production as well as themes. How have you approached this new project creatively compared to its predecessors?

It’s just about going with what feels best and always growing. I think when you have a checklist of the things you want to talk about, the types of beats you want to have, it just becomes easier. When I’m choosing songs the questions have always been “is this the right mood” and  “do I feel confident in showing this to my closest friends.”

One of my favorite which I’m sure fans will moshpit over at AFROPUNK ATLANTA is  “Kim” with Yung Baby Tate. Which of the three Kim’s do you feel identify with? Kim Possible., Kim Kardashian, or Lil Kim?

I think Kim Possible and Lil Kim.

Speaking of AFROPUNK ATL, what can fans expect from your set? 

Lots of songs from the “last year was weird” trilogy. I haven’t had a chance to play them for people so this is my first opportunity to see what it feels like. I’m gonna try and fit as many songs into the set as possible.

The title of the series has been pretty forecasting each year of the new decade so far, do you think things can get any weirder than they are right now, or maybe we will go back to normalcy?

I don’t think so. I think what’s happened over the last two years will change everything forever. it’s more so about how we react and grow from that – what we do when weirder things happen in the future.

With Volume 3 having concluded the series, what’s next for TKAY Maidza?

More music, a lot of touring, and I guess just continuing on the journey. I’m excited to grow.

You can check out more music from Tkay Maidza on https://tkaymaidza.ffm.to/lywwv3.

Make sure to purchase your ticket to AFROPUNK ATLANTA right here: https://wl.seetickets.us/event/AFROPUNK-ATLANTA-2021/433602?afflky=Afropunk

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