- Though it has been released two years after Vol.1, and its title would be more fitting for a 2021 release, Last Year Was Weird, Vol.2 is Tkay Maidza’s breakthrough record. Ambitiously taking in hip-hop, pop, grime and R&B, 2 elevates Tkay’s sound to the status of her icons: Santigold, Azealia Banks and M.I.A.. It’s no surprise that this mixtape got her signed to cult rock label 4AD Beyond being musically stellar and an examination of 2017, or is it 2019 this time around? - Tkay's latest is a deep dive into her mind.
Prior to the new mixtape, Tkay’s music has been incredibly single heavy. Where projects like Last Year Was Weird, Vol.1 and her self-titled debut had many good songs, the records themselves felt like an afterthought, padded out by filler. Though singles like the Danny L Harle produced Bom Bom or the intense What So Not collab Ghost pointed to Tkay’s potential, these unpolished records delivered no real cohesive message, especially when consider them next to the multi-genre mosaic that Tkay is now delivering. In every regard, Vol.2 is a stronger product: Tkay’s songwriting is miles ahead -witty and personal- and the production across this album is cohesive and addictive.
Opening with the groovy, downtempo R&B of My Flowers, Tkay presents a cute, spaced-out energy. The following track 24k pairs beautifully. As a slick, upbeat tune, it focuses on Tkay’s voice confidently rapping over a house-inspired, flickering beat. It’s a nice easy intro to the EP with these delicate tracks, as the bulk of what follows is much more intense. Last Year Was Weird, Vol.2 is a record with a vision.
Beyond the unsettling pulse of Shook and its glossy, magnetic production, at its heart is Tkay’s voice, uncensored and honest. Standout track Awake featuring experimental rapper turned internet sensation JPEGMAFIA, is perhaps Tkay’s most aggressive work to date. It’s such a powerful track, pairing metallic samples with a UK drill inspired production.
Not only has Tkay Maidza delivered perhaps the best rap project of 2020, she has defied any one genre label in the process. Diverse yet cohesive in a way that she has never previously managed Last Year Was Weird, Vol.2 is her strongest release yet and it cements Tkay Maidza as a forceful voice in Australian music.
- Sean Tayler.