J-Milla Archives

J-MILLA

RETURN WITH NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO ‘BOOMERANG’

Having enjoyed a milestone year of successes in 2023 off the back of singles ‘Gammon’ and ‘On My Soul’, not to mention powerhouse performances at BIGSOUND and on stages around the country, rising hip-hop star J-MILLA is back with a new joint in ‘BOOMERANG’.

The fresh music from the Marranungu artist provides another unique insight into his artistry, as his lyricism continues to show maturity and raw intensity. On ‘Boomerang’, J-MILLA flexes his lyrical prowess on every bar – with relentless energy that never wavers, weaving between hard-hitting verses and infectious hooks with ease. Thematically, ‘Boomerang’ is about cause and effect; the concept of karma – an ideal that J-MILLA wholeheartedly believes in. Incorporating traditional indigenous instrumentation along with language and Aboriginal slang, the creation of this song is one that J-MILLA counts as one of his favourite projects to date.

“As soon as I heard the instrumental, I came up with the line, “What goes around comes around like a boomerang”. This gave me inspiration on writing the rest of the song based on the effect of Karma, which leads to the motion of a boomerang when it’s thrown. What we release into the universe is what we eventually get back. Recording the song was second nature to me, everything went very well from the moment I pressed record.” J-MILLA

For ‘Boomerang’ J-MILLA collaborated with the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir (CAAWC), whose beautiful voices can be heard performing in language on the track. The language is taken from the song titled ‘Mayatja altimani mununi minala’, originally written by Tony Campbell of the Mimili Gospel Singers, recorded by the CAAWC the song in Germany back in 2015, where it was then included on their first album, Boomerang Tour Ansbach Live.

Sampled by J-MILLA here, the ethereal choir fuses with the contemporary production and J-MILLA’s rhymes in a striking way. Of using the CAAWC on this single, J-MILLA explains, “I always wanted some sort of cultural interest as an intro to the song. I was inspired by a movie called High Grounds, when I was seeking cultural elements for my music. As I was sourcing it I came across the CAAWC and knew straight away I needed something from them. I love their sound and the melodies they come up with. These ladies are something else, definitely national treasures. Their sample really starts the track off strong and brings a unique feature that contrasts extremely well with my vibe.”

For the ‘Boomerang’ music video, J-MILLA worked with director Tully Hemsley in Darwin to capture the energy of the track in an intimate and personal way, bringing together home video-style footage with spanning shots of J-MILLA and his friends on their home turf.

“This clip has me go back to my roots in Darwin. The scenes are set in locations where I played as a kid, and those guys are my bruthas and cousins that still live there. That man at the end with the boomerang; that’s my dad. I also wanted to put a modern lens on the cultural elements i and I feel I’ve done that in a fun way.”

J-MILLA

J-MILLA has been busy of late, to say the least. Over the last 12 months he has made appearances at festivals such as Field Day, St Kilda Festival, Perth Festival, Barunga Festival and Bass In The Grass; was selected as the feature artist for Triple J Unearthed during Naidoc Week 2023 and has recently been selected as a finalist for Acclaim’s coveted All Stars list for 2024.

The second half of the year is full of touchstone moments for J-MILLA, with appearances at lucrative festivals and events set to solidify his place as an Australian artist to eye. September and October will see J-MILLA bring that D-town flavour to Brisbane’s BIGSOUND festival and SXSW Sydney.

He has previously won 2x NT Music Awards, as well as the NIMA Archie Roach Foundation Award (2021) and has seen significant support from DSPS, with over 4m+ total streams across platforms.

UPCOMING SHOWS

Thursday, August 8th Live Nation’s Ones To Watch – Bustard Town Darwin NT

TICKETS

Wednesday, July 31st Clancestry Festival – QPAQ Concert Hall Brisbane, QLD

Warriors concert feat. Andrew Gurruwiwi Band, Jungaji, Radical Son TICKETS

September 3 – 6 BIGSOUND 2024 Brisbane, QLD

J-MILLA x Yung Milla – SAME BLOOD showcase TICKETS

October 14 – 18 SXSW 2024 Sydney, NSW

J-MILLA x Yung Milla – SAME BLOOD showcase INFO

FOLLOW J-MILLA

STAY CONNECTED WITH BLACK OF HEARTS

J-MILLA RETURNS WITH NEW SINGLE ‘ON MY SOUL’

BREAKTHROUGH HIP HOP FIREBRAND SET TO APPEAR AT BIGSOUND 2023 AND FIELD DAY 2024

Easily one of Australian hip hop’s most dynamic new names, J-MILLA has harnessed the momentum generated off the back of a busy two years and has poured it into his strongest material to date with the release of new track, ‘On My Soul’.

Released in the lead up to his anticipated appearance at BIGSOUND this year, ‘On My Soul’ is a moment of elevation and evolution from the young musician and lyricist.

Its release also adds another layer of accomplishment to what an incredible year for J-MILLA has been; one that has included industry acclaim and a historic performance on Wadeye during Reconciliation Week 2023, the first of its kind to be live streamed via TikTok.

A huge achievement by J-MILLA, the dedicated TikTok live stream event, produced in conjunction with iHeart Radio, was the first digitally live streamed concert out of a remote Indigenous community, attracting over 689k users engaging with the event throughout its duration.

Recording ‘On My Soul’ in Adelaide, J-MILLA linked up with composer and musician Nick Wales (Sarah Blasko, NGAIIRE, Sydney Dance Company) to deliver the string arrangement we hear on the track, performed by Wales and talented violinist Veronique Serret (Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Bangarra, AIR Award winner for best independent classical album). With final mixing and mastering completed by Prospeks, ‘On My Soul’ demonstrates J-MILLA’s continued shows of versatility as an artist and wordsmith.

Following on from the single ‘NICEST’ earlier in 2023, ‘On My Soul’ feels like a confident step forward for the artist, originally hailing from Darwin. A proper taste of things still to come.

“I’m really pleased with it, it shows my deeper side, my lyrical side – adds depth to my range, so while I still love the club bangas, I always will have room in my set for the more dramatic moments and this is one of them.”

“It tells a snippet of the story of my life, from where I started to where I am now and how my values have changed and evolved. It speaks of the importance of being authentic and having integrity because everything you do imprints your soul and you wear that stuff, that energy, so I want my energy to shine with good vibes.”

J-MILLA

Single Artwork: Poppy Radbone

Since his breakout with the powerful track ‘Unlock The System’, J-MILLA’s profile has risen considerably on the radars of tastemakers and fans around the country.

A consistent string of strong tracks in the years that followed showed J-MILLA’s prowess. These included the absolute vibe in ‘FRESH’ and ‘60K+’ in 2020, and in 2022 ‘Ball and Chain’, a collaboration with Xavier Rudd that earned J-MILLA a National Indigenous Music Award nomination.

As a live performer, J-MILLA’s chops have sharpened courtesy of a series of well-received performances on lucrative stages including the Adelaide Festival, Darwin Festival and Groovin The Moo. He also shone on stages shared with the likes of Ziggy Ramo and JK-47, as well as attracting the attention of BIGSOUND, landing on their BIGSOUND50 list in 2020. Now set to return to BIGSOUND in 2023, J-MILLA is ready to showcase his new show and creative vision moving forward.

“I was handpicked for the Bigsound50 back in 2020 so to finally arrive and showcase is mad. It’s now 2023 and during the three years since I’ve been working my show out on remote Aboriginal communities around the country and am pumped to perform for the industry and show them what I’m about.

I can’t wait to connect with the people on-the-ground at BIGSOUND and bring our energies to a new level.”

J-MILLA

TOUR DATES

Wednesday 6th September BIGSOUND Brightside Outdoors Brisbane, QLD

Thursday 7th September BIGSOUND Wonderland Brisbane, QLD

Saturday 4th November Yidiyi Day Wadeye, NT

Saturday 18th November Giiyong Festival Eden, NSW

Saturday 11th November CLANCESTRY, Mob Music Stage QPAC – Brisbane

Mon January 1st FIELD DAY Sydney, NSW

PRAISE FOR J-MILLA

“the piano melody and gentle vocals might soften the production, but J-MILLA’s uncompromising bars are as honest and gritty as ever.”

TRIPLE J, Abby Butler

“J-MILLA is the living example proving actions speak louder than words.”

TRIPLE J UNEARTHED

“It feels like J-MILLA’s star is just beginning to rise”

TONEDEAF

“J-MILLA’s ascendant trajectory in the vibrant Australian hip-hop scene has been nothing short of meteoric, invoking an ardent devotion from fans who recognize his exceptional talent and unwavering dedication to his craft. With an unmatched prowess, he has captivated audiences far and wide, establishing himself as a rising luminary whose influence knows no bounds.”

HAPPY MAGAZINE

‘ON MY SOUL’ is out now!

FOLLOW J-MILLA

STAY CONNECTED WITH BLACK OF HEARTS