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Barkaa – QPAC Cultural Forecourt, South Brisbane 2023-11-12 Sun

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Photo credit: Jazel Jozic (@jayyyslays)

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Rapper and ​​Malyangapa, Barkindji woman BARKAA today shares the video for her new single “We Up”, which dropped March 13 via Bad Apples Music.

Reuniting with producer jayteehazard, “We Up” is a victorious anthem operating at a whiplash pace. BARKAA repeats “you never be bringing me down again” between a thudding bass and piercing strings, atop raps that are a triumphant call to staying in a zone of self-belief. Whether relationships, friendships and everything in between and outside, “We Up” is a reminder that nobody will ever bring BARKAA down again; stay true because there’s always a path forward.

BARKAA says on the single: “I wanted to write something that pumped on the stage, that felt good spitting, that uplifted my people and hyped them up. I wanted to create something fun, something cheeky and make a statement on what the concrete jungle raised.

I want to show my diversity as a rapper, that I can make bangers if I want to and bring you all to tears in the next track. “We Up” is basically me saying “hello fuck yas, I’m back, I’m here and I ain’t going NOWHERE. Reminding people as a Blak woman in this country, I don’t have to be humble and I’m not lucky, I worked my fucking ass off to get me to where I am today.”

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Tomorrow, BARKAA begins a sold-out run of live shows – including a sold-out night at Eora’s TheLansdowne and two sold-out performances at Naarm’s The Curtin. On March 28, BARKAA will perform live from RRR’s Studios, with tickets available for a select handful of winners to attend. This week, it was also announced that BARKAA joins the lineup for VIVID Sydney 2024, on May 31.

2023 saw BARKAA make her debut at SXSW Sydney, perform her single “King Brown” – which recently celebrated 2 million streams – at the ARIA Awards, and launch an exclusive kids tee in collaboration with Haus of Dizzy. She closed out the year with an official Sydney NYE performance alongside We Are Warriors’ Nooky, Dallas Woods, Angus Field and more, while the Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up with projections of BARKAA’s face illustrated by Janelle Burger.

Since the release of her debut single “For My Tittas” in 2020, BARKAA has swiftly climbed to one of the most respected voices in so-called Australia’s hip-hop community. That same year, BARKAA was named PUMA Rookie Of The Year Award by Acclaim Magazine, and has since been touted one of the top rappers in the country by triple j and Red Bull respectively. BARKAA’s journey as an artist not only encompasses her musical prowess but sees her work underpinned by a dedication to advocate for her First Nations community, amplified through collaborations with DOBBY on the track targeting black deaths in custody, “I Can’t Breathe”, and Mackridge on “22clan”. Her debut EP, Blak Matriarchy celebrated Blak motherhood across six tracks of powerful manifestation, and scored accolades from the likes of The Guardian, Rolling Stone Australia, NME, 10 Magazine, features from triple j, community radio and more.

From featuring in Need For Speed and NBA2K to live performances including the NRL Indigenous Round, Sydney Opera House, Listen Out, Groovin The Moo and Sissy Ball for Sydney WorldPride last year, BARKAA continues to rise to new heights. With two ARIA nominations to her name, as well as winning Song of the Year for “King Brown” at the National Indigenous Music Awards, Record of the Year and Best Video at the FBi SMAC Awards for Blak Matriarchy, BARKAA is claiming her position as “the new matriarch of Australian rap (GQ)”.

Another potent, distinctly BARKAA track; blast “We Up” today before witnessing her unstoppable rap trajectory at a live show near you soon. 

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TOUR DATES – BARKAA

More information here

Friday, 29 March – The Curtin,
Melbourne (SOLD OUT)

Saturday, 30 March – The Curtin,
Melbourne (SOLD OUT)

Friday, 31 May – VIVID at
Sydney Opera House, Sydney 

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BARKAA
FACEBOOK – INSTAGRAM

BAD APPLES MUSIC
FACEBOOK – TWITTER – INSTAGRAM – WEBSITE

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AMNPLIFY – DB