Images via Jordan Munns//

It’s been a busy first half of the year for multi-hyphenate artist Tkay Maidza.

In early 2022 –  in between her own headline show throughout the US –  the Adelaide-based, Zimbawian musician supported Billie Eilish at shows from Washington to Pennsylvania. Later in May, Maidza featured on Cosmo’s Midnight track ‘Bang My Line’, with songwriting credits from Winston Surfshirt, before performing her first-ever half-time show alongside Young Franco at this week’s A-League Grand Finals in Melbourne.

Last night, Maidza added to her stacked schedule with what’s perhaps her biggest date this year, making her Opera House debut as part of Vivid Live’s music program. To fill the house at one of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks is one thing, but Maidza’s Vivid performance also marked the hip-hop star’s first headline show in the city since 2018. 

Flocking to Joan Sutherland Theatre – a concert hall that’s previously hosted the likes of The Preatures and Chris Cunningham – attendees were first welcomed by supporting act Maina Doe. Masterfully setting the stage, the Sydney musician showcased her firm grip of nu-soul groove, with a particularly mesmeric rendition of her debut 2019 single, ‘Delusion’.

With enough vocal talent to rival her own studio versions, Doe readied audiences for what was a soulful initial setlist from the incoming Maidza. As the curtains drew, Maidza appeared aside floral stage designs, matching visual beauty with her delicate performance of show opener, ‘Eden’- every bit as serene as the titular garden suggests.  

Enhancing the soul-factor with tracks like ‘So Cold’ and ‘My Flowers’, Maidza then dipped into the more R&b tracks from Volumes one to three of her Last Year Was Weird catalogue, an understated first few openers which crescendoed with fan-favourite 2020 song, ‘24k.’

Later, Maidza ushered in faster flows and louder decibels, offering a slew of her greatest rap cuts from ‘Awake’ to ‘Shook.’ “Comin’ out on top of the vermin,” Maidza rapped in the latter; her trademark bravado welcomed by a now-pulsating crowd. The highlight of the show then came courtesy of ‘Kim’, the Baby Tate-assisted track who’s intensity was only doubled by Maidza’s acrobatic live bars. 

While it’d be difficult to assemble such a diverse discography to the confines of a single show, last night’s Vivid performance possessed what was ultimately the show’s cohesive glue – Maidza’s stage presence. Whether she’s sashaying to a slower beat or backbending to upstage a more energetic track (as she did for ‘Syrup’), Maidza is just as enthralled by her own sound as her fans. 

It’s emblematic of an artist both physically and sonically attuned to her work. It’s also what makes the performance best summarised by Maidza herself, who, during a musical break, confirmed what concert-goers had already known upon entering Joan Sutherland Theatre. “This is so special,” she said.

Tkay Maidza was one of the opening sets for what is an already mammoth music program for Vivid LIVE. Throughout its three-week run, the city-bound light festival will host the likes of Jay 1, Sampa The Great and Meg Mac. You can access the complete Vivid LIVE music program here, and check back in when we cover Hermitude’s scheduled Vivid performance this Thursday.  

For more from Tkay Maidza’s Vivid Live performance, check out the gallery above.