EP Review: Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2 - Tkay Maidza

Up-and-coming Zimbabwe-born Australian rapper and pop artist Tkay Maidza has earned the attention of many with the first two releases from her planned Last Year Was Weird trio of EPs. While the first was received fairly well by many, the second installment from this series is head and shoulders above its predecessor in terms of quality and production level. The release of “Awake (feat. JPEGMAFIA)” in 2019 stopped me in my tracks, as this song captivated with hard-hitting bars and a soul-rattling bass. Luckily, the rest of the tracks which make up the 26-minute-long mixtape live up to if not exceed this standard, making Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2 my favorite EP release so far this year.

The opening track, “My Flowers”, is a trap-R&B cut which channels the likes of Little Simz in its delivery and substance. This song pairs a traditional pop chorus with a simplistic instrumental canvas which Maidza is able to paint with her artistic delivery. “24K” shifts things into a second gear, as Tkay Maidza’s flows and bars intensify to match the powerful and pulsing instrumental backing which flashes in and out of existence. This uptempo track finishes with harmonic vocal refrains from Maidza, which serve as a calm before the storm leading up to “Shook”. This song reminds me of a cafeteria freestyle with a booming lunch table beat and a continually evolving flow from Maidza. This track really is excellent and makes me wish for a collaboration between Tkay and Charli XCX which would certainly bring the house down.

JPEGMAFIA’s presence on “Awake” doesn’t go unnoticed, as his typical bold and brash delivery plays nicely off of Tkay’s on this lead single. “Awake” is, however, one of the last hard-hitting moments on the EP, as from here on out, each track becomes more and more introspective and pop or R&B inspired. “Grasshopper” utilizes industrial elements which make up a very unique instrumental backing for Maidza’s chaotic self-acceptance anthem. This eclectic cut continues the more focused, intentional approach Maidza has taken with this EP.

“You Sad” and the following “PB Jam” refrain from offering the same bursts of energy from the first few tracks, as they are more relaxing and fun songs from this project. I hear SZA’s influence toward the end of “You Sad” and find that “PB Jam” is truly original for Maidza, serving as a sign of things to come as she continues to develop personally and artistically. The EP closes with the unapologetic but calm “Don’t Call Again (feat. Kari Faux)”, highlighting Maidza’s seemingly newfound confidence and comfortability in herself and her music making ability. This cut is harmless but doesn’t sweep me off of my feet like I had hoped for.

I’ve found that I enjoy industrial and hard-hitting music very much, and because of that, this EP just worked on every level for me, mixing those sounds with neo-soul and pop rap elements. Each track is different than the last, but they’re all memorable hits. I’m excited to see up-and-coming artists continue to develop and release compelling projects like this one. I greatly enjoyed Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2, and can see myself keeping it on replay for days or even weeks to come. What did you think of this project? Let me know. Thanks for reading.

Favorite tracks: “My Flowers”, “24K”, “Shook”, “Awake (feat. JPEGMAFIA)”, “Grasshopper”, “You Sad”, “PB Jam”

SCORE: 9/10