Maduwongga and Noongar woman MissGenius is relatively new to the scene, only having played her first live show in 2018, but her husky, hypnotising delivery and thought-provoking lyrics dub her one to watch.

As a practiced public speaker, MissGenius has a passion and natural knack for communication and connecting with people. She is currently a youth mentor with Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) and confidence coach for young indigenous women through the Goolarri Media program Goldfields Girl, sharing stories of hardships growing up in Western Australia and the ways in which she overcame them. Of course, MissGenius, truly embracing her artist name, has discovered another platform in which she could broaden her impact –  music. 

Opting for stripped-down, smooth instrumentals, she skillfully enhances her storytelling and the end result is a silky, poetic masterpiece that packs a punch, all on show in her latest single ‘I Don’t Wanna Be’. The track flaunts a soulful guitar line and open rhythm, allowing her vocal exploration of inner turmoil as a byproduct of normative societal expectations to take centre. MissGenius speaks about the message behind ‘I Don’t Wanna Be:

“Bodies can be changed, looks can be bought, troubles can be resolved with bribes, and eventually money and the obsession with being perfect can change a person absolutely. We all must see our beauty sits in our souls, and ask ourselves: do we really want to become what we may or may not unknowingly despise?”

With a sound akin to the works of  Sampa the Great, Noname and fellow WA local Jamilla, MissGenius is more than a blip on the radar. Stream “I Don’t Wanna Be” below.

Tune into Up For It every Monday morning to meet your new Independent Artist of the Week!