Tkay Maidza really is a silent assassin. Having gone quiet after the final release from her huge EP series Last Year Was Weird (Vol. 1, 2 and 3) in 2021, she’s suddenly returned with a new single, produced by Flume. It marks the beginning of an exciting new era – the era of the silent assassin, or as she calls herself, “the master of silentology”. Tkay spoke with Kanika Kirpalani on Wednesday Arvos to talk us through her new music, producing with Flume, and what we can expect from her soon.

When it comes to Tkay Maidza, it’s always been hard to anticipate what’s coming next. Her energetic, genre-bending discography bounces between pop, rap, and R&B. It’s always an exciting new sound from Tkay – and her latest track ‘Silent Assassin’ is no different; it’s hard hitting, bold, industrial sound is testament to Tkay’s dynamic range. On working with Flume to make the track, Tkay explained:

“I went through a beat folder and chose the loudest one. Honestly he [Flume] was like it’s so insane that you chose this. I was like ‘I need this right now’!”

It’s clear that silence and time for introspection, outside of external influences, is a key ingredient in Tkay’s artistry – a key ingredient in becoming a silent assassin. It’s a part of what makes her lively, electric sound so uniquely Tkay.

“This beat is hard, I’m going to work on this. No one talk to me.”

Also important is finding a balance between alone time and socialising:

“For me it’s about finding balance. It’s also about isolating myself… If I spend a lot of time with a lot of different people I start to become them in some ways. I was spending a lot of time alone – and I was like oh wait, this is what I like to do!”

‘Silent Assassin’ comes as an exciting arrival from Tkay Maidza and Flume, and it does not disappoint. Stream the interview up top and ‘Silent Assassin’ down below!