Talk about stunning musical pairings: J-MILLA and a choir have created magic together on the former’s new single, “Boomerang”.
Dropped on Friday, the rising hip hop star’s latest release highlights the rapper’s interest in the concept of karma, expressed through the line, “What goes around comes around like a boomerang.”
J-MILLA’s song also features traditional Indigenous instrumentation, which helped him conjure that memorable lyric.
“As soon as I heard the instrumental, I came up with the line, “What goes around comes around like a boomerang”. This gave me inspiration on writing the rest of the song based on the effect of karma, which leads to the motion of a boomerang when it’s thrown. What we release into the universe is what we eventually get back. Recording the song was second nature to me, everything went very well from the moment I pressed record,” J-MILLA explains.
The rapper collaborated with the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir (CAAWC) for the song, whose communal voices blend seamlessly with the slick hip hop production on show. The sample used in “Boomerang”, comes from a song recorded by the CAAWC in Germany in 2015.
“I always wanted some sort of cultural interest as an intro to the song. I was inspired by a movie called High Grounds, when I was seeking cultural elements for my music. As I was sourcing it I came across the CAAWC and knew straight away I needed something from them. I love their sound and the melodies they come up with. These ladies are something else, definitely national treasures. Their sample really starts the track off strong and brings a unique feature that contrasts extremely well with my vibe,” J-MILLA says of working with the choir.
The accompanying music video for “Boomerang”, directed by Tully Hemsley in Darwin, captures the essence of J-MILLA’s roots and community. The clip, which is our current Video of the Week, features home video-style footage, highlighting the artist’s personal connections and the landscapes of his childhood (watch below).
J-MILLA’s list of recent achievements includes being featured on triple J Unearthed during Naidoc Week 2023 and being a finalist for Acclaim’s All Stars list for 2024, while his music has reached over four million streams across platforms.
J-MILLA has a look to look forward to this year, with showcase slots booked at major music events including BIGSOUND and SXSW Sydney. He will also appear at the Clancestry Festival at Brisbane’s QPAC Concert Hall on Wednesday, July 31st alongside Radical Son and more.
J-MILLA’s “Boomerang” is out now.
