Sometimes, when you get a press release about a new single or album, the artist’s quote about their own music has you widely yawning before you even reach the middle of the first sentence.
And then there’s DEVAURA. “I rebuke the spirit of Tall Poppy Syndrome. I have a kudraaazy [sic] solid crew around me so all that weird energy will get clocked. Try Jesus before you try me,” she says.
Now that’s how you sell the hell out of a single.
DEVAURA is describing her latest release, “MEET YOUR MAKER”, which is as exuberant and fun as you’d expect coming from an artist who’s clearly got no time for the timorous spirits and resentful attitudes associated with Tall Poppy Syndrome.
Because DEVAURA doesn’t do things quietly (artistic name – ALL CAPS! – new single – ALL CAPS!), and her music is all the better for it.
“MEET YOUR MAKER” invites listeners to forego pretension in favour of genuine authenticity, encouraging everyone to own their own journey with style and swagger. In the track’s bouncing beat, there are notes of Cakes da Killa or, closer to home, Auckland rapper Jujulipps.
“MEET YOUR MAKER” closely follows the release of DEVAURA’s previous single, “VERTIGO”, and both will feature on her highly anticipated debut EP, Vol 1. Learning in Public, which is scheduled for release on April 3rd.
The two drops together confirm the hype that followed DEVAURA into the new year.
Alongside Voice of Baceprot, she won the second annual Justin Cosby Music Prize, recognition for her stunning performance at SXSW Sydney 2024.
“For an artist that has only been releasing music and performing for just over a year, DEVAURA came to SXSW Sydney with the songs, the wild performance style and the magnetic energy of a seasoned veteran,” SXSW Sydney music program manager, Reg Harris, praised of the New Zealand-born, Sydney-based artist.
“Watching DEVAURA and her band transform her bouncy, jersey-club inflected hip-hop style into a raucous yet tightly arranged live set was a total pleasure, made even more fun by the various dress-up themes that ran through the shows (pyjama party, office meetup and construction site).”
As Harris also noted, “DEVAURA’s clearly got a super exciting life in music ahead.” She’s one of the rising stars making Australian hip-hop music such an exciting space right now, and expect next month’s EP to help take her to the next level.
DEVAURA’s “MEET YOUR MAKER” is out now.
