2013–2017: Switch Tape and Tkay In January 2013, Maidza uploaded "Handle My Ego" featuring Badcop onto
triple J unearthed. In December 2013, Maidza released her debut single, "
Brontosaurus" with producer BadCop. The song peaked at number 89 on the ARIA Charts. This was followed by "
U-Huh", produced by Adelaide born, now Sydney based Dew Process producer, LK McKay, in July 2014, which was certified platinum in 2022. In October 2014, Maidza released her debut EP and mixtape,
Switch Tape, featuring collaborations with
Night Slugs'
Bok Bok and producer
SBTRKT. Maidza has played
Splendour in the Grass and the
CMJ Music Marathon in 2014 and at the 2015
St Jerome's Laneway Festival. She performed at the
Triple J "Beat the Drum" concert in 2015 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the radio station, both as a solo artist and with many other Australian guest rappers on an extended version of
Hilltop Hoods' "
Cosby Sweater". Maidza played most of the Australian major festivals in 2015, including
Groovin' the Moo,
Falls Festival, Meredith Festival, and a cameo at
Stereosonic with WhatSoNot. In May 2016,
Martin Solveig released the Maidza featured single, "
Do It Right". On 30 August 2016, Maidza released single "Carry On", featuring guest vocals from US rapper
Killer Mike. The track is the first single from her debut album, titled
Tkay, which was released on 28 October 2016.
Tkay peaked at number 20 on the ARIA charts. The album was nominated for numerous awards at the
ARIA Music Awards of 2017.
2018–2022: Last Year Was Weird In August 2018, Maidza released the first of a trilogy of EPs titled
Last Year Was Weird. and released single "Shook" with praise from
NME and
Rolling Stone. In August 2020,
Last Year Was Weird (Vol. 2) was released. At the
ARIA Music Awards of 2020, the EP was nominated for
Best Soul/R&B Release. In February 2021, Maidza released her new track "Kim" with US artist
Yung Baby Tate, in which she takes on the identities of various pop culture icons with the name, including rapper
Lil' Kim and celebrity
Kim Kardashian. On 19 November 2021, Maidza released "Real Nice (H.C.T.F.)" with
Young Franco featuring Nerve, which served as the theme song for the A-League, the Australian and New Zealand professional soccer league.
2023: Sweet Justice In March 2023, Maidza's cover of
Pixies' "
Where Is My Mind?" was used in an
AirPods commercial by
Apple. In July 2023, Maidza released "
Silent Assassin" with
Flume. This was followed by "Ring-a-Ling" and the announcement of her second studio album,
Sweet Justice, which was subsequently released on 3 November 2023. == Influences and style==