ARIA Award-winning Yolŋu artist Baker Boy is returning with his second studio album 'DJANDJAY' - a deeply personal and culturally grounded follow-up to his acclaimed debut 'Gela'.
Out now via Island Records/UMA, 'DJANDJAY' marks a new chapter for the proud Yolŋu musician.
Where 'Gela' introduced audiences to Baker Boy's vibrant energy and party anthems, the new record reveals a more mature and layered side tackling resilience, identity and growth.
"It was a lot of pressure for me to try and top 'Gela'," he told National Indigenous Times.
"The difference between 'Gela' and 'DJANDJAY' is more about storytelling and me being able to be vulnerable.
"At the end of the day, I'm human."
The album takes its name from a powerful source of inspiration.
'DJANDJAY' is both the name of a Yolŋu spirit, an octopus that guides souls forward and Baker Boy's late grandmother, who played a central role in shaping his family's relationship with music and performance.
"Naming this album after my grandmother was because she was the pillar of the family," he said.
"She was always telling everyone to get up and dance and not be shame.
"She would get up with you and do the dance, and that's something I inherited from her."
That spirit of movement and connection is deeply woven into Baker Boy's identity.
Hip hop and performance were part of his upbringing, with his father and uncle once touring remote communities under the name Baker Boys, a name that would later become his own.
"I grew up around traditional dancing but also hip hop, so it's always been in my bones," he said.
"Becoming a musician was just part of it, it was already there."
While 'Gela' was filled with upbeat tracks designed for the dancefloor, 'DJANDJAY' tackles deeper themes, from the fallout of the referendum to racism and the pressures of public life.
Baker Boy said this evolution was about showing the full picture of who he is.
"'Gela' was more positive, happy, party vibes," he said.
"'DJANDJAY' is about showing people that I've got emotions too. I talk about hard stuff, but also how I navigate through life."
On tracks like 'Lightning' featuring REDD., Baker Boy raps in three languages, Yolŋu Matha, English, and Burarra, his mother's language from Maningrida.
"In 'Lightning' I'm rapping in three languages, going back and forward," he said.
"It's one of the most evolved sounds sonically, and I finally get to share my mother's language on the album."
The single is a lighter, more playful moment on the record, but beneath its catchy hook lies a deeper reflection on expectations and self-acceptance.
"People are always going to have opinions about how you do things," Baker Boy said.
"I was touching on the pressures and expectations to be this perfect role model, but I've learned to look past the noise and just be true to myself."
Beyond the music itself, 'DJANDJAY' is a fully realised creative project, with interconnected music videos forming a five-part visual series filmed inside Melbourne's historic Werribee Mansion.
Together, the videos explore the album's emotional and thematic range while subtly critiquing colonial legacies.
Baker Boy hopes that listeners will see 'DJANDJAY' as more than just an album, but as a complete artistic statement.
"I want people to enjoy the craftsmanship of all the songs and lyrics," he said.
"I also want them to understand that I'm human, just like them.
"I want people to be inspired by not only the album but the artwork and the video clips, they're all connected."
As he prepares to bring the project to the stage with a new live show, Baker Boy says 'DJANDJAY' represents who he is today, grounded in culture, shaped by family, and unafraid to speak his truth.
"'DJANDJAY' is about truth. It's about strength and defiance," he said.
"I put my whole self into this album, and it feels like all of me is in there."
TOUR DATES
Baker Boy will take 'DJANDJAY' on the road in 2026, with a national headline tour presented by Handsome Tours, Lunatic Entertainment, Select Music and triple j.
Thu 09 Apr - King St Bandroom - Mulubinba/Newcastle
Fri 10 Apr - Liberty Hall - Warrane/Sydney
Sat 11 Apr - The Triffid - Meanjin/Brisbane
Sun 12 Apr - The Cooly Hotel - Cullunghutti/Coolangatta
Fri 17 Apr - The Barwon Club - Koornoo/Barwon Heads
Sat 18 Apr - Northcote Theatre - Naarm/Melbourne
Fri 01 May - Mayberry - Gulumoerrgin/Darwin
Sat 02 May - Alice Springs Brewing Co - Mparntwe/Alice Springs
Festival Appearances
Sat 21 Feb - Perth Festival - Boorloo/Perth
Sun 08 Mar - Womadelaide 2026 - Tarndanya/Adelaide
Tickets are available now through Oztix.
'DJANDJAY' is available on all major streaming services now.
