Proud Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Kalkadoon and Yirendali artist Miss Kaninna released her new EP, KANINNA, on Friday.

Coined as a slick, confident body of work that serves to challenge social perceptions of Aboriginal music, the new EP sees the talented singer use her powerful voice to explore freedom, sexuality and reassertion of dominance atop irresistibly tight production that moves fluidly across hip-hop, pop, R&B, soul, funk and beyond.

The multi-award-winning musician, now based in Naarm/Melbourne, hails from lutriwita/Tasmania.

KANINNA makes a simultaneously powerful and vulnerable statement of arrival and expression of the artist's experiences as a young Black woman in the colony, drawing from a rich cultural heritage with a mission to bring new representation to the music scene and an urgency to dismantle oppressive structures.

Miss Kaninna said naming the album after herself felt like a natural progression of her stepping into her true self.

"It took me a while to finally name the EP KANINNA. I had other names circling in my head but none of them really felt right. This being my first body of work as an artist I wanted to name it something I can be proud of and look back at in years time and still feel a connection to it. That's when I realised it had to be my name. Since releasing music, people often ask me "what my real name is" which is so funny because my name is so unique that people must think it's made up," she said.

"As a child I was given a nickname because people either couldn't be bothered learning how to say my name - or were just racist. A lot of the time when I introduced myself people would say "do you have an easier name I can call you" which really affected my identify and made me ashamed of my name. Now as a young adult I find empowerment in reclaiming my name and make sure people make an effort to say it right. I no longer accept people saying my name wrong or not making an effort to my face as my name hold power and deep meaning in my culture. This is why it was so important to name the EP KANINNA - it's my name and you will know my power."

The new EP has been released ahead of her debut headline tour in November supported by Triple J as well as performances at Listen Out, supporting Hiatus Kaiyote and Thelma Plum. KANINNA features several of the artist's most popular singles including 'Blak Britney', 'Pinnacle Bitch', 'Push Up' and 'Dawg In Me' plus focus track 'Friends'.

The KANINNA EP also strives to reflect the music Miss Kaninna grew up loving: from hip-hop, rap, R&B and pop with touches of Amapiano, Afrobeats, Reggaetón and Middle Eastern influences thanks to a fruitful collaboration with producer YAOB (Dean Brady, KYE, Adrian Eagle), with additional production via Finn Rees (Close Counters) and Jack McLaine (Vagabon, Medhanit).

Exploring themes of freedom, sexuality and reassertion of dominance, each track acts as a "theme song" for a feeling captured in time, from revenge ('Dawg In Me'), love and lust ('Push Up', 'Friends') to empowerment ('Blak Britney', 'Pinnacle Bitch') and, as Miss Kaninna admits, "cheeky bullshit" ('Kush').

With Miss Kaninna's staunch anti-colonialist message never far away, the EP further challenges social perceptions of Aboriginal music, inviting listeners to expand their understandings and knowledge.

"I believe I absolutely have the capability of creating powerful political music that liberates the people, but I also have the capability to create music that just makes you feel good. Not all our music has to have trauma at the heart of it - we deserve to feel good about ourselves," she said.

"Working with Jacob (Farah - aka YAOB) has been an incredible experience - as two Black artists, we wanted to deliver music that has the potential to stand up against international acts, music that feels good, music for our communities and music we wanna listen to."

In this same spirit, Miss Kaninna also recently featured on Gomeroi / Wodi Wodi man and artist Kobie Dee's 'Lifetime' - with a co-headline show between the two also announced as part of his EP launch tour.

Boasting a wealth of talent and several accolades under her belt, Miss Kaninna is at the forefront of the First Nations music scene. With the release of KANINNA and her soon to kick off headline tour, the young artist's career is set to progressively grow – an exciting venture the female musician can't wait to further explore.

"This is my path. For me it is a lifetime commitment, a marathon over a sprint," she said.

UPCOMING DATES:

21 September - The Fortitude Music Hall, Meanjin/Brisbane, Turrbal Country QLD^

27 September - Listen Out, Naarm/Melbourne, Wurundjeri Country VIC

28 September - Listen Out, Boorloo/Perth, Whadjuk Noongar Country WA

5 October - Listen Out, Meanjin/Brisbane, Turrbal Country QLD

6 October - Listen Out, Eora/Sydney, Gadigal Country NSW

18 October - ALTAR, lutruwita TAS^^

1 November - Hindley St Music Hall, Tarndanya/Adelaide, Kaurna Yerta SA**

2 November - Fremantle Arts Centre, Walyalup/Fremantle, Whadjuk Noongar Country WA**

15 November - Strawberry Fields, Yorta Yorta Country VIC

23 November - Howler, Naarm/Melbourne, Wurundjeri Country VIC*

29 November - Black Bear Lodge, Meanjin/Brisbane, Turrbal Country QLD*

30 November - The Lansdowne, Eora/Sydney, Gadigal Country NSW*

*official headline tour date supported by triple j

^ supporting Hiatus Kaiyote

^^co-headline w/ Kobie Dee

**supporting Thelma Plum

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