Music News - Theia drops seething protest anthem 'BALDH3AD!'
13 September 2024 - 0 Comments
After a northern hemisphere summer of playing back-to-back shows across the United States and Canada, Theia today releases BALDH3AD!.
The haunting, emphatic protest anthem premiered earlier this week on Seattle’s famed KEXP.
Listen to BALDH3AD! HERE / Watch the video HERE
“BALDH3AD! is my musical assault on the plague of colonisation, which has impacted our people since the 1800's and continues to threaten our language and culture under the current government. It’s an expression of seething anger but also a call to action for my fellow wāhine Māori, rangatahi Māori and indigenous folks worldwide,” says Theia.
Lyrically BALDH3AD! hits hard: “Baldhead, you’re so well fed on my destruction. Fetishize our women, silence our children. Plunder my motherland, pollute the sea. But still, I survive though you clip my wings. Baldhead, you tricked us with your treaty”.
Sonically it hits just as hard. Theia’s signature angelic vocals and choir-like harmonies are instantly recognisable. Set against a bass-heavy backdrop of alternative pop n’ rock with touches of ethereal folk, BALDH3AD! is a song like no other. “I love exploring new sonic worlds,” says Theia, who adds that if you listen closely, you’ll not only hear medieval accordions but the traditional Māori instrument, the pūtaratara, which is “a conch used to signal war”.
BALDH3AD! reaches its crescendo with a haka-inspired bridge before settling to a hushed whisper to deliver the song’s final message: “Ka whawhai tonu mātou, ake ake” (“We will fight on, forever and ever”). This is a direct quote from revered Tainui chief Rewi Maniapoto, who led Kīngitanga forces against the invasion of Waikato in the 1860's.
BALDH3AD! comes with a striking video, which helps to elevate the song’s powerful message. The video was filmed on the Wainuiomata coast and features students from Massey University in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, where Theia was Mātairangi Mahi Toi – Artist In Residence late last year.
Theia is dripping in the finery of a British queen in an act of defiance and decolonization; whilst her fellow rangatahi Māori are adorned in traditional kākahu, symbolizing beauty and strength. The landscape is seemingly untouched and gives no clue as to whether we’re witnessing an 1800's uprising or a scene from a post-apocalyptic world.
BALDH3AD! is the first new single from Theia in more than a year. Like much of the NZ-born, LA-based artist’s recent work, it seeks to challenge social injustices and delivers a brave and poignant message.
“Through BALDH3AD! I hope people are reminded of the atrocities that have occurred in our country and of the deep wounds that are now being reopened because of the actions of our current government.
“I also hope that other Māori, and indigenous folks, are reminded of our power. Despite a system that strives to eradicate our language and culture, we are carrying on the work of our ancestors. We will keep fighting for justice and for the betterment of our people. And as youth, we are standing strong together.”
Theia is of Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Tīpā descent. Aside from gaining critical acclaim for her alt-pop catalogue, which includes hits such as Roam and Not Your Princess, she is also the driving force and voice behind the award-winning reo Māori project Te Kaahu.
Theia is now based in Los Angeles and has spent the past five months touring both projects throughout Canada and the US. Recent festivals highlights include Belltown Bloom (Seattle), Toronto Pride, Miami Beach Pride, Women’s Freedom Festival (LA), San Diego Pride and SheFest where she has shared line-ups with heavyweights such as Tommy Genesis, Rico Nasty, Slayyyter and TOKiMONSTA. TE KAAHU has performed at Lightning In A Bottle, Calgary Folk Festival and Folk on the Rocks (Yellowknife).
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