Kaiit (/ˌkɑːˈiːt/ kah-EET) is the performance name of Kaiit Bellamia Waup (born 29 October 1997, Papua New Guinea), who is a neo soul singer-songwriter based in Australia. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, they won the inaugural Best Soul/R&B Release category for the single, "Miss Shiney" (2019).
Kaiit | |
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![]() Kaiit performing at Laneway 2020 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Kaiit Bellamia Waup |
Born | Papua New Guinea | 29 October 1997
Origin | Melbourne, Australia |
Genres | Neo soul |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Biography
editKaiit was born as Kaiit Bellamia Waup,[1][2] in 1997 in Papua New Guinea (PNG)[3][4] to a Papua New Guinean father and Indigenous Australian mother of Gunditjmara and Torres Strait Islander heritage.[4] The artist grew up in both PNG and Australia.[4] Initially pursuing a career as a make-up artist, Kaiit turned to performing as a singer based in Melbourne.[4][5]
Kaiit's first single, "Natural Woman", was issued in mid-2017.[3] It is co-written by Kaiit with Michael Chan, Jack Hewitt, Michael Cooper and Mohamed Komba.[6] Sonny Thomas of Purple Sneakers praised the song, "Jam-packed with soul and seemingly effortless cool, she shines on her new single and film clip."[7] It is included on their five-track debut extended play, Live from Her Room, which was issued in September 2018.[4][8] Gloria Brancatisano of Beat rated it at 8.5 out-of 10, "Kaiit paints a picture of a woman who understands her worth, appreciating those who come into her life to improve it while carefully removing those who are toxic."[8]
Another single, "OG Luv Kush Pt 2", from the EP had been issued in 2018, which is "an essay of reasons to leave a relationship and in spite of the listed problems, Kaiit shows her strength in character."[8] The track was shared on social media by American singer, Jill Scott.[4] At the APRA Music Awards of 2019 "OG Luv Kush Pt 2" was short-listed for Song of the Year.[9] In that year the singer-songwriter undertook a European tour including a performance at England's The Great Escape Festival.[4] In May 2019 the single, "Miss Shiney", was released.[10] It won the inaugural Best Soul/R&B Release category at the ARIA Music Awards of 2019.[11][12][13]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, the artist turned to crowdfunding to maintain their independence from major record labels.[4] In August 2021 they launched a GoFundMe page to "recover [her] independence as an artist" and continue releasing new music.[14] They performed new material in February 2023 at Nocturnal x Midsumma held at Melbourne Museum.[15] In March 2024 the singer supported Zambian-born Sampa the Great at Supreme Court Gardens, Melbourne.[16] Kaiit performed new songs, "2000 n Somethin'" and "Dumb Sis Juice", by "Combining fluid jazz sounds with wavy, celestial vocals, Kaiit delivered a quirky, intimate performance that left listeners feeling giddy and euphoric."[16]
Personal life
editKaiit is non-binary,[17] and uses she/her, he/him, and they/them pronouns.[18] Her partner in life is fellow singer Adrian Eagle,[4][19] who was also nominated for Best Soul/R&B Release in 2019 for his single "AOK".[13]
Discography
editExtended plays
editTitle | Details |
---|---|
Live from Her Room |
|
Singles
editTitle | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Natural Woman"[21] | 2017 | Live from Her Room |
"2000 N Somethin"[22] | non-album single | |
"OG Luv Kush p2"[23] | 2018 | Live from Her Room |
"Miss Shiney"[24] | 2019 | to be confirmed |
As featured artist
editTitle | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"Warning" (with Cookin' on 3 Burners)[25][26] | 2018 | Lab Experiments Vol. 2 |
Awards and nominations
editAPRA Awards
editThe APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters".[27]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | "OG Luv Kush Pt 2" by Kaiit (Kaiit Waup / Michael Chan / Anthony Douglas / Mohamed Komba / Jaydean Miranda / Damian Smith) | Song of the Year | Shortlisted | [9] |
2020 | "Miss Shiney" by Kaiit (Kaiit Waup / Vincent Goodyer / Nicholas Martin) | Song of the Year | Shortlisted | [28] |
ARIA Music Awards
editThe ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | "Miss Shiney" | Best Soul/R&B Release | Won |
Music Victoria Awards
editThe Music Victoria Awards, are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005.[29][30]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | herself | Best Hip Hop Act | Nominated |
herself | Breakthrough Act | Nominated | |
herself | Archie Roach Award for Emerging Talent | Won | |
2019 | herself | Best Hip Hop Act | Nominated |
Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition
editThe Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition is an annual competition that "acknowledges great songwriting whilst supporting and raising money for Nordoff-Robbins" and is coordinated by Albert Music and APRA AMCOS. It commenced in 2009.[31]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2019[32] | "Miss Shiney" | Unpublished prize | Won |
References
edit- ^ Kim, Soey (2 October 2018), "Kaiit Is Australia's 'Homegirl' You Need to Know Right Now", Vogue
- ^ "Kaiit on Speaking What She Wants into Existence". YouTube. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ a b Mantesso, Sean (3 November 2017). "PNG-Born Singer Kaiit Making Waves on Australian Music Scene". ABC Radio Australia. Retrieved 15 April 2024. n.b. Associated audio file is no longer available
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Wehner, Cyclone (10 February 2023). "Kaiit: 'We Continue to Keep Pushing, Despite not Getting the Recognition'". MusicFeeds. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ Campbell, Amy (16 August 2019), "Soul Music Is Having A Global Renaissance & Kaiit Is Flying Australia's Flag", GQ
- ^ "Song Catalogue Search Results for 'Natural Woman'". APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Sonny. "Watch Kaiit's Effortless Cool on 'Natural Woman'". Purple Sneakers. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c Brancatisano, Gloria (21 April 2018). "Kaiit: Live From Her Room". Beat. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b "2019 APRA Awards nominees announced". noise11. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
- ^ Weily, Evie (May 2019), "Neo-Soul Queen Kaiit returns with new single, 'Miss Shiney'", Purple Sneakers
- ^ "2019 ARIA Award Winners Announced". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 27 November 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
- ^ "ARIA Awards 2019: Tones and I Wins Big & Human Nature Hall of Fame". MediaWeek. 27 November 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
- ^ a b Brandle, Lars (10 October 2019), "Tones and I Leads 2019 ARIA Awards Nominations", Billboard
- ^ "Kaiit is fundraising to regain her "independence", continue releasing music". NME Australia. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ Curran, Libby (9 February 2023). "Nocturnal x Midsumma 2023, Melbourne". concreteplayground.com. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ a b Horak, Emma (28 March 2024). "A Review of Sampa the Great: A Spectacle in the Supreme Court Gardens". Pelican. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ Subvrtmag (25 January 2022). "Return to Me: An Ode to Gender Non-Conforming Musicians". Subvrt Mag. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ "Kaiit (@kaiit_isshe) • Instagram photos and videos".
- ^ Smith, Matthew (30 November 2019). "From housing trust homes to the ARIAs, Adrian Eagle's career is soaring to new heights". Retrieved 30 November 2019.
- ^ "Live from Her Room – EP by Kaiit on Apple Music". Apple Music. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "Father Said – Single by Kaiit". Apple Music. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "2000 N Somethin – Single by Kaiit". Apple Music. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "OG Luv Kush P2 – Single by Kaiit". Apple Music. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "Miss Shiney – Single by Kaiit". Apple Music. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ "Warning – Single by Cookin' on 3 Burners & Kaiit". Apple Music. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ Cookin' on 3 Burners (2018), Lab experiments. Vol. 2, Origin Music, retrieved 16 April 2024
{{citation}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "APRA History". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). Retrieved 25 April 2022.
- ^ "APRA Has Revealed The 2020 Song Of The Year Finalists". The Music. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ "Previous Nominess". Music Victoria. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ "Previous Winners". Music Victoria. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ "About the Vanda Young Global Song Writing Competition". APRA AMCOS. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ "Past Winners". APRA AMCOS. Retrieved 13 March 2021.