Artists to Watch in 2017: Mallrat

Being the self-proclaimed ‘Hannah Montana of the rap game’ is no title to take lightly. There’s high expectations here to live up to the beauty that was Miley Cyrus circa 2006-2011. Luckily, this is Brisbane’s MALLRAT we're talking about, as she continues to prove you can successfully create beautiful music and still remain true to yourself as an average person just going about life.

Half of the appeal of Mallrat comes from her innate ability to blend light-as-a-feather melodies with no frills, relatable lyrics. One of her standout tracks this year, ‘Inside Voices’, is testament to this as she honestly explains, "Everyone talks nicely but I don’t think they like me, ‘cause when they go out they never invite me." Each song by the 18-year-old is anchored in her down to earth nature, not shying away from uncomfortable matters and simultaneously not playing up anything too emotional. It’s genuine music that cuts through any kind of pretentiousness, in a really ridiculously catchy way.

Mallrat effortlessly combines the best of conversational rap and singing, ensuring every song of hers is lightweight and summer appropriate. From the electro-pop style of ‘Uninvited’ to the jazzy piano-centric ‘For Real’, there’s something for everyone in her stellar Uninvited EP - but it doesn’t stop there. The artist also featured on Oh Boy and Donatachi’s kaleidoscope dream ‘Bunny Island’, where she flexed her skills rapping in Japanese, and accompanied Allday on stage recently at Triple J Unearthed’s 10^th birthday party.

This rollercoaster ride is only going up over the next few months as Mallrat wraps up a national support slot for Thundamentals, before hitting up Southbound Festival in Perth and Falls Festival over New Years Eve. It’s only a matter of time before we see her dominating main stages so grab your oversized Mallrat merch now and revel in the glory of telling your friends "I told you so" when she blows up!

Image: The Creatives Journal

Words by Debbie Carr

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LISTEN TO MALLRAT'S DEEP DESIRE TO BE 'UNINVITED'

YOU'LL BE HEARING MALLRAT'S 'INSIDE VOICES'