Let’s start on a positive note: Nardean is thriving during isolation and that’s what we love to hear.
If you’re new to Nardean, she is a contemporary Western Sydney hip hop artist who has blended her culture into her music in incredible ways. She has cemented herself as one of the queens of Australia’s flourishing hip hop scene. While her first album ‘Creatress’ put her on the map, it’s Nardean’s latest EP, ‘The New Era‘, which cements her place as one of Australia’s most unique and transparent creatives around.
“It’s weird, man,” Nardean laughs as she starts to tell me about the EP.
“It’s weird but in my favourite type of way. When I say ‘The New Era’ I think that the world is changing. It’s about balance, it’s about accepting all aspects of humanity. It’s about being soft and being strong no matter what gender you are. It’s about allowing yourself to be sexy; to be angry. For all of that to be welcome.”
‘The New Era’ consists of 7 ballads filled with rhythm, bass, groove but most importantly, truth. You’ll get chills and tingles erupting throughout your body when you listen to the songs. You’ll feel empowered, so pay attention to the lyrics because you may relate to it.
Nardean’s inspirations pull from artists like Kendrick Lamar and Chance The Rapper, and you’ll notice the similarities as they each perform well with social commentary.
“Chance The Rapper, I love. ‘Acid Rap’ in particular was incredible, the playfulness and the weirdness was super cool.”
Nardean likes the way artists are able to connect with people through music and communicate different stories and bring a positive influence.
“You get messages like hey I listened to this [song] and it really got me through this tough time.”
It seems as though you undoubtedly get a sense of fulfillment when you get positive feedback and basically turn someone’s life around.
Nardean was studying to become a teacher for most of her younger years but always had an inclination for singing. Whether it be in the shower pretending she was singing in front of thousands of people or singing to herself, she always had the desire.
“It felt like a big relief in a way, it felt like I had spent my whole life trying to fit into a box I didn’t fit into and when I was on stage and writing songs and performing the response I was getting was incredible. It just felt like a big exhale, it was liberating,”
“Growing up, I didn’t have a woman to look up to. Like someone that looked like me doing what I want to do which is why I didn’t get into it [music] until so late because I didn’t see it as a reality.”
Nardean is so faithfully the definition of a strong independent woman. She loves being able to say ‘I did that, myself’ and proving that she’s able to make music on her own. Although she’s doing it on her own, it’s important to remind the West Sydney songwriter that there are a sea of people prepared to support and encourage her to keep doing what she’s doing, because she’s doing it right.
You can stream Nardean’s ‘The New Era’ EP here.
Words by Tabitha Chapman