Theia - Baldhead Photo: Supplied
Theia Photo: Supplied
Independent, trailblazing alternative pop artist Theia has released a new musical anthem. Staunchly proud of being a wahine Māori artist, her whakapapa (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Tīpā) and her language, latest single Baldh3ad focuses on the “plague of colonisation”, with a direct address to the current government.
Speaking to Culture 101, the artist says ‘baldhead’ is a term often used by Māori but originates from and within the Rastafarian movement to describe someone who is not a Rastafarian.
Theia is known for her political anthems, and the accompanying music video has strong and bold imagery. Theia is dressed as a Victorian queen with a neck piece and braided ropes and top knots in her hair - a nod to traditional Māori hairstyles. The costume references the English monarchy at the time Aotearoa New Zealand was colonised.
Photo: Supplied
The video was filmed on the wild coast south of Wainuiomata, when the singer was an artist in residence at Massey University in Pōneke Wellington. Theia says the video is open to interpretation: whether it’s a pre-colonisation utopia, with Theia as Queen, or a post-colonial post-apocalyptic future. To combat the notion of Māori as ‘noble savages’, she purposefully chose the location she says to emphasise beauty, and her passion and grace.
The New Zealand born, now LA-based singer first broke onto the scene in 2016 with her hit ‘Roam’. She amassed more than 17 million streams on Spotify and earned critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Billboard Magazine and Clash Magazine. At home, she’s performed at festivals including Rhythm & Vines, Homegrown and WOMAD, while abroad she’s appeared at Babes on Babes in Vancouver, Miami Pride, Belltown Bloom Festival in Seattle, and at SheFest and San Diego Pride.
Theia spoke to Culture 101’s Perlina Lau about finding joy in live performances, managing an independent music career and being proud of herself for coming a long way.
