Sydney singer Ngaiire is a powerhouse. I remember the first time I heard her voice, I was a goner. The way her voice curled around every lyric was one thing, but her songwriting craft showed a promise that would pay off in the EP’s and albums that would follow.

Music has always been a big part of Ngaiire’s life. As a child of the 90’s, she grew up listening to pop songs in Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, then Australia. She would find a connection particularly to Janet Jackson and Talib Kweli; a brown woman in song in an overwhelmingly white Australia.

This is a conversation about how we find our place, and connection, no matter where we are.

Janet Jackson - ‘Together Again’

Sisqó - ‘Thong Song’

Talib Kweli - ‘Black Girl Pain’

Frank Ocean - ‘Pink + White’

Spice Girls - ‘2 Become 1’