A few weeks ago, we saw Joy Crookes in the flesh at 170 Russell in Melbourne, Australia. It was soul-stirring to see Crooksy perform to a veritable melting pot of different cultures. Going to gigs in Australia rapidly turns into a game of Spot the South Asian, so it was super-duper special to be around our people.

And, we can confirm that brown boys do indeed cry when given the opportunity. Think:

It was emotional, okay.

Anyhoo, it’s high time we start showing some love to the South Asian movers, makers, and shakers on the Aussie music scene.

So, meet the next five artists on your 2022 Spotify Wrapped.

1. Zuhair 🎤

First up, law-school-graduate-turned-R&B-virtuoso Zuhair (@zuhairrehan). While others decided to sue people and squint at computer screens for seventeen hours straight, Zuhair followed the music. And where it led him was 11,291,371 streams on his album For The Heartbroken.¹

BRB, learning to breakdance like the boys in this banger:

¹(Yes, I certainly did whip out the calculator for that number. It’s probably ticked over to 11.3M by now, too.)

Check out Zuhair’s Spotify now.

2. Jhm 🎶

Only one word can describe Jessie Hillel’s or Jhm’s (pronounced ‘Jim’) (@jhmsmusic) mix of “jazz, soul, R&B, pop and classical“: eargasms. So, pack your bags. Jhm will have you two-stepping all the way to Santorini:

Check out Jhm’s Spotify now.

3. Munasib 🎧

Bengali-Australian beat kahuna Munasib (@munasib____) has the music taste you wish you had. Listen as she blends A.R. Rahman with Glass Animals like those magicians at Cold Rock Ice Creamery:

Check out Munasib’s Soundcloud now.

4. THE GLAMOUR (Tejo D’Cruz) 🎸

Meet THE GLAMOUR (@theglamourmusic + @tejodcruz). Tejo’s rapturous and raw vocals in Fingers will send chills up your spine. And Breathe will make you bop and boogie:

Check out THE GLAMOUR’s Spotify now.

5. Iti 🎧

With Munasib, Iti (@iti______) is part of KERFEW—a South Asian Creative Collective in Australia. Make yourself a moreish mango lassi, dim the lights, and groove to Iti:

Check out Iti’s Soundcloud now.

If you know any others, please drop me a DM!