Jessica Mauboy’s bold new music chapter with The Voice, Warner Music label

Jessica Mauboy has revealed how she’s been living and working as two different people, with pop music partly getting in her way.

Jess Mauboy is feeling “liberated” as she embarks on a fresh new chapter in her 15-year career.

After wrapping filming on the rebooted The Voice, which will kick off on Seven after the Olympics, the chart-topping pop star is now focusing on recording her fifth album for new label home Warner Music.

Mauboy shocked music industry circles in December last year when she left Sony Music where she landed after her runner-up finish on Australian Idol in 2006.

As she prepares for 2021 NAIDOC Week celebrations next week, the proud First Nations performer said she finally feels like she has been able to unite her two selves as a pop artist and indigenous advocate.

“I feel really empowered. For 15 years I’ve been working on being two people in the one place at the same time,” she said.

“What I really needed to do was embrace that one self and bring those two (identities) together and feel comfortable and confident with that.”

Jessica Mauboy says she feels “empowered” after signing with Warner Music. Picture: Supplied/ Jessica Mauboy

Throughout her pop career, Mauboy has privately and publicly engaged with the indigenous community, visiting schools and writing with other First Nations artists including Briggs and Thelma Plum.

She starred in films including Bran Nue Dae and The Sapphires, proudly taking those indigenous stories to appreciative audiences both at home and around the world.

But it was only in recent years the much-loved 31-year-old musician has felt free to speak out about issues close to her heart including reconciliation.

She credited recording the song First Nation with Midnight Oil for their Makarrata Project as a pivotal moment in reuniting her voice as a pop singer with her indigenous roots.

“It was definitely a moment of joy and pride and finally I was part of a conversation which I felt over the years I was shut-out of. I was told it was way too political for a pop singer,” she said.

“You are just a pop singer, you are not political, you just get up and sing.’

Jessica credited recording First Nation as a pivotal moment in reuniting her voice as a pop singer with her indigenous roots. Picture: Supplied

“I remember sitting in the studio with Midnight Oil, a band I grew up with alongside Yothu Yindi and Archie Roach and Christine Anu, and talking to Peter Garrett and having this out-of-body experience. I was a part of something so strong in the middle of the conversation we are having in Australia.”

Mauboy said NAIDOC Week would shine a spotlight on the fearless new generation of First Nation voices who are connecting with Australian music fans with their innovative, genre-busting music and unequivocal messages.

“I feel this next wave is so much more than just about singing a song,” she said.

“I’m watching Miiesha and Barkaa and Baker Boy, the producers coming up as well, and the mob coming up are powerful storytellers and they are breaking through because they know what they want and they are really good at it.”

For her next album, Mauboy has teamed with renowned talent developer and producer Andrew Klippel.

The respected hitmaker helped launch The Veronicas onto the world stage and more recently has steered the career of the wildly exciting Ghanaian-Australian pop game-changer Genesis Owusu.

Renowned talent developer and producer Andrew Klippel.

Mauboy wants to come back with music which is both unexpected and will also connect with her legion of fans who have supported her “honest” pop music over the past 15 years.

“I’ve been able to put together my own schedule of how I want to make my next record,” she said.

“I’m working with whoever I want to work with, people I know I am going to have fun with and will experiment with me.”

While she was a little nervous about joining the television talent quest coach club on The Voice having gone through the process herself on Australian Idol in 2006, Mauboy said her experienced co-stars Guy Sebastian, Keith Urban and Rita Ora were an invaluable support crew.

“Guy was my big brother who would coach me on what I was saying to the artists, encouraging me to keep going and Keith Urban, he’s got such beautiful energy, he’s got a good halo!” she said.

“Rita was a sister, she kept everything funny and made us laugh so much.”

Mauboy headlines TikTok’s NAIDOC Week Hub with a live stream performance and Q&A session on hosted her @jessicamauboy TikTok from 7pm on Monday.