Australian Idol 2023 winner Royston Sagigi-Baira reveals challenge of including his Indigenous language in pop songs

Queensland singer Royston Sagigi-Baira has revealed the hurdles he faces to combine important aspects of his culture into this music. See why.

Australian Idol winner Royston Sagigi-Baira said it will be challenging to introduce his community’s Indigenous language to his future pop songs because missionaries in far north Queensland banned it being spoken at the turn of the 20th century.

As artists including Baker Boy, King Stingray and the late Gurrumul have brought their languages into the pop mainstream, the 2023 Idol winner said he wanted to explore written texts of language from his people in Mapoon in far north Queensland for future lyrics.

The singer auditioned for Idol to be a role model for children in remote Indigenous communities and represent queer and plus-sized artists on a major television franchise.

“I would love to be able to incorporate that into my songs in the future,” he said.

“We have some words written down but we don’t speak it because it was eradicated when the missions came along and said if you speak your language, it’s against God; they basically brainwashed people against speaking it and eventually it got lost, which is sad.”

Royston Sagigi-Baira aka Royston Noell performs on Australian Idol. Picture: Supplied / Seven

Noell and runner-up Phoebe Stewart had to recover quickly in the final dramatic minutes of the grand final on Seven.

Stewart stacked it on the stairs as the pair returned to the stage for the big reveal, and then Noell’s performance of his winner’s song Invincible – written by newly pop superstar Tones and I – was plagued by technical difficulties.

Both grand finalists briefly struggled to regain their composure from their last minute dramas because they forgot the show was live.

While the previous Sunday night “live” shows were recorded on Saturday nights, the final show of the rebooted talent quest was live to air.

“I was performing and apparently the house sound was out so none of the live audience and the judges could hear anything but everyone watching on TV could hear everything,” he said.

“I just had to keep going – it was live television. And when Phoebe got up, she thought we could start it again and I was like ‘Sis, it’s live remember, we got to keep going.’”

Royston Sagigi-Baira aka Royston Noell wins Australian Idol. Picture: Supplied / Seven

Noell, whose heartfelt stories about his battles against homophobia and bullying and losing his mother to cancer touched Australia’s heart as much as his soaring, soulful voice, said he had “no idea” what was next for his music career as Invincible soared to the top of the iTunes charts.

Much of his week will be taken up meeting with his new label Sony and manager Jennifer Fontaine, whose Private Idaho Management roster features inaugural Idol winner Guy Sebastian and Human Nature.

DRAMA AS AUSSIE IDOL WINNER CROWNED

Power-lunged Thanakwith and Wagadagam man Royston Sagigi-Baira claimed the Australian Idol title in its 2023 reboot as his fellow teen grand finalist Phoebe Stewart brought the last minute drama with a stack on the stairs.

The 24-year-old soulful singer from Mapoon on the tip of far north Queensland was clearly overwhelmed to claim the most votes from 15-year-old Stewart and Josh Hannan.

Royston Sagigi-Baira wins Australian Idol 2023. Picture: 7 Channel

After eight weeks of rapid fire auditions, the top 50 slashed to the top 12 and double – then a triple – eliminations, viewers were won over by Sagigi-Baira’s emotional performances as he shared his experiences as an Indigenous man, a queer man and a plus-sized man.

The show finished with her performance of Invincible, his winner’s single penned by Tones and I.

After thanking his family and voters, he generously demanded “Follow Phoebe please! You have a big career,” he said.

With more padding than a mattress factory, “journeys” than an Intrepid Travels catalogue and “I love you Australia” platitudes than a politician on the campaign trail, it took more than an hour to get to the first elimination, despite voting closing before the show opened.

And then the big shock. The judges’ favourite Josh Hannan was the first to be cut.

“This is not the end for me,” Hannan said, before the judges spruiked the future prospects for the singer songwriter most touted to win the 2023 reboot of the talent quest.

It was then down to Stewart and Sagigi-Baira.

Royston Sagigi-Baira has a huge fan base. Picture: 7 Channel

The anxious finalists would be made to endure another hour of guest performances from judge Harry Connick Jr and 2006 Australian Idol runner-up and bona fide pop star and actor Jessica Mauboy. And more filler in between.

But can we talk about how on fire Mauboy was performing her new Lizzo-channelling single Right Here, Right Now.

The chart-topping singer and actor looked like human sunshine, wearing a bright orange coat mini-dress, as she delivered a masterclass on how to deliver a music moment on TV.

Royston Sagigi-Baira wins Australian Idol 2023. Picture: 7 Channel

As Stewart and Sagigi-Baira made their way back onto the stage for the big reveal, the 15-year-old from Busselton in Western Australia tripped halfway down the stairs.

The grand finalist was a bit shook by the fall and went to walk off stage before host Scott Tweedie ushered her back towards the front saying “The show must go on.”

While the hosts then made a genuine attempt to make sure Stewart was okay after the fall, the quick-witted and assured performer made light of the incident.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone for not laughing too hard when I feel down the stairs,” she said.

Sagigi-Baira’s single was releasing on streaming services when the final finally finished and he will be thrust into the whirlwind of post-win promotional, recording and filming commitments over the next few days.

Originally published as Australian Idol 2023 winner Royston Sagigi-Baira reveals challenge of including his Indigenous language in pop songs