"Black Magic" is a song by Australian musician

Baker Boy Danzal James Baker (born 10 October 1996), known professionally as Baker Boy, is a Yolngu rapper, dancer, artist, and actor. Baker Boy is known for performing original hip-hop songs incorporating both English and Yolŋu Matha and is one of ...

, which features vocals from fellow

Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

Dallas Woods Dallas Woods, is an Indigenous Australian rapper and musician. Woods is known for his role on ABC Kids' ''Move It Mob Style'' and in 2018 as Baker Boy's support act on his national tour. Woods gained attention by winning the New Talent Song ...

. It was released in July 2018. The song is inspired by sports heroes who have stood up against racism in the past, including athlete

Cathy Freeman Catherine Astrid Salome Freeman (born 16 February 1973) is an Aboriginal Australian former sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. Her personal best of 48.63 seconds currently ranks her as the ninth-fastest woman of all time, set ...

and

AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...

legend

Nicky Winmar Neil Elvis "Nicky" Winmar (born 25 September 1965) is a former Australian rules footballer, best known for his career for and the in the Australian Football League (AFL), as well as in the West Australian Football League. Growing up in Pin ...

who stood up against the crowd's racial abuse in a match between St Kilda and Collingwood in 1993. The song also references the Stolen Generation and

Kevin Rudd Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...

's apology to Australia's Indigenous peoples in 2008. At the 2018

National Indigenous Music Awards The National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA), also known as the NT Indigenous Music Awards from 2004 to 2008, are music awards presented to recognise excellence, innovation and leadership among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musicians in ...

, the song was nominated for Song of the Year.

Background

Raised in the remote

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

communities of Yurrwi and

Maningrida Maningrida, also known as Manayingkarírra and Manawukan, is an Aboriginal community in the heart of the Arnhem Land region of Australia's Northern Territory. Maningrida is east of Darwin, and north east of Jabiru. It is on the North Central ...

, 21 year-old Danzel Baker, aka Baker Boy, has released "Black Magic", featuring Dallas Woods. The song is performed in Yolngu Matha and English, representing his bloodlines. Danzel Baker and Dallas Woods met when Baker Boy was 17 and Dallas was 21 and the two started writing songs together, including Baker Boy's previous single "Mr. La Di Da Di".

Music video

The music video was filmed on the Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne, Victoria and directed by BraydenFunFilms. It was released on 12 July 2018.

Reception

''Beat Magazine'' said "The politically-charged number packs a punch, though it is swathed in positivity and offers a feel-good message of empowerment overall, with chorus lines like 'young, black and gifted, talking the whole package' leading the track." Al Newstead from ''Triple J'' said "The single has a much tougher sound than we've come to expect from the Fresh Prince of positivity. Dropping bars in both English and Yolngu Mata language, his vibrant, uplifting flow shines through but this time it's paired with a political punch." Tristan Winter from ''

Joy 94.9 JOY 94.9 (official call sign 3JOY), stylised as JOY or JOY 94.9, is a community radio station broadcasting at 94.9 FM in Melbourne. It is Australia's first and only LGBTQI+ community radio station. __TOC__ History JOY 94.9, originally incorpo ...

'' said "'Black Magic' is proving to be a crowd favourite taking things to next level with a fierce chorus and brutal guitars... This completely electric tune demands your attention!" ''The Music Network'' said "Packing his biggest punch so far without easing up on the joy and positivity that are his trademarks, Baker Boy riffs on 'the power of black magic' as well as being 'young, gifted and black', casting a direct line back to

Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, ...

's classic anthem for the 1960s Civil Rights movement."''''

References

{{Authority control 2018 singles 2018 songs Baker Boy songs Dallas Woods songs Songs about Australia Songs against racism and xenophobia Songs written by Baker Boy Songs written by Dallas Woods Songs written by Jerome Farah