Tkay Maidza doesn’t ease back in on ‘Must Be’. The track opens like a warning shot and follows through on it, snapping into motion with a jagged, high-voltage energy that feels immediate and deliberate.
Produced by Maths Time Joy and The Idiot, ‘Must Be’ is built on tension. The beat lurches and pivots, all icy textures and clipped percussion, creating something that feels slightly off-centre but tightly controlled. It’s abrasive in places, playful in others, but never accidental. Every shift feels engineered to keep you slightly unsteady.
At the centre of it, Tkay’s delivery is razor-sharp. She moves with precision rather than excess, letting space do as much work as the bars themselves. There’s a confidence here that doesn’t need to announce itself loudly, it just holds the track in place, unshakeable.
The release lands after a period that reads differently in hindsight. Sweet Justice earned the 2024 ARIA Award for Best R&B/Soul Release, while collaborations and one-off releases kept her presence circulating.
Now based in Los Angeles and operating independently, Tkay leans into control on her own terms. That sense of autonomy runs through the track, not as a theme, but as a structure. There’s no overextension, no attempt to prove range. Instead, ‘Must Be’ narrows its focus and hits harder because of it.
Stream ‘Must Be’ HERE.
