Meditjin
{{Short description|2019 single by Baker Boy featuring JessB}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Meditjin
| cover = Meditjin by Baker Boy.png
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Baker Boy featuring JessB
| album = Gela
| released = 21 November 2019
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 2:58
| label =
- Danzal Baker (independent)
- Island
- Universal
| writer = {{hlist|Jerome Farah|Dallas Woods|Danzal Baker|Dion Brownfield|Jessica Bourke}}
| producer = Jerome Farah
| chronology = Baker Boy singles
| prev_title = In Control
| prev_year = 2019
| next_title = Move
| next_year = 2020
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|myKF9mxAJ70|"Meditjin"}}}}
}}
"Meditjin" ({{langx|en|"Medicine"}}) is a song by Indigenous Australian musician Baker Boy featuring Indigenous New Zealand rapper JessB, released on 21 November 2019 as the second single from his debut album Gela (2021).{{cite web
|url=https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/news/musicnews/baker-boy-new-song-meditjin-feat-jessb/11721226/ |title=First Spin: Baker Boy serves up a dose of 'Meditjin' with NZ rapper JessB |publisher=Triple J |date=21 November 2019 |access-date=26 September 2020 |author=Newstead, Al}}{{cite web
|url=https://www.redbull.com/au-en/baker-boy-jessb-meditjin-listen/ |title=Listen: Baker Boy and JessB link up for a powerful dose of Meditjin |work=Red Bull News |date=21 November 2019 |access-date=19 March 2021 |author=Kanoniuk, Lachlan}}
"Meditjin" was the recipient of various awards, including Film Clip of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2020 National Indigenous Music Awards and second place in the 2021 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, and was used in an advertisement for the 2020 AFL season.
The Gabriel Gasparinatos directed music video was nominated for Best Video at the ARIA Music Awards of 2020.ARIA Award previous winners. {{cite web|url=https://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/award/Best-Video?view=list|title=Winners by Award – Artisan Awards – Best Video |publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)|access-date= 12 December 2019 }} At the APRA Music Awards of 2021, the song was shortlisted for Song of the Year.{{cite web|url=https://www.apraamcos.com.au/about-us/news-and-events/one-of-these-songs-will-be-the-peer-voted-apra-song-of-the-year|title= One of these songs will be the Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year!|website=APRA AMCOS|date=3 February 2021|access-date=26 April 2022}}
Background
In a statement, Baker Boy said "Music is the best meditjin (medicine). It brings everyone together, makes you want to dance, love, laugh, vibe and feel and I wrote 'Meditjin' with just that in mind. It's about making people feel the music and expressing themselves."{{cite web|url=https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/baker-boy-teams-up-with-jessb-for-new-song-meditjin/|title=Baker Boy teams up with JessB for new song "Meditjin" |work=Music Feeds |date=21 November 2019 |access-date=9 August 2020 |author=Langford, Jackson}}
Release
Music video
The music video was released on 4 December 2019, and was directed by Gabriel Gasparinatos.
=Synopsis=
The video features Baker Boy rapping in his native language of Yolngu Matha as well as English, alongside six barefoot Dancehall Dancers and two members of the Baker Boy family. Baker Boy said: "The video for "Meditjin" was such an exciting process to work through, the concept blew my mind, so I was just so pumped we managed to pull all the elements together. The small things in this video make me so excited, like having my brother, Adam, and cousin, Tristan in the clip. It wasn't really planned but the timing worked out, so it was like 'why not', they were so excited too!"{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myKF9mxAJ70/ |title=Baker Boy - Meditjin (Official Video) ft. JessB |via=YouTube |date=4 December 2019 |accessdate=9 August 2020}}
Critical reception
Christopher Brown from With Guitars said "'Meditjin' is drenched in positive vibes and brings the raw energy of early singles such as "Marryuna", as well as the sound of the Yidaki (aka Didgeridoo) – an instrument that originated with the Yolngu and Galpu people of North East Arnhem Land."{{cite web |url=https://www.withguitars.com/baker-boy-releases-new-single-meditjin-feat-jessb-out-now/ |title=Baker Boy releases new single "Meditjin" feat. JessB – Out Now |work=With Guitars |date=21 November 2019 |access-date=9 August 2020}}
Chart performance
The song peaked at number 1 on the National Indigenous Music Chart.{{cite web|url=https://alnf.org/2020/02/24/baker-boy-tops-the-national-indigenous-music-chart/|title= Baker Boys Tops the National Indigenous Music Chart|website=ALNF|date=24 February 2020|accessdate=9 August 2020}}
Awards and nominations
National Indigenous Music Awards
{{Awards table}}
! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2"| 2020
| rowspan="2"| "Meditjin"
| Film Clip of the Year
| rowspan="2" {{Won}}
| {{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/baker-boy-wins-artist-of-the-year-at-the-national-indigenous-music-awards-2020-2723329/ |title=Baker Boy wins Artist of the Year at the National Indigenous Music Awards 2020 |work=NME Australia |date=8 August 2020 |access-date=19 March 2021 |author=Rose, Anna}}
|-
| Song of the Year
| {{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-08/baker-boy-wins-three-gongs-at-national-indigenous-music-awards/ |title=Baker Boy wins top prize at National Indigenous Music Awards, Ruby Hunter inducted into Hall of Fame |work=ABC News |date=8 August 2020 |accessdate=9 August 2020 |author=Gooley, Cameron}}
|}
Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition
{{Awards table}}
! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
! scope="row"| 2020
| "Meditjin"
| Global Songwriting Competition
| {{Won|place=2}}
| {{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9539321/thelma-plums-better-in-blak-wins-vanda-young-songwriting-comp/ |title=Thelma Plum's "Better in Blak" wins Vanda & Young Songwriting Comp |magazine=Billboard |date=12 March 2021 |access-date=19 March 2021 |author=Brandle, Lars}}
|}
In popular culture
- "Meditjin" was used in advertisements in promotion of the 2020 AFL season.{{cite web |url=https://themusicnetwork.com/thelma-plum-vanda-young/ |title=Thelma Plum and Baker Boy take out top spots in Vanda & Young songwriting competition
|work=The Music Network |date=12 March 2021 |access-date=19 March 2021 |author=Eliezer, Christie |quote="The AFL used "Meditjin" last year in an ad campaign, translating its message to the role of sports." |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311230419/https://themusicnetwork.com/thelma-plum-vanda-young/ |archive-date=11 March 2021 |url-status=live}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|myKF9mxAJ70|Official music video}}
{{External media
|video1= [https://www.facebook.com/AFL/videos/131862904898116/ Two weeks to the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season!], Australian Football League (via Facebook)
}}
{{Baker Boy}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Songs about Australia
Category:Songs written by Baker Boy
Category:Songs written by Dallas Woods
Category:Songs written by JessB