Mia Wray introduces herself with her debut album, a tribute to queerness and self-exploration

Luv’d-upness, self-discovery, getting out of her own way – hi, it’s nice to meet me introduces Noosa’s Mia Wray, freehearted after coming to terms with her queerness.       

This danceable debut album, which follows three EPs (Mia’s debut, self-titled set dropped in 2014), bursts with ear-catching melodies, interspersed with confessional piano ballads (see: Sad But True) and sweeping, orchestral swayers (including Only Love). 

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“What if you were stood right there with my T-shirt on/ You parked your car outside, played my favourite song…” – the joyous What If takes a gamble on love. Fake A Smile is about concealing your true self. But love Is love, right?

“Even if it breaks my heart/ I wanna hold your hand, don’t wanna hide who I am…” – Not Enough’s clap-along breakdown is tailor-made for empowering festival singalongs. Standout track The Way She Moves, resplendent with piano-house hook, soars – thanks to Mia’s operatic chorus flourishes (dat Kate Miller-Heidke?) it’s euphoric; a real, gospelly hands-in-the-air moment.   

Thanks to lyrical specificity (“cigarette butts in the bottles”, magical post-set pashes that leave “glitter on your face”), we’re completely invested in Not The Same As Yesterday as its central love story slowly unfolds: “There’s no way I’m going back, ‘cause it’s the best sex I’ve ever had!” Don’t settle, babe. You deserve it all! 

Mia’s Disney Princess vocal trills that close Everybody Knows float and hover like The Birds fluttering ‘round helping Cinderella glow up for the ball.   We’ll never tire of listening to this one – nice to meet you, too, Mia! 

Did you know? Mia signed to Mushroom Records when she was 16, after winning the 2011 Telstra Roads To Discovery songwriting competition.    

LABEL: MUSHROOM MUSIC
RELEASE: OUT NOW