Tkay Maidza to Help Discover the Next Wave of Aussie Talent

Samsung Electronics Australia has today announced that UNDSCVRD, one of the world’s earliest TikTok music reality shows, is back for a second season. The nation-wide search for the country’s next up-and-coming recording artist takes place entirely on TikTok, asking undiscovered artists to post and tag their unique audition videos to get the attention of the show’s producers. 

Returning after a successful run last year with Aussie music icons The Veronicas, this year UNDSVRD will feature global R&B artist Tkay Maidza, as mentor. Maidza has had a jam packed year, coming off a recent ARIA win for Best Soul/R&B release, headline tours in Australia and the US, and supporting arena tours for Dua Lipa in Australia and Billie Eilish in the US. Joining Maidza on UNDSCVRD will be accredited producer and writer, James Angus, and music video director Sam Evans. 

Playing out as a daily documentary on TikTok, UNDSCVRD will showcase the journey of five budding artists as they work together on challenges and find their music identity through the creation of an original music track and accompanying music video. The four-week vertical video series will be broadcast exclusively on the @UNDSCVRD_artist TikTok channel with the first episode going live March 2023. 

On the return of UNDSCVRD and her involvement in the show, Tkay Maidza said, “As someone who benefited from an artist development program, it's a privilege for me to be able to give back and work with local artists to discover their musical potential.” 

“Thanks to Samsung, UNDSCVRD is providing new artists with the opportunity to break into the music industry and I’m extremely excited to be included in that.” 

Tkay Maidza will guide and coach each of the contestants, offering insights as they learn the ropes of the music industry and how to put a personal touch on their individual brands. Assisted by producers James Angus and Brooke Toia, UNDSCVRD artists will have the opportunity to evolve their music style and express it through the creation of their own original song. 

Samsung Australia’s Garry McGregor, vice president, mobile experience division, said, “Our inaugural season of UNDSCVRD received so much love and support for the aspiring artists we have in Australia, we decided to launch a second season to continue nurturing our local musicians.” 

“We’re excited to have the incredibly gifted Tkay Maidza join us as a mentor for season two, where she will support contestants as they develop their personal sound. It will be inspiring to see more hidden music gems unearthed through this experience.” 

Each episode will be crafted to give the contestants a taste of the real world, including tips and tricks to cut through on TikTok.

The final TikTok episode will consist of a live concert in front of music industry executives and influencers with performances from each of the contestants as well as Tkay Maidza. Afterwards, each artist will have the opportunity to release their original single alongside a music video produced as part of the UNDSCVRD series with the winner going on to record a five-track EP. 

Alex Reid, series producer and co-founder of production company Amplify, said, “This is a new way for musicians to get noticed by the music industry without having to give up the rights to their music. Each contestant retains the ownership of the music masters and associated content they make on the show thanks to the partnership with Samsung”  

Coming off the brand’s recent launch of the Galaxy Z Series which offers a premium, stylish device in a unique form factor, contestants will be receiving mentor messages, challenges, and updates through the fourth generation Galaxy Z Flip4.

Auditions for UNDSCVRD are open from today until 2 January 2023 with the final contestants announced on 10 January 2023. To enter the competition, use the tags @UNDSCVRD_artist and #UNDSCVRD in a video on TikTok. Entries may include newly uploaded content or by simply adding these tags to existing videos of a performance. 

More information on how to enter UNDSCVRD and Terms & Conditions, can be found at @UNDSCVRD_artist on TikTok.  

UNDSCVRD has been developed in partnership with Australian production and talent agency, Amplify for Samsung. 

To join the conversation on social, use #UNDSCVRD. To explore the latest Galaxy Z Series devices, visit https://www.samsung.com/au/smartphones/galaxy-z.