Publicity Campaign: Malaika Mfalme - ‘Berlin’
Malaika Mfalme unveils ‘Berlin’, a soulful ode to friendship, grief, and the freedom of being unknown.
Emerging as one of Australia’s most captivating voices in folk-soul, Malaika Mfalme (he/they) returns with their deeply personal new single, ‘Berlin’. The release marks the first taste from forthcoming EP ‘Unfurling’ – a project rooted in the heartbreak and healing of friendship breakups, and the transformative power of chosen family.
The new single was written during Malaika’s stint in Berlin, penned in his bedroom at a time of emotional upheaval. Inspired by Malaika’s own journey through loss, isolation, and the strange comfort found in the anonymity of a foreign city, ‘Berlin’ captures the tension between grief and the relief of being unknown. “I wrote this song about three years ago, when I was in Berlin. I’d just lost my passport, was feeling disconnected from friends, and realised how freeing it can be to be unknown,” shares Malaika. “There’s a line in the chorus that still hits me: ‘Maybe I won’t apologise for who I am in a place that don’t give a damn.’”
Something that helped Malaika through this period was the party scene in Berlin. “It made me feel at home and fully accepted within the queer community there. That sense of joy and belonging was such a contrast to the heaviness I’d been carrying.” This inspired the animated music video for ‘Berlin’, which stands as a celebration of Black queer joy. The video brings a sense of levity and fun, counterbalancing the seriousness of the lyrics with the joy Malaika found in Berlin.
Despite its solemn themes, ‘Berlin’ is driven by one of Malaika’s most intricate and uplifting guitar riffs, with production by the iconic Lunar Martins (her last project before retiring due to illness). The track is further enriched by the warmth of gang vocals made to sound like a large audience, recorded with Malaika’s twin and closest friends, capturing a moment of pure, communal joy.
Known for weaving East and South African call-and-response traditions with indie pop and soul, Malaika’s music is grounded in the intimacy of vocals and guitar. While ‘Berlin’ leans into a more indie pop feel, it’s unmistakably personal, an invitation into Malaika’s world, where grief, love, and the search for connection are met with honesty and hope.
‘Berlin’ is the opening chapter of ‘Unfurling’, a three-track EP exploring the often-unspoken pain of friendship breakups and the marks left by those we love. From the pattern-breaking ‘Thirteen’ to the reflective ‘The History of Me and You’, Malaika’s new work is a poetic journey about moving forward.
2025 is shaping up as a breakthrough year for Malaika. Recently signed to Offbeat Collective and represented by Hunger Digital, Malaika has shared stages with the likes of Alter Boy, Alex the Astronaut, and Ben Lee, while continuing to champion queer and BIPOC communities through events like Queers of Joy and Inkloosive Groove. His work extends beyond music, supporting causes from Gaza relief to Indigenous queer advocacy. Malaika Mfalme brings a voice that is both timeless and carries a powerful message.
