Spin Off inspirations: Miss Kaninna on the music, people and experiences that inspire her

by Check Check | Tuesday Jul 02, 2024 | Features

Miss Kaninna won three awards at the 2025 AIR Awards, Photograph supplied

Spin Off festival is happening at Adelaide Showground on Kaurna Country this Friday 19 July. The lineup includes international headliners girl in red, Conan Gray and The Last Dinner Party and local acts G Flip, Peach PRC, RONA., Miss Kaninna, and more.

In the lead-up to the event, we’re speaking to Spin Off acts about their biggest inspirations. First up is Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Kalkadoon and Yirendali woman Miss Kaninna, whose music runs the gamut from hard-hitting, ultra-confident trap to lithe, sensual neo-soul.

Born and raised in lutriwita/Tasmania and now based in Naarm/Melbourne, Miss Kaninna has established herself as one of the country’s most essential new voices over the last 12 months. Her latest single, “Push Up,” follows last year’s “Blak Britney” and “Pinnacle Bitch,” which saw her win the Justin Cosby Award for Best Emerging Artist at SXSW Sydney and triple j Unearthed Artist of the Year in 2023.

Miss Kaninna's biggest inspirations

Miss Kaninna’s music is an expression of her “diversity and experiences,” she tells Check Check. “I take information from not only lived experiences but issues within my community,” she says.

Miss Kaninna grew up listening to R&B, hip hop, soul and country music. Soul and jazz legends Etta James, Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone were early favourites, along with hip hop and neo-soul artists Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu.

“I just connect to artists who say it like it is and pour their hearts into their work,” she says. “The women are who I draw the most inspiration to my creativity.”

Miss Kaninna’s music reflects her diverse taste. “Push Up” takes cues from Afrobeats and contemporary R&B, distinguishing it from the dancey hip hop sound of “Blak Britney” and the trap-influenced “Pinnacle Bitch.”

“It is an expression of my softer side,” Kaninna says of “Push Up.” “I love nothing more than singing, and I often use it as a form of therapy.”

“Push Up” is a “true representation” of what listeners can expect from Miss Kaninna. She explains, “I don’t really feel as though I belong to one genre. What drives my expression is my love for music and performing.”

Kaninna worked with producer Jacob Farah on “Push Up”. “As two Black artists, we wanted to deliver music that has the potential to stand up against international acts, music that feels good, music for our communities and music we wanna listen to,” she says.

On stage, Miss Kaninna expresses herself through fashion, wearing a mix of heels, knee-high boots, denim cut-offs and revealing, bodycon outfits.

“I find dressing the way I do is a form of liberation and also a form of resistance,” Kaninna says. “Women are constantly told what and what not to wear, and what men deem ‘appropriate.’ So I just wear what makes me feel good.”

“I am really loving the journey to creating bigger and better shows,” she adds, “but all in good time.”

Follow Miss Kaninna: Spotify | Facebook | Instagram