Beyoncé-approved: Hiatus Kaiyote celebrates 15 years of A-list respect

Fifteen years into their career, Melbourne's Hiatus Kaiyote is marking the milestone with a series of anniversary shows. The band, celebrated for its fusion of futuristic soul, jazz, funk, R&B, and hip-hop, has garnered a devoted following among music titans.

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She adds a vocal run that is really hard for me to un-hear.

Artists like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar have sampled their work, while Pharrell Williams and SZA are noted admirers. Frontwoman Nai Palm shared how even Prince was a fan. The group's music is also championed by Flying Lotus's label, Brainfeeder.

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Our song The World It Softly Lulls, there's a vocal part we're doing live that's actually how the sample on the Beyoncé and Jay-Z track [2018's 713] was chopped up.

Palm reflected on the unexpected ways their music has been reinterpreted, noting how a vocal part on their song "The World It Softly Lulls" was chopped up for the Beyoncé and Jay-Z track "713." This feedback loop has even inspired new live interpretations of their own material.

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it feels cool there's a ritual around a number like that.

Looking back for the anniversary shows, Hiatus Kaiyote is re-arranging older songs to ensure they still resonate. "I never want to not like what I do and just be going through the motions for the sake of it," Palm stated. The band, known for its constant innovation, finds that their growth as musicians allows for more creative "colors to paint with," though they acknowledge the importance of simplicity in some tracks, like "Nakamarra."

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How do we fit [four] albums into a two-hour show? That's been really fun.