Since the start of his career, Genesis Owusu has not only defied categorisation, he’s actively pushed against it. Born in Ghana and raised in Canberra alongside his older brother and fellow artist Citizen Kay, his work is as meaningful and layered as it is thrilling and impossible to define. Taking elements of funk, soul, post-punk, hip-hop, R&B and more, he’s as comfortable crooning on sun-kissed, soulful jams (“Wit’ da Team”) as he is spitting furious verses (“Void”). His 2021 debut, Smiling With No Teeth, is a concept album that documents his experiences with two “black dogs”—representations of racism and depression. It showcases not only his talent for deeply affecting songwriting, but his genuinely borderless approach to sound and genre. Witness the range between the adrenaline-spiking “The Other Black Dog”, a frantic, almost anxiety-inducing track with choppy synths and a heavy rhythm, and “A Song About Fishing”, a completely laidback piece about how, despite situations feeling hopelessly dire, he nevertheless tries to persevere.