The 2024 Paris Olympics are fast approaching and many Australians are ready to cheer on our athletes; including Jessica Mauboy.
In fact, the ARIA Award-winning singer has recently released a new song, Higher – which has been selected as the official Australian Team song for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Furthermore, Jess will travel to Paris and perform Higher at the launch of the Australian Olympic Committee’s Flag Bearer Ceremony on July 24.
She’ll then stay in Paris to cheer on the amazing athletes that’ll represent us at this year’s Games; talk about a true patriot!
The Weekly caught up with Jess before she headed to Paris to talk all things Higher and the Olympics… Read our full interview with Jessica Mauboy below.
The Weekly: Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your latest song Higher, the Australian team song for the 2024 Paris Olympics?
Jessica: Yeah, to give a bit of a background, this Australian Olympic team song has been in the making for the last two years. And I really have to thank the Australian Olympic Committee. And also Will Hyde, who’s the executive producer who came up with the idea [and presented it] to the AOC about having the athlete’s team needing their own personal song, which they’ve never done before. So this is the very first time.
You know, a brilliant idea, by the way, I think, having a motivational song or a hype song [for the Australian Olympic team]. Everyone’s got their hype song, to listen to before going to the office or just getting ready in the morning. I know, I do.
But yeah, it’s one of the world’s biggest events, and we wanted to get it right, particularly for the athletes and for the team, who are doing the big job. Who are going out there, who have been preparing for the last five years and, I imagine, are sacrificing a lot of their time being away from their family.
And so, lending my voice to this song, written by Shannon Busch, an incredible artist and singer/songwriter, and her partner Stephen Mowat, they really are the ones that birthed this, and then I was able to just come in and, you know, tweak it.
Emotionally take it to a place where I could imagine being in the shoes of these athletes getting prepared… You know, this song is for the team, to take it over and listen to it in their own time and pump themselves up and, you know, get ready and get prepared.
You’ve touched on it already, but what message do you hope Higher conveys to not only the athletes but your fans?
This song, I think, is a song about believing in yourself. It’s about going out into the world and knowing your ability, or knowing your own power, I guess, that you’ve been working on. You know, knowing who you are and where you come from.
It’s what my mum used to say to me every time I walked outside of the house. Whenever I stepped out into the world, she was like, ‘Hey bub, remember, never forget who you are and where you come from.’
And so this song holds a lot of that identity, a lot of going to a place and not knowing what’s ahead, but being prepared for it at least in some kind of way. So confidence building, believing in yourself and also using that fear to allow you to keep going, to move, and give it a try.
Were there any particular athletes or Olympic moments that inspired you while working on the song?
Oh, I mean, there’s so many! I think of watching Jess Fox, I think of the last time she won an Olympic gold medal; I think she is absolute fire and I can’t wait to watch her again this year at the Paris Olympics.
I always think of, particularly around First Nations mob and also my community, the moment when Cathy Freeman won her race. And, you know, I remember listening to the radio and just hearing that voiceover of like, ‘I think she’s got it, she’s got it. Australia!’ You know? It’s like that goosebump moment.
All these kinds of moments of tears by the end of the race, and what’s just happened in the moment, and the belief, and the getting there about each and every athlete in their field ran through my mind visually while I was singing this song.
You will be performing the song at the Australian Olympic Committee’s Flag Bearer Ceremony in Paris. How are you preparing for this special event?
I’m thinking about putting the amount of soul and respect in [the upcoming performance]. I’m thinking, ‘Who’s going to be there? Who am I singing to?’ And you know, what they represent.
But also I’m coming as a representative of our beautiful country and our beautiful communities; I’m thinking about that more so, psychologically, so that I think puts a lot of heat through my body. Yeah, the passion really drives how I’m going to be able to sing the song.
Yeah. I’m just trying to stay fit and healthy too, I guess. Yeah, I want to be 100 per cent singing these words and be able to hit every single note.
What emotions do you anticipate feeling when performing at such a significant event for the Australian Olympic team?
Yeah, my blood rushes, particularly at these kinds of events, when it has everything to do with representation, and, you know, loving your country and loving how we are as a country… I guess, positivity is what kind of emotion really rushes through me. If I can be a good person and a generous person and give my time and lend my voice, well, that’s what is going to resonate more and I guess transcend more.
What Olympic events are you most looking forward to watching?
The swimming! I’m personally not a great swimmer. But I can swim. I can float, I can do the scissor swim, I can; I’m not great at the butterfly. But I can do the frog swim. Is it the frog?
Yes, or um, breaststroke.
Breaststroke! Oh my God, I need to get my words right [laughs]. Breaststroke. I can do the back one; backstroke! And I can hold my breath underwater for a minute, or two minutes. That’s not that long, is it? Two minutes. Anyway, I think we’re gonna bring it home! So, the swimming, of course.
Oh, and obviously soccer. I love the soccer and watching the girls, the Matildas. I love the girls who are there. I’m looking forward to screaming at the top of my lungs and just cheering as much as I can.
Beyond the Olympics and your most recent album Yours Forever, what other projects are you currently working on or excited about? I know you’ve got the tour coming up…
Yeah, so it’s an extension of the Yours Forever tour that I did early this year in April. And I loved it that much that I was hoping to venture out and see who could come on board to, you know, bring at least two or three shows to life again. So that’s something that I’ve just been working on.
Oh, my goodness, I obviously just did the song with 3%. A song called Won’t Stop. And so that’s something that’s been a wonderful collaboration, which I’d never done before. I’ve always dreamt of working with Nooky, Dallas Woods and Angus [Field]. And it’s just a brilliant song. I think people have really taken to the song as well, particularly our communities, our different communities, and with us coming together. They’re like, ‘Whoa, we didn’t see this coming. But we love it!’ Yeah. So that’s been a dream come true.
And yeah, I’m always kind of writing. I’m always writing at home. So there’s always music in the works, always something to build or projects to put together.
Oh the NIMAs of course! The National Indigenous Music Awards, I have been invited back. And in my hometown [Darwin] is where they’re hosting it. And yeah, the fact that I get to go back and watch all these young people come through and be inspired and, you know, come to a show for black excellence. I think it’s so good. Great to see young people showing up and knowing that they have the ability to do the same and find their power and discover themselves.
Jessica Mauboy will perform Higher on July 24 at the Australian Olympic Committee’s Flag Bearer Ceremony, and her Yours Forever tour continues at The Palms, Crown Melbourne, on September 20 and 21, and at The Manly Barracks on October 5.
