When Mojo Ruiz de Luzuriaga, known professionally as Mo’Ju (formerly Mojo Juju) dropped her album Native Tongue in 2018, it was one of the most vital albums Australia has seen in years. Collecting a slew of awards and nominations, the release commanded the attention of a nation.

This album would be a career-definer for the singer-songwriter, and mark the culmination of years of quiet, consistent, hard work in the industry. In addition it would also mark a personal, and very purposeful, step in a new creative direction. “I feel like I’ve finally arrived. It feels like a real statement. And it feels good,” Mojo quips. Where her previous output had steered away from being overtly intimate and raw, Native Tongue burst out like a diary on record, a deep exploration of Mojo’s Indigenous and Filipino identity and how this has shaped her.

On the impact the release has had on her life, her career and the wider Australian music landscape, Mojo acknowledges that there’s a new line in the sand. “I think people are starting to realise I’m not fucking around,” she says. “I came here to kick ass and chew gum. And I’m all outta gum.” Over two years on and the Native Tongue momentum reigns high, and has bagged some of her greatest achievements to date off the back of it.

A thought-provoking and articulate speaker, she took on a BIGSOUND keynote address in 2019 and hosted her own panel in 2020, has spoken to media giants including SBS The Feed, VICE, Q&A and The Guardian, and even delved into writing sessions at the famed Songhubs in Brooklyn. Despite the ongoing success of the album, Mo’Ju has not rested on her laurels and her output only seems to have gained momentum.

2019 saw the release of the 7 track mini-album Ghost Town a “side-project” collaboration with producer Joelistics which saw Mo’Ju exploring themes of Ghosts - both literal and metaphorical - and reaching into a more electronica inspired sound. This was followed shortly after in early 2020 by the release of the single Put it on Hold and a 2021 reworking of the Donna Summer classic I Feel Love.

Now Mo’Ju comes with another offering for 2021. Sitting somewhere between an E.P. and an Album is O.K. (produced and co-written by Henry Jenkins and Lewis Coleman), A vulnerable and introspective reflection on mental health and loneliness. Yet, despite the melancholy subject matter, the song writing and production is playful and experimental, leaving you feeling as though perhaps the music itself is the antidote for sadness.

Mo’Ju herself says in artist statement included on the front cover of the vinyl release: “These are sad songs but they were also part of a healing process. Music is pretty special like that and I am extremely grateful to have the tools to express myself and process my feelings through a creative practice. These songs weren’t always intended to be released into the world but in doing so I feel like I am letting go of their weight."