Thelma Plum has spent over a decade turning diary entries into some of Australia’s most quietly devastating pop songs, and narrowing her catalog down to fifteen tracks is genuinely tough. The Gamilaraay singer-songwriter from Brisbane writes with a directness that catches listeners off guard, wrapping heavy subject matter in melodies that feel almost deceptively breezy. This list moves through the early EPs, the ARIA-nominated debut album, and the more recent singles that show an artist still sharpening her craft.
Homecoming Queen
“Homecoming Queen” remains the song most people associate with Thelma Plum, and for good reason. Released from the 2019 debut album Better in Blak, the track addresses the lack of representation Aboriginal women faced growing up in Australian media, set against a melody so bright it almost disguises the ache underneath. The production builds from a sparse verse into a soaring, string-touched chorus, letting Plum’s vocal stretch out without ever tipping into melodrama. It became one of three ARIA Platinum singles from the album and helped push Better in Blak to number four on the Australian charts.
Better in Blak
The title track of her debut record was born from a genuinely painful place, written after Plum endured a wave of online abuse while recording in London, and that anger translates into one of her most defiant choruses. There’s a real shift in dynamics here, moving from hushed verses into a wall of guitar and percussion that mirrors the emotional turn the song describes. Plum has spoken about turning that ugliness into fuel rather than letting it sit, and the recording carries that transformation in real time. It’s a song that hits differently in the car with the windows down versus on headphones late at night, where the lyrical detail comes through more clearly.
Clumsy Love
“Clumsy Love” was the first song written for Better in Blak, and there’s an unfinished, searching quality to it that fits its place in that creative timeline. The arrangement leans on warm acoustic textures and a loose, conversational vocal delivery, the kind of performance that sounds like Plum thinking out loud rather than performing a finished thought. Lyrically it captures the awkward, uncertain shape of early romantic feeling, something most listeners recognize instantly even if they’ve never put words to it themselves. It also became one of the album’s ARIA Platinum-certified singles, a quiet validation of just how widely that vulnerability resonated.
Not Angry Anymore
Working with producer David Kahne, known for his work with The Strokes and Lana Del Rey, Plum crafted “Not Angry Anymore” into one of the glossiest, most pop-forward moments on Better in Blak. The mix has a real sheen to it, layered synths and a steady backbeat that contrast sharply with lyrics about years of suppressed frustration finally being processed and released. Plum has described feeling consumed by anger toward the industry and people who’d hurt her, and the song works almost like a release valve, loud and unapologetic without losing its melodic hook. For anyone who’s been stuck holding onto resentment far longer than is healthy, this one lands with real recognition.
Love and War
A duet with Gang of Youths frontman Dave Le’aupepe, “Love and War” tackles the mistreatment of incarcerated minors in Australia’s youth justice system, written the night after Plum watched a documentary on the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre. The two voices trade lines and harmonize in a way that gives the song real emotional weight, Le’aupepe’s grain against Plum’s clearer tone creating genuine tension. Production stays restrained, letting the lyrics and the interplay between the vocalists do most of the heavy lifting rather than burying the message under unnecessary layers. It’s one of the more politically direct moments in her catalog, proof that protest songwriting doesn’t have to sacrifice melody to make its point.
Made for You
The closing track on Better in Blak carries one of the more remarkable studio stories in Australian music: written with Paul Kelly, the song unexpectedly gained a contribution from Paul McCartney after he wandered into the New York session where producer David Kahne was mixing it. Musically, it leans into warm, country-tinged melodies and tender pedal steel textures that feel a world away from the sharper pop moments elsewhere on the record. Plum has talked about idolizing Kelly’s songwriting since childhood, and that influence shows in the plainspoken, image-rich lyrics. As a closer, it sends the album out on its gentlest, most hopeful note, a deliberate exhale after everything that came before it.
Nick Cave
Don’t let the title fool you. “Nick Cave” isn’t a tribute to the Bad Seeds frontman so much as a wry, self-deprecating story-song from Plum’s earlier folk-leaning songwriting era, repurposed for the album. The instrumentation stays stripped-back and acoustic, closer to her first EP than the polished alt-pop surrounding it on Better in Blak, which gives listeners a glimpse of where her sound originated. Plum has joked about wanting a cheekier, more playful song on the record, and this one delivers that lighter tonal shift without breaking the album’s overall narrative arc. It’s a good reminder that even an artist known for emotional weight needs room to be a little silly.
Don’t Let a Good Girl Down
This track calls out performative allyship with a bluntness that still feels relevant. The verses move at a brisker clip than much of Better in Blak, and the rhythm section pushes the song forward with real urgency, matching the impatience in the lyrics. Plum has been candid about watching people pick causes for social credit rather than genuine conviction, and that frustration shapes every line here. It’s one of the album’s more rock-leaning cuts, guitar-forward and punchy, the kind of song that benefits from being played loud rather than background-listened on shuffle.
Woke Blokes
“Woke Blokes” takes specific aim at a very particular type of inner-city Sydney guy, and Plum has been refreshingly direct about exactly who inspired it. Musically it sits among the album’s brighter, more upbeat arrangements, with a bouncy rhythm that almost undersells how pointed the lyrics actually are. The contrast between the playful instrumentation and the sharp social commentary is part of what makes the song work; it never feels preachy because the groove keeps things moving. Among Australian alt-pop of that era, few songs managed satire this effectively while staying this listenable.
Do You Ever Get So Sad You Can’t Breathe
Few song titles describe their own content as precisely as this one. Written in the rawest stages of heartbreak, Plum has described sobbing on her bathroom floor while putting these words together, and that visceral honesty comes through in every verse. The arrangement gives her vocal plenty of room to breathe, building gradually rather than rushing toward a cathartic chorus, which suits the slow, grinding nature of real grief. This is a headphones song more than anything else on the list, one that rewards close, undistracted listening where every lyrical detail can land.
Thulumaay Gii
Meaning “thunder and heart” and doubling as Plum’s own middle name, “Thulumaay Gii” is among the most personal songs on Better in Blak, written as a tribute to her mother. Plum has said she worried about sharing something this intimate publicly, and that hesitation gives the song an unusually tender, careful quality compared to the rest of the record. The arrangement stays warm and uncluttered, letting the emotional core of the lyrics carry the weight rather than dressing it up with studio flourishes. It’s a strong example of how Plum’s songwriting often draws directly from her Gamilaraay identity and family history rather than generic pop sentiment.
Backseat of My Mind
Released in May 2022 as the lead single from her third EP, Meanjin, “Backseat of My Mind” marked Plum’s first new original music in three years and signaled a noticeably dreamier, keys-driven direction. Co-written with Alex Burnett and Oli Horton, the song reflects on time spent touring and looking toward the future, built around a nostalgic driving-song feeling that Plum has said she specifically set out to capture. The production has a gentle, sun-bleached quality, all warm keys and unhurried tempo, the kind of track that suits a long highway stretch better than a crowded dance floor. It earned a Song of the Year win at the Queensland Music Awards and nominations at both the National Indigenous Music Awards and APRA Awards, a strong showing for a comeback single.
When It Rains It Pours
Part of the 2022 Meanjin EP, “When It Rains It Pours” leans into the kind of layered melancholy that’s become a signature in Plum’s more recent work. There’s a weariness in the vocal performance here, the sound of someone who’s been through one too many setbacks in close succession, and the production matches that mood with subdued instrumentation rather than big dramatic swells. Where the Better in Blak material often resolved into anthemic choruses, this song sits more comfortably in its own quiet discomfort. It’s a good example of the more understated, reflective songwriting Plum explored across the Meanjin EP.
We Don’t Talk About It
Released in 2023 ahead of the 2024 album I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back, “We Don’t Talk About It” introduced a noticeably trip-hop-influenced groove into Plum’s sound, all shuffling beats and atmospheric space. Lyrically, the song traces specific Brisbane geography, namechecking the West End neighborhood near the river, grounding the track in real, lived-in detail rather than vague imagery. Plum has spoken about Brisbane being a recurring character throughout her songwriting, and this track is one of the clearest examples of that hometown devotion in action. The production polish here, paired with strings and a more mature vocal delivery, signaled the more reflective direction her sophomore album would take.
Freckles
The third single from I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back, co-written with Alex Burnett and Oli Horton, who also produced the track, “Freckles” opens as a tender ballad before settling into a steady, gentle pop-rock pulse. Plum has described it as a love song about being truly seen by another person, and that sense of quiet relief comes through in the warmth of the vocal performance. A repeated, looped vocal hook gives the song an earworm quality without overpowering the more intimate verses surrounding it. Listening on a good pair of headphones reveals just how much detail sits in the background layering, something easy to miss on a phone speaker.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Thelma Plum’s most popular song?
“Homecoming Queen” and “Better in Blak” are widely considered her two biggest and most recognized songs, both certified ARIA Platinum and drawn from her acclaimed 2019 debut album.
What genre does Thelma Plum make music in?
Plum’s sound sits primarily in alternative pop and indie folk, though her catalog moves between acoustic-leaning ballads, brighter pop production, and more recent trip-hop and soul-influenced textures.
What is Thelma Plum’s most recent album?
I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back, released in October 2024 via Warner Music Australia, stands as her second full studio album following 2019’s Better in Blak.
Is Thelma Plum an Indigenous Australian artist?
Yes, Plum is a proud Gamilaraay woman, and her Indigenous identity and personal history inform much of her songwriting, including standout tracks like “Homecoming Queen” and “Thulumaay Gii.”
Which Thelma Plum song would suit a long drive?
“Backseat of My Mind” was written specifically as a nostalgic road-trip song, making it a natural choice for a long highway stretch, and pairing it with a solid pair of earbuds brings out the warmth in its keys-driven production.
Where can readers explore more song recommendations like this?
The songs section on the site features more deep dives into artists across genres, and for listeners curious about gear, the headphones comparison guide is a useful starting point for getting the most out of detailed productions like Plum’s.