What happens when you take some of Aotearoa’s biggest musical hits, throw away the rulebook and challenge artists from completely different backgrounds to reinvent them? That’s the creative force behind Beyond the Beat, the innovative music series created and directed by Gal Hochman.
Now returning for a second season on Thursday, October 29, the series brings together established New Zealand musicians and emerging artists to transform familiar songs into something entirely unexpected.
From Māori heavy metal reimagined as Afro hip-hop to country music transformed into reggae, the latest season celebrates the extraordinary diversity of Aotearoa’s music scene.
And for Hochman, the series is about much more than producing a new version of a popular song.
It’s about bringing artists together, exploring their stories and discovering what happens when different cultures, generations and musical traditions collide.
Five Songs, Five Musical Transformations
Season two features some of the country’s most recognisable performers, including JessB, Aaradhna, Kaylee Bell, The Black Seeds and Māori metal trio Alien Weaponry.
Each is paired with another artist who approaches their music from a different creative direction.
The five musical collaborations include:
- Kaylee Bell and Myshaan: The country-pop hit Cowboy Up is transformed into melodic roots reggae.
- The Black Seeds and Jaedyn Randell: Reggae favourite So True becomes an emotional R&B ballad.
- JessB and Dani James: Hip-hop track MOOD is reinvented as country-pop and Americana.
- Aaradhna and Verity: Forever Love receives a fresh interpretation exploring the emotions behind the original.
- Alien Weaponry, Tida and Jujulipps: Heavy metal track Crown is transformed into multilingual Afro hip-hop.
The series follows the creative journey behind each transformation, giving audiences an opportunity to see how artists develop ideas, challenge one another and ultimately produce something new.
Te Reo Māori Meets Shona and Hip-Hop
One of the most distinctive collaborations involves Māori metal band Alien Weaponry.
Known internationally for combining heavy metal with te reo Māori and Māori history, the band has built a reputation for bringing Indigenous language and identity into contemporary music.
For Beyond the Beat, Alien Weaponry’s track Crown is reimagined by Tida and Jujulipps through an Afro hip-hop interpretation.
The collaboration brings together three languages: te reo Māori, English and Shona, a language spoken predominantly in Zimbabwe.
The result is a musical exchange that moves beyond genre, exploring the connections between language, identity and cultural expression.
The collaboration also demonstrates how Indigenous and multicultural perspectives can create new possibilities within Aotearoa’s contemporary music scene.
More Than Just Cover Songs
Hochman’s approach is to place the creative process at the centre of the series.
Rather than simply presenting audiences with a finished recording, each episode begins with the artists discussing the original song, its meaning and the experiences that shaped it.
Working alongside resident producer Mazbou Q, the musicians then deconstruct the track and rebuild it through a completely different musical style.
That process can involve rewriting lyrics, changing arrangements and challenging established approaches to songwriting and performance.
The series also captures the uncertainty, experimentation and occasional disagreements that come with creative collaboration.
For Hochman, those moments are an important part of the story.
The programme explores how musicians from different backgrounds can find common ground through shared experiences, emotion and storytelling.
Giving Emerging Artists a Platform
Another important feature of Beyond the Beat is its commitment to showcasing emerging talent alongside established performers.
The format provides younger and less widely known musicians with opportunities to collaborate with some of the country’s most recognised artists.
It also introduces audiences to performers and musical styles they might not ordinarily encounter.
The first season, launched during New Zealand Music Month in May 2025, featured artists including MELODOWNZ, Kings, Drax Project, Cassie Henderson and Mazbou Q.
Its success has helped establish a format that celebrates both the legacy of New Zealand music and the creativity of the next generation.
Aotearoa’s Musical Identity Takes Centre Stage
The return of Beyond the Beat comes at a time when conversations about representation, cultural diversity and the future of New Zealand music remain important.
For Māori and Pacific musicians, opportunities to showcase language, identity and cultural perspectives are an essential part of ensuring the country’s music industry reflects the communities that shape it.
The series demonstrates how traditional genre boundaries can be challenged while retaining the stories and cultural influences behind the original songs.
It also provides a platform for audiences to discover the connections between different musical traditions.
Where to Watch
Beyond the Beat Season Two premieres on Thursday, October 29, 2026, with five weekly episodes released on YouTube.
The series is produced by Chillbox Creative with support from NZ On Air.
More information is available at www.beyondthebeat.co.nz.
For Gal Hochman, the kaupapa behind Beyond the Beat is about celebrating the diversity, creativity and talent that make Aotearoa’s music scene unique — and showing that sometimes the most exciting music happens when artists step completely outside their comfort zones.
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