Amaarae

"I love to bridge worlds that should not exist together,” says Amaarae, an international star who has broken the mold with her boundary-pushing blend of alternative, pop, R&B, and Afrobeats. Raised between Atlanta, New Jersey, and Accra, the singer/songwriter/producer has always transcended borders through her fluid songs of personal liberation and sensuality. But on her new album BLACK STAR, the artist born Ama Serwah Genfi presents her boldest mix of global sonics yet. On the follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2023 sophomore LP Fountain Baby, she fully sends up her Ghanaian roots as a rallying cry for youth culture around the world. “Joy is a form of rebellion,” she continues. “Dance music brings about that sense of release and communion that we need right now, especially as individualism has become more prominent.” The cross-pollination of BLACK STAR is a true showcase of Amaarae’s tastemaking instincts and expansive knowledge of music. “My voice has always stood first and foremost for the kids who are different in all ways,” she says. “This album is bringing the alternative community to the forefront, and being fearless about that." Using songwriting as a way to “metabolize feelings” since middle school, Amaarae sees BLACK STAR as a full-circle moment—harkening back to when she recorded her first Passionfruit Summers EP in her mother’s house in Ghana. “This era is about vindication—for myself and my community,” she declares.