Amaarae – Blackstar album
Ghanaian genre-bender Amaarae has delivered her most ambitious project yet with BLACK STAR, a dizzying pop fantasia that flips the script. Following the critical acclaim of 2023’s Fountain Baby, the third studio album finds Amaarae in a completely different headspace, more confident, more playful, and ready to push boundaries even further.
Black Star takes a more playful approach, drawing inspiration from Ghanaian roots while embracing global pop sensibilities. Unlike the more serious tone of Fountain Baby, BLACK STAR sees the singer having more fun, and this joy is infectious throughout the album’s 44-minute runtime.
The production, helmed by Amaarae alongside longtime collaborator Kyu Steed, showcases an artist unafraid to experiment. The pair travelled to Brazil to work with baile funk producers, resulting in a sound that seamlessly blends Afrobeats, hyperpop, and electronic elements with unexpected flourishes of Brazilian funk and highlife influences.
BLACK STAR boasts one of the year’s most eclectic feature lineups. The project features a star-studded lineup that blends pop, R&B, electronic, and experimental vibes, including UK hyperpop darling PinkPantheress, British rapper Bree Runway, and R&B legend Charlie Wilson.
Listen to “Blackstar” album here
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