As netizens continue to criticise Amaarae for not featuring a home-based Ghanaian artist on her new album and instead working with artists from the diaspora, the singer has shared some insights into the project.
The backlash started when fans noticed that none of the featured artists on the album were Ghana-based.
Some netizens said it was her artistic choice, others argued they had expected local collaborations due to how Amaarae consistently introduced songs of her colleagues to the world.
The singer addressed backlash for not featuring a Ghanaian on the ‘Black Star’ album.
A fan on X summed up this feeling, writing: “Definitely not by force, people are just saying she made the album like it was going to be about her ‘Ghanaian identity’ and things because of the whole rollout.”
Amaarae responded to the fan and said ‘Black Star’ is rooted in her Ghanaian identity and shaped by Ghanaian music through her lens.
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“Loooool. This album is definitely about my GH Identity & GH music through my lens. If you go back to my Coachella performance during my GH segment, I played 3 key songs. Godzilla La Meme Gang, Wengeze Eazzy, Sore Asaaka boys.
“Signaling that the genres I would be leaning into were Higlife/Asokpor, Azonto & Afro trap. Straight out the gate! Stuck Up is Electro mixed with Asokpor & BZ FUNK. It has a similar vibe to early La Meme, just slower. Bree Runway’s monotonic opening verse is reminiscent of EAZZY’s vocal on Wengeze/Bo wons3m mame, ms60 is afro trap. SMO & FINESHYT is 80s highlife, Bacardi & zouk drums fused over Detroit club and euro dance.”
Amaarae
According to her, the album blends different Ghanaian genres like Highlife, Asokpor, Azonto, Hiplife, Gospel, and Afro trap, but with new elements inspired by her travels and global influences.
“100DRUM is GH gospel, and the funk percussion on it is reminiscent of kpanlogo rhythms, that’s why I used them. FREE THE YOUTH is straight hip life and AZONTO with trap synths. BISA K DEI AYI & AZONTO GHOST vocals were my reference for FineShyt vocal chain, along with Lady by Modjo & Blue by Eiffel 65.
“I went to BRAZIL to record before I came to Ghana because BRAZILIANS have very few drum patterns, but for the past decade + they have been able to continuously innovate and refresh their sound in so many ways, and I wanted to learn from that and see how I could do that with GH music! They say be the change you want to see, & this was my interpretation of what I see for the next frontier of GH MUSIC from a Global perspective.”
Amaarae
Amaarae Named Spotify EQUAL Africa Artist
Amaarae
Spotify named Ghanaian trailblazer Amaarae as the EQUAL Africa artist for August, spotlighting her as one of the continent’s artists who continues to push creative and cultural boundaries with every beat, lyric, and look.
Amaarae, born Ama Serwah Genfi, raised between Ghana and the USA, often pulls her musical inspiration from the cultures and genres she grew up with.
She has consistently pushed the boundaries of sound and identity, with her unique fusion of alternative, pop, R&B, and Afrobeats cementing her place as a singular voice in modern music.
Her musical journey took a turn in a computer lab in Ghana in 2009, where she taught herself to make beats on a cracked version of FL Studio.
That moment sparked the fire for a career that would go on to produce game-changing projects like “The Angel You Don’t Know” and global hits such as “Sad Girlz Luv Money”.
Amaarae’s inclusion on Spotify’s Global Impact List for the first half of the year, highlighting the most-exported Ghanaian songs, was no surprise. She has become a symbol of how African music is travelling further, faster, and louder than ever before.
Amaarae
With her latest album “Black Star,” she returns to her Ghanaian roots with bold energy, crafting what she calls a “rallying cry for youth culture around the world. This album is bringing the alternative community to the forefront, and being fearless about that.”
“I navigate the music world with balance, willpower, and strength. The challenges are real, don’t get me wrong, but I put my blinders on, lock into tunnel vision, and get to work. And when I come across another woman on the journey, especially a Black woman, I do my best to share knowledge, create opportunities, and lighten the load where I can.”
Amaarae
As part of Spotify’s EQUAL programme, which amplifies women’s voices worldwide, Amaarae joins a growing list of African women shaping the future through sound and self-expression.
“Amaarae embodies the spirit of boundary-pushing creativity that EQUAL stands for,” said Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music for Sub-Saharan Africa. “Her artistry is bold, distinct, and unapologetically authentic – qualities that continue to inspire a new generation of artistes across the continent and beyond.”
