Cover moment, Amaarae unveils ‘BLACK STAR’, a global club tapestry grounded in Ghanaian pride

Amaarae’s ‘BLACK STAR’ on Interscope Records features collaborators and the Ghana shot ‘Fineshyt’ video, watch and stream now.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jenna Marsh

A cover worthy chapter arrives as Amaarae unveils ‘BLACK STAR’, available now via Interscope Records. Her reputation for breaking the mold with alternative, pop, R&B, and Afrobeats evolves into a bold new synthesis here. The album sends up Ghanaian roots as a rallying cry for youth culture everywhere, and its diaspora hopping reach becomes a futuristic statement of cultural pride. Ghettotech, house, techno, baile funk, and African dance genres form the palette, all marked by signature softness and hypnotic vocals. The guest constellation features PinkPantheress, Naomi Campbell, Bree Runway, Starkillers, and Charlie Wilson.

‘BLACK STAR’ recontextualizes Ghanaian and African music with pop and club sounds across time and space, tying these elements to the roots of modern day dance music, house and techno. Arriving in tandem, the official ‘Fineshyt’ video provides a vivid visual. Shot in Ghana, it trails a magnetic young woman navigating club scenes and city streets with sensual, self assured quiet confidence.

Amaarae shares about ‘Fineshyt’, “1998 had Blue by French Duo Eiffel 65, 1999 had Believe by Cher & at the turn of a new millennium Modjo gave us Lady. Now, we’re at the mark of a quarter century, and Fineshyt is my contribution to a sound and feeling that not only took over clubs but minds, bodies and souls alike. Music is such a beautiful and special medium and being an artist has been God’s greatest gift to me. I remember being a little girl in Ghana hearing Believe by Cher and immediately being entranced. The hard tuned vocals, the glittery dance beat, and that hook! Do you believe in life after love! What a sentiment. A true manifesto of life. My favourite thing to do as an artist is take an inspired concept and flip it on its head. In this case, Fineshyt is Believe’s bad ass play cousin or maybe its evil twin sister!”

The album’s dedication points to community and identity. ‘BLACK STAR’ is for the alternative youth of Ghana who are finding their footing each day, and for Black baddies worldwide. The lead up included July’s effortlessly sleek ‘Girlie-Pop’ with a video directed by Omar Jones. Visually, ‘Girlie Pop’ offers a bold and sensual glimpse into beat driven ecstasy when two souls collide and music supplies the necessary alchemy, in and out of the club. In June, ‘S.M.O’ arrived with the album announcement, exploring sexual liberation and empowerment across highlife, kpanlogo, and zouk. On ‘B2B’, DJ lingo helps frame a playful song about “love that is taken but given back at the same time,” she explains. With lilting melodies and cool girl energy, ‘Fineshyt’ becomes a soundtrack for women and femmes that highlights “the confidence of being feminine and feeling beautiful.”