Amaa Rae feels like a singing psychologist dealing with human connection
Bringing some sexual healing into the bargain
It was 3 hours to midnight in a duplex off Wumba district when I decided to listen to Amaa Rae cradle a microphone and pour out her heart. Some two-three-minute odes to innocence. They were pure sonically, and it was obvious Amaa Rae’s intention, content-wise, was for it to be clear cut.
On “Obsolete Truth”, Amaa Rae sings “I look at you and can’t believe, you are the only one that really knows how to fuck me, you’re the only one that really knows how to love me, you’re the only one that really gets me, you’re the only one that…could”, intimating a truth we grapple with but often cannot express. Between the words ‘that’ and ‘could’, within those ellipses you see, the producer inserts two droplets of water —conceivably, tears— to punctuate the steady piano. And in this moment, Amaa Rae sniffs, showing uncertainty, hesitating before finally inserting “could disrespect me”.
Rae’s vocal work is clean and dexterous. Kay So, Amaa Rae’s sound engineer shifts between plain singing to echoes of her own voice behind the main register and a few lines auto-tuned to vaguely resemble a masculine bass singer, or perhaps, a monster. This song establishes such closeness, you can feel her very presence or picture Rae as she sings. It is this sort of intimacy that defines Amaa Rae’s music. She strikes you as a very expressive person, and oh in reality, Amaa Rae actually detests suppressing her voice. There are no PG 13 allusions, she makes direct references to some of our favourite things.
Many artists notoriously delay interviews, but Amaa Rae comes online immediately, offering readable laughter and cheerful banter before we begin. She seems unhurried and relaxed even though she’s had to take some time off work for this interview. “It’s all I do”, she tells me. And we begin.
It’s the week after Native had a cursory misinterpretation of music composition and misunderstanding with artist, AYLØ, who featured Amaa Rae on the track, “Whoa!” off his album, type written as <Insert Project Name/>, a rich synthesis of alt and soul we had reviewed —but the article is now in our back end. On “Whoa!”, both artists are deft behind the mic.
I ask for Rae’s thoughts on the “Whoa!” song review in question. There is always some level of meaning lost between artist and consumer, and in this case, journalists. Such that, parts of a song’s intended understanding can be lost during interpretation for a music review. Amaa Rae shows she understands this when she says, “to me ehn…”—Rae often switches between her Ghanaian and American accent intermittently— “…music can be interpreted in so many different ways because different people from all walks of life are connecting to a song but taking different things away from it, that’s the beauty of music. It’s so raw, so imperfect even when it’s perfect.”
Rae speaks comprehensively like this, all through our interview. In fact, she makes my job easier as a journalist who sometimes struggles with artists who give information in short supply, turning us into chickens scratching the surface for context. She dribbles tactfully between the side of the artist (who is her close associate) and NATIVE. A psychologist, I tell you, she actually is. This is beyond a conversation. We barter. Like a market, she gifts me honesty and mediates without breaking trust in the conversation. Then, she unburdens AYLØ’s burden to me.
“from working with him, this is somebody that takes painstaking time to write every line, he puts a certain level of energy to his music. And he’s very very protective and sensitive about his music. So I think for him what frustrates him is when an idea or emotion or intention he’s trying to portray or project is lost on the person, as opposed to them maybe conferring with him the interpretive for themselves.”
Amaa Rae’s goal is to glaze or entwine her creativity with human physical interaction, but beyond this mission, with what she has just said, I think she’s both an apt intervener and prophet. Then she talks of the publication with laser focus clarity.
“But as far as publications go though, I feel like it’s [their] responsibility to speak to an artist. Ask them, you know, what is it you mean when you say this. And print exactly that because it’s [also their] responsibility to ensure our art is respected in the sense where you guys help to relay information to fans or other [potential] listeners. To maintain the integrity of the publication, as well as the artist by meeting them half way.”
Now, this should tell you that when Amaa Rae harnesses her gifts, the results would be impossible to argue with. Yet, she often doubts herself, letting her insecurities creep in. This may be cliché but indeed, I’m dealing with someone who is going to be a force to reckon with: Ama Serwah Genfi. Conversations like this will be part of the past glories she will revisit when she breaks out. Her Upcoming EP, Passion Fruit Summers will be the victory lap, capping what has been thus far, a marathon.
Amaa Rae —the name ‘Rae’ is adopted from her longtime fave, Corrine Bailey Rae— wants to put out a project that isn’t only undeniable in its quality but in its content as well. She isn’t exactly aiming for a Grammy or such accolades she tells me, but timeless music that will transcend time, same way Amy Winehouse’ craft has done overtime. “People I look up to are like D’angelo, Sade, even the Arctic Monkeys.” She goes on, “Pine Paladino the-Bass-player, John Meyer…I have a whole bunch of influences, but one thing that is consistent within my influence is the way they move as musicians.”
Right away, she invites me into the inner sanctum of what some of her confessional songs are created for. “I really really want people to listen to the music and to feel me and…” She emphasizes on that word ‘feel’, leaving a certain long-lasting effect as she communicates —similar to how she wants her music to be long-lived and dynamic. Amma Rae continues, “to connect to the music on a different level, to finally start to appreciate raw sexual expression from women and to indulge in that.”
Amma Rae’s creativity and persona feels like a singing psychologist that deals with human connection. She seems to always sound like she is engaging with this persona critically, making her audience wallow in the same moment, but also questioning the story she tells. So I ask her, “how true is the story you tell on “Obsolete Truth” and what do you think is the correlation between pain and emotion in music?” and she says,
“The story of Obsolete Truth is so true that it was actually a foreshadow of the demise of a relationship that I was in. And this was a relationship that was very pivotal to my growth both as an artist and as a human being.”
This is a song she loathed to put out a year ago. There are three producers on it: Kuvie, who produced Burna Boy’s recently released “Chilling Chillin”, producer Nel Magnum who has worked on Lvin Red’s “On Top of The World” and Kay So, the mastermind behind the mixing of what was in fact an impromptu circumstantial freestyle of a sensitive moment.
You see, at the time, 22 year old Amaa Rae was phone called by her partner who came to see her, but her phone was off —she was having a studio session. So they got into an argument. There was exchange of words and insults. “You know, typical relationship stuff”, Rae adds and continues, “one of the producers I was working with in the studio started playing this piano loop and it just kept going and going.” Meanwhile, there were about 10 people in this studio, all staring at Amaa Rae’s eyes in search of words. “Yo, Rae you gotta write something,” she retells. But hours passed, she didn’t write anything. At about 2 or 3 am, she tapped Kay So lightly on the arm.
“I’m ready to record.”
What she recorded was this.
In Rae’s words, she “free styled [this] song from top to bottom”, although it included a verse that she had in mind about 6 months prior: “When the nights are cold and life is obsolete…”. She continues talking, “and I hated [the song]. Till today, I don’t like the obsolete truth”.
If certain types of artists thrive on pain and emotion in music to facilitate their creativity, bringing out a certain rawness of expression, for Rae, what she mainly thrives on is imagination. “Outside of my imagination, I thrive on human connection. And my most potent connection are very often with people that are close to my heart. And it’s very often with people that are able to tap into a certain energy inside me.” This isn’t to say that her creativity is just based on human physical interaction alone, she explains, “those are some of the things that make up my raw expression. It’s that physical potent human interaction.”
Although Amaa Rae makes sex sound sacred, like a worshiping session between lovers, —“an interpretation of what your soul and spirit wants to tell the person but can’t find the words to”— the human physical interaction she speaks of isn’t just sex alone. She continues, “I mean touching, I mean kissing, I mean holding someone’s hand, I mean hugging, I mean caressing or playing with somebody’s hair. Those are the details I watch and look at or feel when somebody does them to me or [vice versa].”
The sentence may certainly feel unusual to those who cringe or stay guarded towards verbal messages about sex. In many African countries, Sex is a taboo topic. Not to talk of singing explicitly about it. Artists who make bold statements, shake us up and make us uncomfortable, are those we need; they are the true parts of our thoughts. There are no processed thoughts here. When angry or emotional, we choose to be mute and repeatedly want to be ‘rational’. But what really is rationality? Sometimes our true thoughts in that moment are what really is. After blurting out in anger, you may be wrong anyway, but your thought in that furious moment is not downright out of keeping. This is part of the key preservative of “obsolete truth”.
Amaarae is not here for anger though. The ultimate goal for Rae’s upcoming EP, Passionfruit Summers, “is for guys or even anyone, to play for women, and then make love to them. To put you in that mood with another person you’re feeling and ultimately, get to sort of connect physically through this medium of music.” She says. She tells me she doesn’t shy away from her sexuality because it’s a core part of her expression.
Do not however get it twisted through use of certain vocabulary on “Last Weekend (Ready 4 U)” or “Body & Soul/Pu$$ywet”. While Amma Rae’s singing certainly has explicit material, it is not as much an avalanche of juicy things in a sweet voice. Embedded in her songs, are critical and intellectual take outs. A line like “all the ones we tossed aside, chasing after selfish pride” on “Luvr’s”, restates Amaa Rae’s defining duality.
A comment on “Whoa!” via Soundcloud reads, “Who’s Amaarae??” Well, this is she and ye millennials have to keep up. Marvin Gaye may have done this on Here, My Dear decades ago, but what this Generation Y artist lays forth is keenness to work hard, she envisions exactly where the greats have been. Imagine a future possibility of someone surpassing them.
But first, a body of work.
“there are moments that are quiet and peaceful and introspective. But those moments are very short as compared to the more elegant and extravagant moments within the project,” She says of Passionfruit Summers.
Everything we know about Amaa Rae will be in it: contemporary R&B folded into experimental soul, and pieces of Amaa Rae the producer, singer, mixer and songwriter; the lascivious lyrics that swings between jibes and affection; and most of all, Rae’s vulpine melodies. Developed from a childhood spent listening to the overtly sexual Nellyville, her hooks and adlibs on the EP will be more indelible than ever. She promises.
NB: This post has been updated with the EP title, formerly, Sex Heartbreak and The Beach, now, Passionfruit Summers, set for a November 30th 2017 release date.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/amaarae
Fisayo is a journalist in search of words. Tweet at her @fisvyo
ICYMI: Here’s Another Ghanaian Artist Who Wears her sexuality like a day suit
Luwa.Mp4 Releases Riotous Debut Album, ‘punKstA*’
Across the album’s 12 tracks, Luwa.Mp4 continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock,...
Rising singer and rapper Luwa.Mp4 has released his debut album titled ‘punKstA*.’ The underground star who has been on a release spree all year long, announced the imminent arrival of his debut only a couple of days ago with a cryptic trailer video and an Instagram caption that simply read ‘PUNKSTA* MONDAY.’
Before the arrival of ‘punKstA*,’ the rising fusion star had been showcasing his diligence and talent with a consistent output that has seen him put out over a dozen songs since the start of the year. A string of singles led to a 6-pack titled ‘lore skooL,’ while a deluxe version that housed 5 new songs came just a month later.
His debut album’s lead single, “pUNK FANTASY,” arrived in late July, setting the stage for what could prove to be a pivotal moment in the underground star’s burgeoning career.
Across the album’s 12 tracks, the eclectic singer continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock, Afropop, Hyperpop, and Rap into something uniquely different. Tracks like “Pure Water,” which was previously teased on Cruel Santino’s Subaru Live Stream, the abrasive, Tecno-influenced “pROMISED NEVERLAND,” and the more laidback “pEEp MY RIDE” put on display the sort of varied, autotune-soaked approach that has set him apart and helped carve a growing niche.
While Luwa decided to go solo on his debut, credited as the only recording artist, the album was brought to life by a cast of talented producers like frequent collaborator TOPSY, Emyboi, JTRN, 3CB, FVKK.ANDI and Jeremy Cartier.
Listen to ‘punKstA*,’ here.
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Shekhinah Returns With Surprise Album, ‘Less Trouble’
The South African R&B star is at her most assertive on her first album in four years.
South African R&B and Pop singer Shekhinah has released a new surprise album titled ‘Less Trouble.’ The Durban star, who had been quiet for most of the year, took to social media shortly before midnight to share the new album’s cover, synopsis, and tracklist, simply stating, ‘If you’re seeing this my album LESS TROUBLE is out now at Midnight,’ in an Instagram caption.
The soulful singer first began teasing ‘Less Trouble,’ her first album in over four years, about a year ago when she released its lead single “Risk,” a bouncy Afropop-inspired collab with Ghanaian star MOLIY. A few months after the release of “Risk,” she put out “Steady,” a dreamy pop number that suggested that something bigger was on the horizon. But then it was largely radio silence about a project until its surprise arrival at midnight.
If 2021’s ‘Trouble In Paradise’ represented a coming-of-age for Shekhinah, subsisting some of the dreamy, youthful exuberance of her debut album for more measured musings on themes like heartbreak and grief, ‘Less Trouble’ finds her at her most assertive, writing and singing with the acuity of someone who is grown, decisive and discerning. The delicate opener “Break Up Season” sets the tone for the rest of the album as she shows little tolerance for shady behaviour and toxic patterns.
Other standout cuts on the album like “Bare Minimum,” a sombre collab with fellow South African award-winning singer lordkez, the ethereal, in-your-face interlude “New Casanova,” and the percussive “What Are We,” where Shekhinah contemplates the nature of a relationship but ultimately demands all or nothing, all drive home a part of the album’s synopsis, which reads ‘A BOOK ON MORE HEARTBREAK BUT LESS HEARTACHE.’
Shekhinah invites a couple of new collaborators on ‘Less Trouble,’ featuring the aforementioned MOLIY and lordkez as well as multi-instrumentalist Mars Baby and Young Stunna across the album’s 11 tracks. Mpilo Shabangu handled the majority of the album’s production, while other producers like Michael Morare, her longtime collaborator, Mthintheki Mzizi, and Vuyo also contributed to the album.
Listen to ‘Less Trouble’ here.
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The NATIVE’s First Impressions Of Amaarae’s ‘Black Star’
‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for Amaarae, and The NATIVE team offer our thoughts after a...
Change has always been a constant theme in any discussion about the career of Ghanaian-American star, Amaarae. Since she emerged as a singular voice in the late 2010s, she has evolved from a sirenic Afropop-adjacent singer into a Punk-Pop firestarter with minimal fuss. ‘Fountain Baby,’ her 2023 sophomore album, was a sweeping departure from the lilting melodies and shapeshifing cadences of the hypnotic ‘The Angel You Don’t Know,’ emphasizing her commitment to charting new courses with her music.
In the lead-up to her new album, ‘Black Star,’ she has wholly embraced a Pop aesthetic and sheen that was reflected on the album’s promotional singles, “S.M.O.” and “Girlie-Pop!.” Now that the album has arrived, the singer has advised listeners not to go in expecting a continuation of the soundscape on ‘Fountain Baby.’ As keen followers of Amaarae’s career from its start, we are sure that ‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for her, and we offer our thoughts after a few listens.
WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF AMAARAE GOING INTO THIS ALBUM?
Kemnachi: I had zero doubts that she would impress me again. Amaarae always comes correct. She is audacious with her choices, taking creative risks most artists would not dare to imagine, and somehow rendering them seamless, deliberate, and effortless. Her music has a way of enveloping me: it’s fluid, slightly dangerous, and yet irresistibly sensual. Every project feels like an immersive world she has curated down to the finest detail. With ‘Black Star,’ I knew it was not going to be a mere collection of songs but another meticulously constructed realm.
Bamise: I expected something fun, genre-bending, and sonically diverse in the fashion that Amaarae’s music typically is. I may have taken the album title a bit too literally, though, because listening made me realise I had an eye out for some Pan-African statements or something to spark discourse on African identity, but I didn’t quite catch any of that.
Boluwatife: Amaarae has largely delivered throughout her career, so I knew she was going to come correct again. She’s one of those forward-thinking artists who take the kind of risks most others wouldn’t, but she always manages to make it work. She’s proven to be a musical omnivore who constantly meshes her wide-ranging influences into something new, fluid, icy, and more often than not, sensual. I knew ‘Black Star’ wasn’t going to be any different.
WHAT SONGS STOOD OUT ON THE FIRST LISTEN?
Wale: I liked “Girlie-Pop!.” I feel like it captures Amaarae’s vision of pushing Afropop into the future. She’s also really grown comfortable with music and lyricism and will not dumb down her message for anybody. The instrumental for “Girlie-Pop!” is also a wonder; it’s so dense, but there are pockets for Amaarae to be emotive about her feelings. Top song!
Daniel Akins: I need to hear “B2B” at the next rave I’m at. Amaarae is in her Dance era, and I’m here for it. Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” with PinkPantheress is the collaboration I knew I needed, and I’m glad they finally linked up. It’s a clear standout on the project; their ethereal style complements each other.
Shina: “B2B” was the one that did it for me. That is my favourite track on the project. The number of times I ran it back was unhealthy for a first listen. It was also really fun to catch the Don Toliver “Best You Had” sample. I need to hear this outside!
HOW WELL YOU THINK THE GUEST APPEARANCES ENHANCED THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE?
Israel: The guest features on Black Star aren’t mere flexes. They’re strategic, theatrical, and sometimes emotionally resonant. They enhance, yes, but they do so on Amaarae’s terms. A standout for me was PinkPantheress on “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” The tradeoff is that a few songs feel like dazzling cameos rather than an integrated conversation, yet overall they enhance the album’s drama, texture, and bravado with precision.
Daniel Banjoko: Everyone showed up and delivered, no weak links here. Instead of just guest spots, they felt like vital pieces of a bigger puzzle. Charlie Wilson on “Dream Scenario” nailed his part especially, making the track sound exactly like its name promises.
Moore: The guest appearances on ‘Black Star’ feel very intentional; each one enhances the album’s world without overshadowing Amaarae’s vision. PinkPantheress’s signature airy delivery meshes with Amaarae’s experimental pop sound. Naomi Campbell’s commanding voice on “ms60” is an unexpected but powerful addition, adding drama to the track. Each feature feels carefully chosen.
WHAT SONG IS THE BIGGEST SKIP?
Bamise: Not to be a party pooper, but I don’t get the PinkPantheress collab, “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” It feels like a PinkPantheress song with less pop in it, and just borrows the title of the iconic Soulja Boy song but has no other similarities. It’s between that and “ms60.” For me, the chorus of that sounds like something I’ve heard from Amaarae before, and I doubt its absence would have diminished the album.
Shina: I feel like biggest skip is a strong word for a solid project, but if I have to pick a song to skip, it’ll be “ms60.” I think it’s easily forgettable.
Wale: It’s hard to single out a song that stuck out to me, but hearing Naomi Campbell on “ms60” threw me off. It’s just too contrived to bear for me.
WHAT SONG HAS THE BIGGEST HIT POTENTIAL?
Boluwatife: My gut answer would probably be “She Is My Drug,” just because of how she beautifully reworks the melodies from Cher’s “Believe.” DJ remixes of this song could go crazy. But if I were to think a bit more logically, TikTok would probably lap up “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.”
Daniel Banjoko: “Kiss Me Thru the Phone pt 2” goes crazy. Amaarae and PinkPantheress are the perfect match. This collab feels like it was destined to happen, and it delivers in full. Honestly, I can’t believe it took this long, and now I just need more tracks from these two, ASAP.
Moore: “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” has the biggest hit potential on the album. The song has a nostalgic, sad party girl vibe that makes it appealing, and it’s also catchy and well-produced. PinkPantheress consistently performs well on platforms like TikTok, and her fanbase overlaps in a really interesting way with Amaarae’s. The collaboration feels organic and exciting, and will likely create a lot of buzz.
OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Wale: There is a very visceral quality to how Amaarae expresses desire that I don’t hear very often in a lot of music. It’s abstracted and warped in futuristic textures, but it’s very profoundly human, and it’s always great to hear that even as she advances the sonics of her delivery. I do, however, have an issue with the thematic scope of ‘Black Star.’ I thought there would be overt references to her experiences of navigating her Ghanaian identity, but those references are limited to samples and interpolations. It’s still an incisive listen and a triumph for finding ways to advance music from Africa.
Bamise: It’s Amaarae; she can never go wrong. But for me, this is the album that excites me the least from her catalogue. Other than how bass-heavy some songs on the album are, like “S.M.O.” and “She Is My Drug” among others, it feels similar to other projects I’ve heard from her in a way that’s not exactly refreshing or mind-bending. I may have gotten spoiled by how diverse and eclectic Amaarae’s music tends to be, but I wanted more from her. I expected more gangster, Hip-Hop Amaarae. Thematically, I didn’t get anything that gives the Black Star of Ghana, or black stars are ruling the world. Will I listen again and enjoy every bit of it still, though? Yes, I will.
Shina: So first off, this is a solid body of work. I love the fact that Amaarae stuck with the Dance, Electro-Pop route she was going with throughout the album. The features also played their part, adding their unique touches to each record. I would say, though, a feature I would’ve loved to hear on this project is 070Shake. I think she would have been perfect on “100DRUM,” but we don’t always get what we want, do we? Thematically, I think Amaarae could’ve leaned heavily on her Ghanaian heritage, seeing as the title and cover of the album are a nod to that. Maybe Amaarae just wants us to dance, and that’s what I’m just gonna do, and you should too.
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