During the final months of 2020, as the world came to terms with the restrictive COVID-19 pandemic, Ghanaian singer Mellissa introduced a fettered audience to her soothing voice, putting on an impressive showing alongside her sister MOLIY on “FEEL A WAY,” one of the standout cuts from Amaarae’s brilliant debut album ‘THE ANGEL YOU DON’T KNOW.’ Even though it was her first official credit, she held her own comfortably alongside two of West Africa’s most distinguished vocalists, before spreading her gospel further on her debut single “Limelight” and subsequent collaborations with the likes of BOJ and Ajebutter 22. 

After a brief hiatus, she followed up her debut single with a string of singles, including 2023’s “Me & U,” a slinky solo release buoyed by a flamenco guitar and sugary Afropop rhythms, “Henny Talk,” and the Blaqbonez-assisted “Tattoo.” Now, five years after her debut and a handful of collaborations, she’s ready to step into the spotlight with her first body of work, ‘Diamond Baby,’ a seven-track project that she describes as a collage of her different personal experiences. With help from names like Amaeya, Stonebwoy, and Joey B, she craftily navigates a sonic landscape that blends contemporary R&B with a distinct West African flair. 

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

What was your aim for the EP?

I kind of wanted to give myself full acceptance. You know, and that’s like even to my bad parts and my good parts. I feel like everyone has experienced something, and it’s up to you to pick and choose how that shapes your life. Like loss, for instance, it’s up to you to let it take you in a downward spiral, or you can choose to go up. I just wanted to transform my experiences, whether good or bad, and put little pieces of me in this project.

Does your film training influence your work?

I don’t think I do it intentionally. This is the first time someone has said this, even though I had the full awareness of it; no one has said it to me, so it’s crazy you said that. I think it’s storytelling. So, it kind of reflects in all forms of art. So, because I learned about it or have been trying to practice it in a different form, it definitely translates here in a way I didn’t realize while it was happening. But I do recognize exactly what you’re saying. It does sound like some Nollywood, you know, just the synths.

What’s your relationship with MOLIY like?

I miss my sister. She’s in LA right now. She’s my favorite collaborator. Every time we make something, it’s just another no-words kind of situation. It’s just beautiful, it feels so pure, it feels like it’s packed with the best melodies that you would hear. I’m really grateful that I even have that relationship. It’s one of those relationships you can’t replace, and I just feel fortunate that I was able to live this life and have someone with whom I have these things in common. We bond on so many things, and we’re just living and existing and making great stuff.

Do you love collaborating?

I love collaborating because I love making music, and there are some standalone songs, so you can definitely feel like my full essence. But I always feel like making stuff with other people, it just brings this brand new creation that would have never been there if it were just me. It’s like making diamond babies, I’m going to call it that because it’s like making something so fresh, something you would have never thought of yourself. So, yeah, I love collaborating. 

What was it like working with Stonebwoy on “Show Me”

I don’t really have words, I can’t lie, because he’s a legend. When we made the song, I was just like, “Wow, I wasn’t sure how he would hop on the song.” We were in the session together, so I saw his process making it, and it was so easy. I’m just like, “Wow, this song was meant to be exactly like this.” I enjoyed that session. I enjoyed listening to that song in particular. I don’t know if I’ve heard myself like that, like, and it’s one of the newest songs. So, it’s like a new side of me. 

What was the thinking behind making “Genie Baby”

That song is a big yearning song. I feel like people don’t make enough yearning music. There is a lot of importance in strength and just knowing what you want and making sure you get it. But it’s like, I’m just going to give into the feelings I’m feeling right now, and the feeling was, “I just want to dance with you right now.” It’s almost like you, and someone having an issue, and you’re like, “[Can we just] put a pause on that for a second. Can we just dance for a second?” Tomorrow we can go back to real life and pretend, you know, but right now I just want to dance with you. It’s a huge yearning song, but you wouldn’t even really realize it because the beat is just going.

What do you think is your mother’s influence on your career?

As far as the feminine energy, I feel like I got that from my mom. She has a very strong presence, and she’s kind but fierce. It’s like everything in one, in a perfect balance. I know it took me a long time, even to fully understand that and find my own version of it. But she’s definitely the reason I am the woman I am today in a way, her and God obviously. I would say my mom is a huge influence. She even had a restaurant by our house in Lapaz, where I was born and raised in Ghana. And she played music we listened to because it’s her place, right? So, it’s just a whole big medley of different kinds of sounds that I was exposed to for my whole childhood, and it’s a big part of why I make the kind of music I make. It’s why I make Afro-Sexy because she liked listening to sexy music.

What does it mean to have a global sound?

It means finding the things that we can all really and truly connect with, and just like making sure that’s fully embedded in the music because that’s what global is. So, breaking all those labels, barriers, and stripping all that down and finding that space that we can all just really and truly connect to that. I feel like my base is love. My base is just the courage to be fun and to have fun. Those are the things that I feel like would truly make a global sound because that’s what everyone would really tap into.