Amaaraes Black Star Album Blends Highlife and Electronic Music for a Fusion of Sounds

Amaarae, the Ghanaian American singer, is back with a new album titled Black Star, set to be released on August 8 via Interscope. The album follows her 2023 release, Fountain Baby, and its extended play, Roses Are Red, Tears Are Blue. To promote the album, Amaarae has released a music video for the single "S.M.O." inspired by Ghanaian highlife. The video for "S.M.O." was shot in Ghana by director Omar Jones and features a fusion of Ghanaian '80s highlife trailblazer Ata Kak with a mean Detroit club bass, a drum roll akin to both Magic System's "1er Gaou" and Michael Jackson's "Rock With You," and an infectious zouk melody that sounds like a steel pan lip-syncing an evil synth. In an interview with Pitchfork, Amaarae described the song as "a full fruition of my strength in fusion." Amaarae continued, "I feel like the new Donna Summer mixed with Control-era Janet, and the song pretty much speaks for itself. Like 'Pleasure Principle' or 'Love to Love You Baby,' I don't know how much clearer one can get when they ask you to 'SLUT ME OUT.' The message can't be mistaken, and the beat makes you move. That's all I want to do this summer, make people dance and feel things!" The cover artwork for Black Star is also featured in this article, showcasing a bold and eye-catching design that perfectly captures the spirit of the album. Amaarae's previous work has been well-received, with Fountain Baby landing at No. 20 in Pitchfork's rundown of "The 100 Best Albums of the 2020s So Far." With Black Star, Amaarae continues to push the boundaries of fusion music and showcases her unique blend of highlife and electronic music.