Amaarae is already leaving her mark on the music industry. In June, the singer and songwriter released the deluxe edition of Fountain Baby, her critically acclaimed second album released in 2023. That same week, the project reached a billion streams — further cementing Amaarae’s status as a must-know artist on the rise.
The release of rose are red, tears are blue – a Fountain Baby Extended Play was followed with Amaarae’s own tour. She will then open Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet Tour this Fall as well as Childish Gambino’s The New World Tour through 2025.
“I’ve been on the road for the better part of six months,” Amaarae tells Blavity. “I have especially enjoyed the earlier part of the year when it was my personal tour and I really got to connect with my fans.”
Not only has Amaarae recently collaborated with Childish Gambino on “In the Night” and “Talk My S**t,” you may have heard her unmistakable vocals on the viral “Sad Girlz Luv Money” remix with Kali Uchis or on the hauntingly sultry melody of “Angels in Tibet.” Amaarae finds inspiration across all artistic mediums and cultures. Her sound is truly crafted in her image as the artist was born in the Bronx, grew up in both Atlanta and Accra and used to live in London.
She recently collaborated with CÎROC Limonata and celebrated the Summer solstice with a yacht performance in Miami. She says the brand’s signature recipe, the Limonata Spritz, is her go-to.
“It’s a refreshing and sophisticated cocktail that embodies the essence of summer,” Amaarae says. “Perfect to enjoy poolside, while listening to Normani. I am enjoying her new album at the moment.”
View this post on Instagram
Ahead, Amaarae talks to Blavity about how she predicted the rise of Afrobeats, what she considers to be pop music, the importance of staying eternally curious and more.
There are seven new songs on rose are red, tears are blue – a Fountain Baby Extended Play. What was your creative process and what do you hope fans take away from the project?
My creative process was really simple. A lot of the songs started as freeflow freestyles and I developed them later on. I just want my fans to have fun with the music and not take it too seriously. It’s just something cute for the summer. My favorite track is “Wanted”. I think it’s a great combination of Afrobeats, amapiano, R&B, house and electronic music.
Both the color blue and water are recurring themes in your art. What do these two elements symbolize to you?
I think that water is a great element because it’s so versatile and hugely unpredictable. The same way it can nourish you it can also kill you. Fountains and streams have a very soft, calming and free flowing effect. On the opposite end, you think about the volatility of the ocean. One second it can be still, the next it can turn on you. I find that unpredictability thrilling.
I read that you consider yourself a spiritual person, and religion and music have historically gone hand in hand. In what way does spirituality inform your music and artistic process? Do you see musical creation as a spiritual or religious experience?
I am not religious. I can’t even say that I’m overly spiritual. But music is where I find my strength, vulnerability, and ultimately where I go to worship. But for me, worship takes the form of a life lived and its expression through music. That’s how I tell the universe that I’m thankful.
View this post on Instagram
You sample sounds and music from around the world. How do you find that inspiration?
It’s a combination of the music that I’ve grown up listening to and the fact that I’m just a curious person. Nothing is never enough for me. I always want to continue to learn and discover and learn and discover. The world has so much to offer. My saddest regret is that the world is so big, I won’t get to experience it all, not in this lifetime at least.
Is there a conscious effort to incorporate international influences? Is it based on your experience of having lived in more than one culture or country?
The desire to incorporate a lot of international influences is: Why speak to one person when you can speak to the whole world? Why attach yourself to one cultural expression when you can explore a combination of ways to communicate sonically? I think music is more fun that way when you open yourself up to all possibilities.
You previously mentioned that it wasn’t difficult for you to predict the rise of Afrobeats/Afro-pop because you keep yourself informed. What were some artists or musical experiences you’ve had that indicated these genres were about to become more mainstream in the U.S.?
For one, I went to college in Georgia and I was a DJ and I gradually saw how African songs started to become popular in the clubs and also at college parties. Then, African Artists like Wizkid broke through with songs like “Ojuelegba” and then Davido with the songs “If” and “Fall”. We start to see these artists come over and do more concerts. Shortly after, we had the rise of the Alté movement which I think was the catalyst for the globalization of the Afrobeats movement. Alté finally found a way to make the concept of fusing the spirit of African music with RnB, with alternative western music, with pop and other genres.
View this post on Instagram
Do you consider yourself a pop artist? Why is this distinction important in the music industry?
I think of what pop is trying to become — which is truly what artists like myself, Kelela, Charlie XCX and so many others who have lived in the alternative world for so long have created. If you are discussing pop in this [regard] then yes, I should be considered a pop artist. However, that’s not really the case. I’m usually pigeonholed into the Afrobeats genre, which is fine because I’m proud to be one of the four most representative of African Music. However, I think that what myself and my African peers are doing is much more cultural and forward-thinking. It has added immensely to the pop music canon so as a result, yes it should be considered pop. However, not without the context that is solely and completely rooted in the African Spirit.
You seem to have influences that go beyond music. How does literature influence your work as a musical artist? Are there any authors, books, poetry that have served as inspiration or blueprint for your own art?
My background is in literature. I grew up loving to write stories and poems. It’s what I studied all my life and in school. The person that I would say taught me the most about swagger and swing and overall musicality and when it comes to utilizing worlds is A. Van Jordan. I swear by his two books of poetry, M-A-C-N-O-L-I-A, and Quantum Lyrics: Poems. I think that any Black person should read these two books of poetry.
What are some of your long-term goals? Are there any upcoming projects or collaborations that you want to highlight?
My long-term goal is to come back and f**k the game up again with a new album. We’ll see how that goes as far as when that’s coming out. In the meantime, you guys can enjoy all the new music that’s out — the new extended play for Fountain Baby that I just dropped and I have some new songs with Childish Gambino as well.
