Amaarae is the Queen of the alternative music scene in Ghana (if not West Africa or even Africa), if you don’t agree then you haven’t been up to date with the current trends.
There has been a lot of comments on Twitter; some are downplaying her hard work mainly because they don’t understand how she has been able to break free from the “Ghanaian Stereotype” of being a breakthrough artist. Amaarae didn’t have the traditional “releasing a commercial song to gain Ghanaians attention” type of breakthrough. She has been working since 2017 and from 2020 to 2021, her hard work is paying off.
Before I delve deep into her numerous achievements, Amaarae for those who do not know is a Ghanaian-American singer, songwriter, producer, and engineer known for her work around the representation of gender and race in music.
Amaarae is known to having a sonically pleasing sound. Her lyrical dexterity, especial voice, and exceptional style has marked Amaarae as a global artist putting her ahead of the curve and making her an artist to look forward to in the coming years. Amaarae has been on a journey of expanding her sound carefully selecting her features to suit the perfect Afro-pop/ Afro-fusion sound she represents.
This article is curated to highlight almost all of Amaarae’s achievements and why she deserves her flowers.
In 2017, Amaarae released debut 6 track EP, Passionfruit Summers which featured Camidoh (fingers). The standout song from Passionfruit Summers was “Fluid.”
Amaarae went on to headline Julyfest in 2018 alongside M.anifest, Kwesi Arthur, Wanlov The Kubolor, Sister Deborah, Akan, Medikal, Ayat and B4Bobah. Her performance was electrifying and this was when a lot of fans became a disciple of Amaarae (including myself).
See Also: If You Missed #JulyFest, Here’s Everything That Went Down
In 2018, Amaarae was featured on one of Stonebwoy’s hit songs Pepper Dem off his “Epistles Of Mama” album. Amaarae, later on, got featured on Cruel Santino’s Rapid Fire which is off his Mandy & The Jungle Album, the song also featured Shane Eagle and Tomi Agape. Amaarae then got to work with FOKN BOIS M3nsa on S.D.I. She performed with Teni, Boj of DRB LasGidi, and Odunsi at ART X Lagos, an art fair in Lagos, Nigeria on November 3, 2018. Odunsi featured Amaarae in Hectic off his album “Rare.”
Amaarae from 2017 to 2019 was known for her colorful hair cut which got her featured in Vogue Magazine online in an article on 4 women across the globe with buzz haircuts and snagged a mention as one of Vogue online’s Top 100 Style Influencers of 2018, in addition to being nominated as Artist of the Year at the Glitz Style Awards in Ghana.
In 2019, Amaarae got listed as Kuulpeeps 2019 Emergers, an annual initiative that releases a list of creative young people who are set to take over the creative industry. We celebrate and support young emerging talents.
Amaarae in 2019 got featured on a lot of songs including Mina -Platinum Sex off album Flight Paths, Gafacci- Like Water off his Tash BNM project, B4bonah also featured Amaarae on Shame off B4Beginning, Kojey Radical collaborated with Amaarae on Sugar off Cashmere Tears. Show Dem Camp teamed up with Amaarae and Tems for “Too Bad” off their 2019 project The Palmwine Express. Amaarae also got featured on GroundUp Chale’s collective project “We Outside (Y3 Wo Abonten) Vol. 1″ Mewu with Twitch 4Eva.
On March 23, 2019, Amaarae became one of the acts chosen to perform at the first-ever Boiler Room event to happen in Accra, Ghana alongside La Meme Gang (A Collective comprising Nxwrth, RJZ, KwakuBS, Darkovibes, Kiddblack, and $pacely) and Award Winning Rapper Kwesi Arthur.
Amaarae featuring Wande Coal on Spend Some Time was the peak of 2019.The song, Spend Some Time is a soothing and beautiful song about love and it’s upbeat and fun enough for you to dance to. This is one of the most beautiful afrobeats song we’ve ever heard.
In November, Bella Hadid took to Instagram to post a video of herself relaxing and enjoying Amaarae’s then-new single “Like It.”
Amaarae’s “Like It video is one of the best videos from any Ghanaian act in 2019. According to The Fader, the song is about chasing after something that continues to elude you. “I wanted to push myself further than just making mellow jams and I used a beat I thought was the opposite,” the singer said in an email conversation. “I‘m evolving and evolution very often is going to be filled with risk-taking and full of adventure and might get uncomfortable sometimes but I want people to be okay with being uncomfortable.”
See Also: Bella Hadid Likes It! Fashion Superstar Bella Hadid Jams To Amaarae’s Latest Single “LIKE IT”
In 2020, when COVID-19 hit and a lot of music artists were using that period to reflect, Amaarae was preparing to release her Album “The Angel You Don’t Know.” Amaarae gave us the best of artist rollout performing songs from her then-unreleased album. Burberry the brand decided that instead of releasing brands for the “B Series” they are going to give fans something to calm their nerves – a distraction they need with Amaarae as the special guest.
Watch the full performance below;
After Amaarae’s Burberry, In May she went on to perform at Billboard Live At-Home Performance. Amaarae started her performance with “Like It” with the Ghanaian keyboardist Obed on the Keys. Later Amaarae performed her rendition of Wizkid’s “Joro”. She dazzled fans with another tune “Leave Me Alone” of her then-yet-to-be-released album. Amaarae later gave us “Jumping Ship” which is a record she only has performed once (Burberry live show).
Click here to watch Amaarae’s Billboard Live At-Home Performance
Amaarae has always been vocal about fighting racial abuse and always calling for justice against the Abuse of women. In 2020, after the gruesome rape and murder of both Uwa and Tina, Amaarae put up a list of organizations that people could make donations to, to help fight the oppression against black men and women. The list also included justice against the abuse of women especially in Nigeria due to the recent murder and rape of both Uwa and Tina.
See Also: Amaarae Calls For Support To Fight Racial Abuse And Justice Against The Abuse Of Women
In July Amaarae officially released “Leave Me Alone”, Leave Me Alone’ a freedom record. It’s just about wanting to live your life and be left to do so.
Just after the release of Amaarae’s “Leave Me Alone”, Ghanaian producer Rvdical The Kid teamed up with Ghanaian singer and rapper Amaarae for a psychedelic bubbler called “NASA.”
Amaarae was featured on a new documentary by Major Lazer, Diplo, Ape Drums and Walshy Fire on the journey to West Africa during recent tour stops in Lagos, Nigeria, and Accra, Ghana. Chasing The Sound focuses on the Afrobeats genre and how it has become a global phenomenon via African artists including Sarkodie, Amaarae, Efya, Teni and Mr. Eazi, the latter of whom features on Major Lazer’s most recent single, “Oh My Gawd.”
November 12, 2020, Amaarae released her debut studio album, The Angel You Don’t Know. Owen Myers of Pitchfork stated, “The Angel You Don’t Know crackles with innovation, a pacesetter at a time when industry bigwigs are waking up to the long-held truth that Africa is setting the global tempo for pop music.” Pitchfork rated her Album at 8.4.
Stream TAYDK – Amaarae
Amaarae was featured on a cypher for the 2020 BET Soul Train Awards. The cypher also featured Azana from South Africa, Praiz from Nigeria, and Mula from Ivory Coast. The Soul Train Awards is an annual music awards show which honors the best in African-American culture music and entertainment.
Watch the performance below;
Amaarae maked her debut on “A Colors Show” with an amazing performance. Amaarae performed her hit single “Leave Me Alone” off her latest Album “The Angle You Don’t Know.” Amaarae became the first Ghanaian to perform on the COLORSXSTUDIOS adding this feat to the numerous ‘firsts’.
Watch the performance below;
In 2021 Amaarae’s #TAYDK achieved 2.66 million streams on Audiomack. Amaarae currently has over 600,000 streams monthly on Spotify.
Apple Music in February announced Amaarae as the latest featured artist in its Africa Rising artist development program. Amaarae curated a special playlist for Spotify in February. Dubbed ‘Black to the Future‘ playlist, it was part of ‘Black History Month’ activities by the streaming service to honor Black voices, creators, and culture. The playlist by the 2021 MTV Africa Music Awards ‘Best Alternative’ nominee will “help capture Afrofuturism in all its wild, otherworldly musical dimensions,” according to a statement by the company.
BET International in February 2021 announced Amaarae as their February “BET Amplified International Artist.”
Amaarae in March announced her 10-date tour of the UK and Europe. Kicking off on the 1st November at Manchester’s YES, Amaarae will head to Colours in London’s East End on the 3rd, before a run of dates in Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Paris and Barcelona. At the end of the month, Amaarae will make stops in Prague, Copenhagen and Stockholm.
Watch Amaarae’s “Live On KEXP at Home” performance
Amaarae is set to perform at the Governors Ball 2021 on Sunday, September 26 2021 alongside Post Malone, 21 Savage, Young Thug, Burna Boy, Ellie Goulding, Carly Rae Jepsen, Jamie XX, Dominic Fike, Smino, Duck Sauce, Princess Nokia, Kota The Friend Umi, 100 Gecs, Yeek, Mazie, Teamarrr, Riz La Vie and Bachelor (Jay Som + Palehound) for the 10th-anniversary edition of the Governors Ball Music Festival later in September 2021.
Amaarae Performed at Pitchfork Music Festival earlier this month.
Ammarae in June was nominated for the 2021’s Dazed 100. Dazed 100 is a global celebration of next-gen names leading change in their communities and across their fields, curated with a little help from Dazed 100-ers of years gone by. And this year, it runs as part of Open To Change, a far-reaching partnership between Dazed and Converse to increase opportunities, education and representation in the creative industries.
Amaarae has been a very influential force for the past 5 years and all these can be evident in her work-rate and the features she puts out. From her BOJ collaboration On Money and Laughter to Her collaboration with Tiwa Savage on “Tales by Moonlight”, She has also been featured on Wurld “Bossy Part II” single which has Erica Banks, Cuppy & Kida Kudz.
See Also: How Amaarae Understood The Assignment With These 4 Features
Amaarae recently teamed up with American Singer Kali Uchis for the remix of her hit single “Sad Girlz Luv Money” off her Album “The Angel You Don’t Know”. The remix also features Ghanaian singer Moliy who was also on the original song.
Grammy-nominated artist Sza was recently in the comment section asking to be on Amaarae’s “Sad Girlz Luv Money” remix which already had Kali Uchis on. Amaarae then replied letting Sza know she’s got records for her anytime Sza is ready.
The next few months before 2021 end is going to be a very good one, Amaarae has her Gov Balls performance coming up, Europe-UK Tour coming up,
Click here to view all her concerts
With 5 years or more in the Game, Amaarae has done alot in her career and deserves to be accorded much respect. The only way to spell Queen of The Alte Scene, Afro Pop & Afro Fusion is “AMAARAE.”
Source: Kuulpeeps
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