A Lot on My Crate

An album I have anticipated and happily welcome as her sophomore album, Fountain Baby, was such a huge hit for me and others. Amaarae is such a bold, daring pop figure that pushes the genre over new thresholds. What made Fountain Baby so great was her utilizing her tantalizing pitched vocals along these afrobeats that made her music so versatile. One day, I would like to write about it here. But Black Star is here, to my surprise, because it seems like not much time has passed. Going into a nightclub direction with a pounding bass groove and spacey production.  Even though this sound is nothing new, I’m not left disappointed.

If you listen to its opening track, “Stuck Up,”  it’s a good baseline in what to expect going into this album. With its anthem being backed by these really sharp synth leads and Amaarae’s vocals blown up, she’s on top of the world right now. You have these club bangers with infectious hooks and repetitve lyrics that have been living in my head for a long time with “Ketamine, Coke, and Molly” on “Starkilla” or Amaarae repeating “360, 360–“, on “ms60”. They have been so hypnotic and chic enough that they would kill on the runway. PinkPantheress teams up with Amaarae with this dreamy mood that is a much needed mellow moment while keeping that dark club groove in “Kiss Me Thru the Phone Pt II”.

The dance pop continues with catchy bops on “Girlie-pop” and 2000s dance tributes on “Fineshyt.” She even brings back her touch of afrobeats on “Dove Cameron,” and “Dream Scenario” sounds like it’s a lens into her life and her love interest that she is so smitten by. It’s such a voluptuous and intimate track with the spotlight all on her and being so explicit for this person, or dream girl. Despite it being a personal track, I love the Playboi Carti mimicry that made me laugh, and the soulful Charlie Wilson outro is just chef’s kiss to close on her and her woman’s night. “100DRUM” is such an otherworldly song that is heavily influenced by West African soundscapes. It sounds like it could come from Fountain Baby to my ears, but nevertheless, it is beautiful and dynamic. And then she decides to go out with a bang on her closing track, “Free the Youth.” It’s so aggressive and in your face. It’s a character that looks back at their vices and how it comes to engulf them. It’s such a drastic closer compared to Fountain Baby’s peaceful end of their night. It’s not expressing regret, but surrender.

There are more highlights than misses, but this album was no Fountain Baby. It’s not as versatile, and its palette is not as diverse. If you love clubbing, rave, and dance music, then I highly recommend this one. A few tracks don’t hit as hard and I can’t get through her interpolation of Cher’s  “Believe.” without smirking and then guffaw at “Do you believe in love after drugs?”

With multiple listens, I’ve appreciated this album much more. It’s a vibe, and it’s a killer. It’s crafted by someone who’s so bold and creative. And she just won’t stop. Dance pop is just not ready for her. And that ain’t a bad thing.

FAVORITE TRACKS: STARKILLA, MS60, KISS ME THRU THE PHONE PT 2, B2B, GIRLIE-POP!, DREAM SCENARIO, 100DRUM, FREE THE YOUTH

LEAST FAVORITE: SHE IS MY DRUG

You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and her discography is also available for streaming.

https://amaaraemusic.bandcamp.com/album/black-star