Latest posts by Piper Ruth
(see all)On June 13, 2025, Amaarae became the very first Ghanan artist to perform at Coachella. During the last song of her set on the Gobi Stage, she sat down and was joined by her barber, who shaved her head on stage. The moment went viral online and was a perfect introduction for many to the musician and producer’s confidence and fantastical persona. Let me Put You On to Amaarae, a pioneer of performance and sound.
Amaarae was born in the Bronx, but moved frequently between Atlanta, Georgia and Accra, Ghana. She has referenced a large scope of genres she grew up listening to in interviews with Variety and Billboard News, from pop diva Britney Spears to Atlanta hip-hop legends Crime Mob to rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, all of which she blends with a distinct Afrobeats vibe.
Fountain Baby is her most recent album, released in the summer of 2023. Amaarae takes her time in an array of musical styles, singing over each with ethereal, nearly whispered high vocals. Her viral hit “Angels in Tibet” became popular for its danceability. Other songs on the album, like “Sex, Violence, Suicide” and “Come Home to God” lean into grunge with amped acoustic guitars and shouted, somber lyricism. “Wasted Eyes,” the seventh song off the album, opens with a koto, a traditional Japanese string instrument. The music video blends Amaarae’s Ghanan culture with inspirations from Japanese nightlife.
One of her more light-hearted songs on the album, “Co-Star,” references the popular horoscope app of the same name and the personality traits of each sign. The importance of this song may be hidden under casual digs and flirtations at the zodiacs, but at its core it is a radical acceptance of identity. In a 2020 article from South African newspaper The Sowetan, Amaarae was interviewed about Ghanan clubs being a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals. She spoke of her own music and her hope to use it to “teach respect and understanding.” Three years later, her own fluid sexuality is a theme woven into much of her music, including “Co-Star’s” racing themed music video.
Although the heart of her music exists in Ghanan clubs and Afrofuturism, Amaarae refuses to box herself into one category. She opened for both Sabrina Carpenter’s and Childish Gambino’s concert tours in 2024, a testament to her ability to make herself musically ephemeral. Reaching out into so many different styles shows that Amaarae isn’t shy about rejecting the assumption that all artists working in history and culture rich genres like Afrobeats must sound the same. There isn’t any artist that sounds like Amaarae.
Currently, Amaarae is preparing for a new album on her social media, calling this new era “BLACK STAR.” Recently, she performed at The Governor’s Ball Music Festival, and streams DJ sets on her Twitch from Accra to New York City, occasionally dropping teasers for BLACK STAR and even more revolutionary Alté and Afrobeats.