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Wafricnews - June 21, 2025

Ghanaian-American genre-bending sensation Amaarae is back with a bold new chapter. The Fountain Baby hitmaker has officially announced her next studio album titled Black Star, set to drop on August 8 via Interscope Records.

To kick off the new era, Amaarae has released the video for her electrifying new single “S.M.O.” — a Ghanaian highlife-inspired banger that already has fans buzzing. The vibrant visual, shot in Ghana by acclaimed director Omar Jones, showcases Amaarae’s ever-evolving artistry and cultural roots with eye-popping visuals and experimental flair.

A Sound That Defies Borders

In a press statement, Amaarae broke down the sonic DNA of “S.M.O.” and what it represents in her musical evolution:

“For as long as I’ve made music, fusion has been my strength, and I think this comes to full fruition on ‘S.M.O.’,” she said. “The song takes inspiration from Ghanaian ’80s highlife legend Ata Kak, mixes it with gritty Detroit club bass, drum rolls reminiscent of Magic System’s ‘1er Gaou’ and Michael Jackson’s ‘Rock With You’, and finishes with a hypnotic zouk melody that sounds like a steel pan possessed by a synth."

Amaarae didn’t stop there. With her signature boldness, she added:

“I feel like the new Donna Summer mixed with Control-era Janet [Jackson]. The message is loud and clear. ‘SLUT ME OUT’ — no mistaking that! The beat makes you move, and that’s all I want to do this summer: make people dance and feel.”

Black Star Rising

Black Star will serve as the official follow-up to Amaarae’s critically acclaimed 2023 album Fountain Baby, which was lauded as one of the best albums of the decade so far, landing at No. 20 on Pitchfork’s “100 Best Albums of the 2020s So Far.” She later followed that release with an extended EP, Roses Are Red, Tears Are Blue — A Fountain Baby Extended Play.

Now, with Black Star, Amaarae looks poised to claim an even bolder space in global pop culture — one that fuses her Ghanaian heritage with futuristic club energy and fearless feminine power.

With visuals rooted in Ghana, energy pulled from across the diaspora, and a voice that refuses to be boxed in, Amaarae continues to be one of Africa’s most daring and original musical exports.

As she sets her sights on Black Star, one thing is clear: Amaarae isn’t just back — she’s coming to make the whole world move.


By Wafricnews Desk.

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