Amaarae shows her powers of attraction on new track featuring British rapper Kojey Radical and Nigerian Cruel Santino. It is the third single from her album The Angel You Don’t Know.
Her voice is recognizable from the first note! Amaarae gives off an air of being silky smooth, but she can be as sharp as a needle when it comes to rap lyrics and delivery. While her Ghanaian friends once recommended that she stick to afrobeat or highlife to succeed in the country, she is convinced that her life in the American diaspora has given her an artistic edge. This free-wheeling, almost nonchalant figure is what makes the alternative African scene crackle. What’s more, she refuses to limit herself to a single musical style.
This video was filmed in London with stars Cruel Santino and Kojey Radical and few saw it coming. Somewhere between Baile Funk and RnB on a slick guitar melody, the track is sung by Amaarae with delicate mastery. “Jumping Ship” is inspired by Baile Funk and Garage records from the early 2000s and reflects the artist’s chameleon personality: “ I’m working within different genres and styles and really pushing my personal boundaries – faster tempos, ballsier lyrics, edgier textures and tones, the same is evident in the visuals as well. Spiritually, the energy is God level. The confidence. The audacity is evident throughout the record. I’m not backing down on any song. There’s a range of moods and energies – sometimes it’s sexy, sometimes it’s anarchist, sometimes it’s sad and other times it’s playful. At its core, this project is my form of gospel. I’m on a quest to evangelize the people. If you weren’t an Amaarae believer before. You have no choice now. I went to great lengths to make sure that there was something for every sort of person.” On this track we find her in touch with her own powers of attraction, something that pushes her to question her relationship with her partner. It is a position of strength in which she fully asserts her desires without fearing the gaze of men.
Ama Serwah Genfi, known as Amaarae, grew up between Accra, Atlanta and New Jersey. This interculturality has informed her drive and outlook, and she has formed her experience into asingulare style. As a child, she listened to the songs of Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin with her mother, but she also discovered 50 Cent with a cousin. In Atlanta she fell in love with Kanye West’s 808s and Heartbreak and while in New Jersey, she forged a personal style that fused funk with the gothic influences of rural environments at the time. She’s a multifaceted artist to be closely followed.
The Angel You Don’t Know is available on all streaming platforms.
Listen to Amaarae in our Songs of the Week playlist on Spotify and Deezer.
