Music of Thursday, 4 May 2023

Source: Olele Salvador, Contributor

Amaarae drops irresistible single ‘Co-Star’

Ghanaian-American polymath, Amaarae play videoGhanaian-American polymath, Amaarae

Ghanaian-American polymath, Amaarae, is one of music's most groundbreaking artists, and her highly anticipated album "Fountain Baby" is set to be released on June 9 via Interscope.

To celebrate the upcoming release, Amaarae has unveiled her new track "Co-Star," along with a captivating music video that pays homage to the 90s supermodel era. The music video, directed by Lauren Dunn, features a "Co-Star" competition in which competitors battle it out to be the best by showcasing their zodiac signs, swag, and skills, breaking traditional beauty standards placed on women.

Amaarae's "Co-Star" competition features some of the most influential women in the industry, such as The Clermont Twins, model Biba Williams, Nigerian rapper Deto Black, 1XBlue designer Lois Saunders, photographer and model Moyosore Briggs,
among others.

In a statement about the release, Amaarae said, "Co-Star is a fun song about star signs! I wanted to give people something cute and flirty for the summer! Astrology is such a huge part of our youth culture, it felt like a missed opportunity to not lean into that and give the girls an anthem that reads and celebrates them all at once!"

The music video features some of her favorite women, including The Clermont Twins, Biba, Deto, Moyo, Bijou & Chi, who represent a significant part of alternative African culture and are the tastemakers of our time.

“The video is amazing too! Having some of my favorite women in the whole wide world represent themselves in such an iconic way. The Clermont Twins are such an iconic duo. Also Biba! Deto! Moyo! Bijou & Chi are such a huge part of alternative African culture. These are the tastemakers of our time! It’s really so amazing to bring them all together,” the Reckless & Sweet hitmaker added.

Amaarae's work centers around female empowerment, subversion of gender norms, and exploration of female sexuality and artistic self-expression while simultaneously highlighting her West African heritage through a global lens.

"Fountain Baby," her forthcoming album, will undoubtedly establish Amaarae as one of the premiere artists in the global pop arena. It is an expansion of her towering talent and vision beyond genre and regional boundaries, resulting in a remarkable and tangible body of work that solidifies her position as an essential architect of the future of music.

In addition to the upcoming album, Amaarae recently performed at the Mugler x H&M collaboration launch in New York City on April 19th as the face of the campaign. The collection will be available for purchase online and in stores starting May 11th.