Ghanaian singer Amaarae recently spoke with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 about her new song “Co-Star,” her upcoming album “Fountain Baby,” her musical influences, and more.
KAMPALA, UGANDA | NOW THEN DIGITAL — Ghanaian-American artist Amaarae recently spoke with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 about her new song “Co-Star,” released earlier today, and her highly-anticipated album, “Fountain Baby,” which she describes as the album she’s always dreamed of making.
Amaarae shared that her family had a significant influence on her musical upbringing. Her uncle introduced her to alternative rock, while her other uncles loved hip hop. Her father was a fan of soul and funk, and her mother loved jazz. “Just too many people in my family used music as a therapeutic tool,” Amaarae said.
The Making of “Co-Star”
“Co-Star” was created during a fun studio session in Ghana. Amaarae’s executive producer, Kz, played a club beat that he had created specifically for her.
Amaarae and her co-writer, Maesu, came up with the idea of writing a song about star signs, and the rest was history. The artist revealed that the process was effortless and that she knew they were onto something special.
“Co-Star” was kind of made just at a fun time in the studio. We had just finished up, wrapped up in LA and I decided to take a few of the guys back home to Ghana to continue the project. One day we were just at the studio and one of my execs, Kz, just started playing this crazy club beat. And I was like, “Yo, what is that?” He was like, “I made this for you. Do you have anything for it?”
And I was with my co-writer Maesu, and he was just like, “Oh, we should write a song about star signs.” And he went to go use the bathroom and he came back and he was like, “All right, I got it.” And he was like, “We should start it like this … (singing).” And the rest kind of just the rest kind of just went from there. I was like, “All right, cool. I’m tapped in, let’s make a hit. Let’s go.”
The Making of “Fountain Baby”
Amaarae admits to feeling the pressure of creating an album that would live up to her fans’ expectations. However, she ultimately decided to go with her gut and make an album that she would be proud of, regardless of what others might think.
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She believes that “Fountain Baby” is the album she’s always wanted to make and feels incredible when listening to it.
I think anytime you start to overthink things, to me that means you’re kind of in a good place and you just need to let things go and enjoy things that they are. And I think making this album Fountain Baby, that’s kind of where I was at. I was like, “You know what? I’m not going to overthink it. I’m just going to go based on feeling and do the things that I want to do.”
I definitely felt the pressure, don’t get me wrong, I definitely felt the pressure. No, no. I just figured if I let the pressure get to me, I wasn’t going to make as good of an album that I know that I can. So I just decided to let it go. I feel incredible when I listen to this album. You have no idea. I think this is the album that I’ve always dreamed about making, probably since the day I started making music.
Musical Upbringing
Amaarae credits her love of music to her family, who used it as a therapeutic tool. Her uncle introduced her to alternative rock, while her other uncles were fans of hip hop.
Her father loved soul and funk, and her mother was a jazz enthusiast. Amaarae believes that her diverse musical upbringing has contributed to her unique sound.
Alternate Career Path
Amaarae initially planned to become a neurosurgeon, as it was the norm in her West African community.
However, she decided to pursue her passion for music and interned at a studio, much to the dismay of her father. Her mother was supportive, and Amaarae is grateful for her unwavering encouragement.
Conclusion
Amaarae’s interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 shed light on her creative process and the influences that have shaped her sound. “Co-Star” and “Fountain Baby” are just two examples of the artist’s talent and commitment to creating music that is authentic and true to herself.
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