Amaarae Unveils Her Highly Anticipated Album, Black Star
Ghanaian-American avant-garde pop sensation Amaarae has officially released her third studio album, Black Star, today, August 8, 2025, via Golden Child Entertainment and Interscope Records.
A Bold, Genre-Defying Statement
Described as an audacious leap into pop innovation, Black Star is both a personal manifesto and sonic celebration of the Black diasporic dance music tradition. Drawing from her global travels including Accra, Miami, São Paulo, and Los Angeles, Amaarae interweaves elements of highlife, baile funk, Detroit ghettotech, Afro-beats, trance, house, and Jersey club into one cohesive, and kaleidoscopic, musical world.
Stellar Collaborations and Playful Ambition
The album name itself is a triple entendre, evoking Ghana’s emblematic Black Star, her artistic identity, and the foundational Black origins of dance music. Amaarae co-produced the project with collaborators like Kyu Steed and el Guincho. The album pulses with high-fashion flair and genre-bending audacity, thanks to guest appearances from Naomi Campbell, PinkPantheress, Bree Runway, Charlie Wilson, and Starkillers, each lending their signature energy to tracks that push forward both the narrative and the dancefloor.
Highlights from the Soundscape
“S.M.O.” draws inspiration from Ghanaian highlife and celebrates Black identity with visuals that evoke Donna Summer and Janet Jackson’s legacy.
Standout tracks such as “Starkilla” and “Kiss Me Thru the Phone Pt. 2” with PinkPantheress deliver club-ready energy with experimental edge.
“Fineshyt,” accompanied by a cinematic Ghana-shot video, nods to early-2000s dance classics like Eiffel 65’s Blue and Cher’s Believe, reimagined with a bold, glittery twist.
Critical Acclaim and Cultural Impact
Critics have praised Black Star as a “bold, glamorous, and indulgent evolution” that defines Amaarae’s repositioning within global pop. The album channels self-liberation, sensuality, and musical diversity in ways that both challenge convention and captivate the senses.