Ghanaian-American singer Amaarae has addressed criticism from fans who accused her of excluding home-based Ghanaian artistes from her latest album, Black Star, despite its strong Ghanaian identity.
The backlash began when listeners noticed that none of the featured artistes on the project were based in Ghana. While some netizens defended it as an artistic choice, others argued that they had expected more local collaborations given Amaarae’s history of promoting Ghanaian music on the global stage.
On August 15, 2025, one fan on X summed up the frustration:
“Definitely not by force, people are just saying she made the album like it was going to be about her ‘Ghanaian identity’ and things because of the whole rollout.”
Amaarae quickly responded, clarifying that Black Star is deeply rooted in her Ghanaian heritage and influenced by Ghanaian music through her own creative lens.
She pointed to her 2025 Coachella performance as an early hint of the album’s direction, where she incorporated tracks like Godzilla by La Meme Gang, Wengeze by Eazzy, and Sore by Asaaka Boys. According to her, these songs signaled the genres she wanted to explore — Highlife, Asokpor, Azonto, Hiplife, Gospel, and Afro trap — fused with global sounds.
In a detailed thread, Amaarae broke down the album’s influences:
- Stuck Up: Electro meets Asokpor and BZ funk.
- SMO & FineShyt: 80s Highlife blended with Bacardi and zouk drums, Detroit club, and Euro dance elements.
- 100DRUM: Ghanaian gospel with kpanlogo-inspired percussion.
- Free the Youth: Hiplife and Azonto infused with trap synths.
- MS60: Afro trap.
She revealed that she even traveled to Brazil before returning to Ghana to learn from the country’s approach to refreshing traditional drum patterns.
“They say be the change you want to see & this was my interpretation of what I see for the next frontier of GH music from a global perspective,” Amaarae explained.
Despite the criticism, Black Star remains a bold statement of Amaarae’s vision for Ghanaian music — one that blends local roots with international influences to push the sound to new heights.
