Daring In Self and Creativity: Review of ‘Fountain Baby’ by Amaarae.

“Is it the sun; is it a star; no! It is none of those things. It is our savior, she who was prophesied to come and save our music, our summer, and our year. The ‘bad bitch’ whisperer Ama Amarachi of House Rae.” This is the copy for the trailer I would have made to announce the coming of Ghanaian pop star Amaarae’s sophomore album. I may not have scripted the album announcement, but I did enjoy the teasers leading to the album itself. Since her debut album ‘The Angel You Don’t Know’ in 2020, Amaarae’s career has enjoyed an upward trajectory and seen her attain even higher heights. Performing on several stages around the world and delivering wonderful verses on records including ‘A Body, A Coffin’ for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ,’ ‘Whistle’ with Blaqbonez and Stormzy’s ‘This Is What I Mean.’Ghanaian Pop Queen, Amaarae, started the road to her album with the single ‘Reckless and Sweet’ and followed it up with an astrological anthem, ‘Co-Star.’ Amaarae’s position as a modern-day pop star whose brand and music seek to encourage women to break free of standards set by society, be confident, and elevate other women to achieve great things is so emphatic.

Already being described by netizens as the best album put out by a Ghanaian artiste in recent times, she continues to break boundaries and limitations set for women and artistes, as well as solidify her position as a modern-day icon in African music. With two pre-released songs that set the tone for the summer-anthem laden 14-track album, it blends diverse elements in sound, theme, and lyrics from multiple parts of the world. Afrobeats, Alté, Pop, Rock, and Jazz are some genres or sounds that form the frame for the sonic journey the album takes listeners on. There are heavy chords, guitars, and violins and the feel of an orchestra heard in various songs on the project.

The first song that catches a listener’s attention is ‘Angel in Tibet.’ The song starts on a very calm note but quickly switches to a very fiery upbeat drum filled song in just a few seconds. The song is sultry with a funky feel that can be enjoyed in a club or a motive. The song; like others on the album, is Amaarae’s expressiveness of her sensuality. Throughout her career, Amaarae has never shied away from expressing herself when it comes to sensuality. This album follows suit with songs like ‘Angel In Tibet’ and ‘Disguise,’ where she opens the song with the line, “I like my coffee with some head in the morning.” Which is very straightforward, but also something Ama would say. This was a running theme in other songs like ‘Reckless & Sweet,’ ‘Co-Star’ and ‘Sociopathic Dance Queen’ where she also says, “Pussy like Bermuda afternoons. An oasis but I’m drowning. Left me how you found me. Fuck my body cold.” Whew!

Ama is a vocal person, not just about her sensuality but also about her lifestyle, emotions, and intentions. On her previous album, she did make a whole song to tell us she is a trust fund baby and that anyone who gets to be with her has to understand how privileged they are to have her in their life. Her being a vocal person is something I truly admire about her. Her boldness forms the basis of her creativity. She is very daring and never limits herself to what is normal. While everyone may be making a particular sound because that is the norm, trust Ama to go beyond that to produce something as daring as her personality.

She sings about her lifestyle, money, fame, and what it does to her in a lot of her songs. The first line of ‘Counterfeit’ for instance, “Rich bitch, rich bitch,” is the type of woman Ama is. She enjoys a life of opulence, and she does not hide it. She is the type of rich person who makes you want to get rich. How she sings about being bathed in designer and luxury goods is something that makes one want to be rich. Hearing things like “Demon with the Dior on the dresser. Pop a Molly Tessie in a Tesla” may sound dangerous, but then again, you need to have a level of comfort to pull certain things off. Plus, what is life if you cannot live it dangerously?

Ama goes on a run where she opens up about her love life, including the good, the sexy, and the bad. On ‘Sex, Violence, and Suicide,’ she shares how addicted people can be to the point of wanting to die for them. When people think of addiction, their minds turn to drugs and other things, but people can also get addicted to people. In Ama’s case, she loved this person so much that it became unhealthy, with moments of denial, pain, abuse, and ultimately death. “My makeup is a mess. It’s blood, it’s sweat. I wipe it on my shirt, then pop it like medicine.” She likens her love to Ted Bundy, a serial killer, and follows it up with the lines, “I couldn’t live life without you; nothing’s right without you. Baby, if you choose to die tonight, I’ll be right behind you.”

Her relationships are not always bad. There are numerous times when she sings about the bliss that comes with being in a relationship with her. The most memorable for me is the line “When I’m in that pussy, I’m above the law” on ‘Come Home To God.’ I do not think any line better describes what it feels like to be with someone you love than this one. I too, would love to be above the law someday. Amaarae is a very passionate lover whose love languages are definitely money, quality time, words of affirmation, physical touch, matching ‘titties,’ sex, and money again. She does not fall short when it comes to reaffirming her love and intentions for the one she loves.

‘Fountain Baby’ perfectly represents Amaarae’s self, belief, and creativity. If you ever wanted a glimpse of who Amaarae is, this project is your starting point. Everything she has done over the years peaks with this project and the moments she is having right now. This is someone who refused to be boxed in regarding sound, imagery, and approach to doing things. While people accused her of not being “Ghanaian enough,” she pressed on and waved the Ghanaian flag high across the world. She ended up finding a balance between connecting her Ghanaian roots and the Western influences she grew up on to become who she is today without conforming to the standards set for her.

There are several productions one would describe as ‘filthy’ for how amazing they are despite their out-of-the-box approach. ‘Counterfeit’ for instance, is a blend of Indian sound patterns and old-school hip-hop. ‘Sex, Violence, and Suicide’ in the first part has a melancholic guitar feel but switches to heavy rock beats in the second bit with the symbolic electric guitar and drums. The quality of production, regardless of the genre being channeled, is done effortlessly well. From the Afrobeats and Afro-swing productions on ‘Water From Wine’ and ‘Aquamarie Luvs Ecstasy’ to the funky pop song ‘Sociopathic Dance Queen,’ the clarity in sound is so glaring.

The sonic flow throughout is symbolic of her free-spirited nature, as she leaves bits of herself in each song all over the project. She creates a world of experience for listeners on each song, and her voice serves as a guide from line to line and verse to verse. The clarity and cadence of her vocals leave one in a simulation of each song you listen to; there is never a dull moment!

Overall, the project is fearless and daring; which pays off. The approach of having a solo run on the album gives it an extra personal feel. It gives listeners a sense of connection with Amaarae’s experience as an artist and person. Ultimately, this album will be a catalyst in the next phase of her career, seeing her reap the benefits of experimentation and a non-conforming approach to her career over the years. I look forward to seeing how things progress from here on.

Keep Calm and Stream ‘Fountain Baby,’ out now on all platforms.

Written by: Nana Kojo Mula