Review of Amaarae's 'Black Star'

Several weeks later, we find ourselves still dancing and serving cunt as Amaarae's "BLACK STAR" blessed our ears back in August. Honestly, this review took me so long because this was definitely something I had to sit with and let marinate. What a fun album!

The 31-year-old Amaarae dropped her third studio album, BLACK STAR, on August 8th, 2025.

Now, in Amaarae’s words herself, fans of the 2023 album "Fountain Baby" may either hate BLACK STAR or love BLACK STAR. This review is based off the views of a fan who loved it, so brace yourself as I paint drug-induced fantasy-like imagery to depict the feelings that came about from indulging in this funky dance album. 

It started with the artist dressing in emo-punk clothing and make-up, with random rumors & leaks spreading across the internet; some of which were previews given to us by DJ sets which appears to have been set up by Amaarae herself. She dropped 3 singles back-to-back to introduce us. These songs were "S.M.O", "Girlie-pop!" And "Fineshyt". I would say these  songs didn’t entice me at first and after a month with the album, "Fineshyt" was the only one that eventually resonated with me.

"Fineshyt" felt like you just got on your first ride at the carnival. I hope that statement helps paint the picture I’m trying to express, as it feels like adrenaline. While I wasn’t too much of a fan of "S.M.O", I can see why it was necessary for the album. This song invites us into the what the dance scene of her culture is like; fast-paced with immense usage of drums and whistles while provocative lyrics encourage movement.

I also didn’t care for "Dream Scenario", but I will always recognize a Charlie Wilson feature; who wouldn’t?

The songs that really grabbed me by the neck and had me in a chokehold were  "ms60", featuring vocals from Naomi Campbell, "Kiss Me Thru The Phone part 2" featuring Pink Pantheress, "B2B" and "She Is My Drug’’.

Naomi Campbell

Charlie Wilson

Left to right: Pink Pantheress, Naomi Campbell and Charlie Wilson were all featured on BLACK STAR.

You can only imagine the high I was on listening to these songs as they all played consecutively on the album. This album purely feels like when the plug hits you back up just in time before you’re off to the club with your friends. This has to be what the "climax" feels like; the euphoria everyone is familiar with that comes with "it just hit me."

While the album was only 13 songs, it was enough to make a statement. We are not only getting the fun dance music that was expected, but we also get invited into her journey in uncovering and expressing her Ghanaian culture through songs like "100DRUM". That song is crazy, guys. The song has 3 phases; the beginning sounds like a chant of some kind, the middle part serenades us with help from her feature, Zacari, and then all of a sudden, we are left with a transition to Jersey music. I can only imagine the fun in creating this song! 

The difference and growth from "Fountain Baby" is admirable as we see Amaarae develop her craft further and dive deeper into experimenting with pop, techno and what sounds like Brazilian funk. Listen to "Dove Cameron" and you’ll understand exactly what I mean by the influence of Brazilian funk as you hear abrasive heavy bass and slight disorganization of the instrumentals to create dance-oriented music.

The time in-between Amaarae's FOUNTAIN BABY (left, 2023), and BLACK STAR (right, 2025), signals her evolution in experimentation as an artist.

We also get hit with some nostalgia as she brings in "She Is My Drug" with using a sample of the classic "Believe" by Cher. There was just so much consideration in the music and how it was going to sound. I couldn’t be more excited to see such progression in an artist.

Amaarae is a fierce and sexy representation of what it means to be a black liberated woman. Daring and unapologetic, we are seeing a Black Star unleash before our eyes. Don’t even get me started on how I kept repeating "Ketamine, Coke and  Molly!’’ for about 2 weeks because of the smash club hit "Starkilla" featuring the gorgeous Bree Runaway.

The desire for more is definitely underrepresented in this review. The only thing negative about this album is how short it was; an amazing album and pleasure to listen to and review. Till next time! 

PHOTO: JAMIE BOYD / jamieleebphoto

Rating: 9.3/10