Amaarae; a Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter, producer and engineer returned to our sound waves on July 10th with her new single “Leave Me Alone” - the first track from her highly anticipated EP: “The Angel You Don’t Know”. Today, the artist releases the highly anticipated music video delivering themes of freedom and passion. Amaarae is a multifaceted artist that has collaborated with some of the biggest names in African music such as Wande Coal, Kojey Radical, Odunsi, Santi, Show Dem Camp and more. Amaarae (also known as Ama Serwah Genfi) won our ears and hearts back in 2017 with the self-released debut album Passionfruit Summers. She established herself as an exceptional and wholly unique force in an ever-changing musical landscape. She spent her childhood between Accra, Ghana, (where she attended high school), Atlanta, Georgia, and New Jersey, Amaarae's cross-cultural experience is the driving force behind the artist’s deeply experimental ethos and preternaturally emotive writing style. As a child, she was an eternally curious, highly voracious consumer of all genres of music and at home, she listened to the likes of Nina Simone and Aretha Franklin with her mother but, she also discovered the swaggering and aggressive rap style of 50 Cent from a cousin.

“Leave Me Alone” is laced with Amaarae signature whisper-singing style and sultry tone. The nostalgic sound and theme of this single are reminiscent of hazy summer nights, freedom, and passion, to name a few necessities that have been lacking in recent months. The track gives listeners a little piece of her, whilst also demonstrating similar sonic freedom as seen in previous hits such as “Spend Some Time”, and “Like It” what we are getting is an undoubtedly warm, moody, escapist sound from this rising star paving her own lane in the Alt-RnB world. Speaking on "Leave Me Alone", Amaarae says: “It's a freedom record. It’s just about wanting to live your life and be left to do so. There’s so much going on in the world right now. We all need a break - or some form of escape and this song speaks to that desire. It’s about having the space to breathe, process and get your mental and emotional states right.” ...and on her inspiration for her forthcoming EP ‘The Angel You Don’t Know’: “Working on this project, I felt like I was finally coming into my own and saying what I wanted to say as an artist. This is the new version of me. This is where my journey as an artist is really starting, everything prior to this was me searching for myself, it was the growing pains.”

Describe your journey so far creating a name for yourself as an international music artist?

It’s been a good journey. A lot of learning. A lot of trial and error - but I feel like I’m in a good place right now - I have a solid team and a solid project that I'm proud to present to the world.

What are a few of your most cherished childhood moments?

When I was younger I would always vacate from school before my brother so every day after we dropped my brother off from school my mom would take me to this quaint cafe and we’d drink tea and hot chocolate in really fancy china, we’d eat scones and muffins and she would teach me my table manners.

How do you distinguish individuality in your music?

By writing what I know. By channelling my experiences into my music. By experimenting and being unafraid to express what feels truest to me.

Your new single "Leave Me Alone" is about freedom and the want to live your life. What inspired you to create a track about that?

I just wanted to create some irie shit. I have so many love songs and sexy songs, I wanted to make something that the OG’s could smoke to and be like yea, she’s talking that real shit. The desire for freedom is a universal feeling - self-awareness and knowing that your life is blessed because it’s yours to live is a beautiful thing and I just wanted to bring this new element to my sound.

...and why did you choose "Leave Me Alone" as the lead track from your upcoming EP ‘The Angel You Don’t Know’?

I wanted to set the tone for the album on a positive vibe. It’s a really positive and bright record - were in dark times. I wanted to brighten up the universe a little bit and let the omniscient use me as a vessel to speak to the people.

How does it feel to be featured in leading publications such as Vogue, The Fader, Complex, Billboard and OkayAfrica?

I’m grateful to all these publications for the support. They've been warm and wonderful to me but I also earned their attention and love. I played my position and consistently put myself in spaces and made sure to excel so that I could be recognized for my contributions to the current music landscape.

Your EP ‘The Angel You Don’t Know’ is set to release later this summer, what's expected from this body of work?
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED HAHA!

Who have been your favourite artists to collaborate with so far, why?

I’ve loved them all. Everyone I've collaborated with has made me go places with my art that I typically wouldn't. So I'm grateful for the trust and for the experiences.

What's one message you would give to your following (about pursuing their dreams, and about what this track and EP means to you)?

If it doesn't hurt anybody and it makes you happy - Do it with your soul - with all the passion that you have. Make sure you plan and execute and keep good people around you who help you make sound decisions.

Where do you see yourself & your musical career in the next 2 years? Is there a significant place you'll get to and know and yes I've made it?
I see myself exceeding all of my expectations – and i’ve got some big ones!