Amaarae announces new album ‘Black Star,’ shares “S.M.O.”

Amaarae has announced a new album, Black Star, due August 8 via Interscope. The first single is “S.M.O.,” which comes with a video filmed in Ghana. It’s a very cool track, and I don’t think I can explain it any better than Amaarae herself did. She says:

For as long as I’ve made music, fusion has been my strength and I think this comes to full fruition on “S.M.O.” The song takes inspiration from Ghanaian 80’s highlife trailblazer Ata Kak and blends it with a mean Detroit club bass, a drum roll akin to both Magic System’s “1er Gaou” & Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You” and an infectious zouk melody that sounds like a steel pan lipsing an evil synth. I feel like the new Donna Summer mixed with Control era Janet and the song pretty much speaks for itself. Like “Pleasure Principle” or “Love To Love You Baby,” I don’t know how much clearer one can get when they ask you to “SLUT ME OUT”. The message can’t be mistaken and the beat makes you move. That’s all I want to do this summer, make people dance & feel things!

Check out the song and its video below, alongside a list of Amaarae’s upcoming festival appearances.

Amaarae — 2025 Tour Dates
28 June – Glastonbury, Somerset, UK
10 July – Afro Nation, Portimao, Portugal
31 July – Thalia Hall, Chicago, IL
1 Aug – Lollapalooza, Chicago,IL
3 Aug – Osheaga Festival, Montreal QC
7 Aug – Way out West, Gothenburg
9 Aug – Maiden Voyage Festival, London, UK
10 Aug – Flow Festival, Helsinki, Finland
15 Aug – Lowlands Festival, Biddinghuizen, NL
16 Aug – Pukkelpop, Hasselt, Belgium
13-14 Sept – Best Day Ever, Troutdale, OR