Amaarae’s latest album, Fountain Baby, represents a significant milestone in the journey of African music towards global recognition. In an interview with Pitchfork in 2020, Amaarae pondered the possibility of African music attaining the same level of popularity as Jamaican dancehall did in the early 2000s, thanks to artists like Sean Paul. With Fountain Baby, she not only confirms the rise of African music but also plays a pivotal role in its ascent.
While Fountain Baby is not a straightforward Afrobeats album, it undeniably draws inspiration from West Africa with its pulsating percussion and airy horns. However, Amaarae goes beyond these influences. By fusing a harp motif with genres such as amapiano, highlife, and cumbia, she crafts a musical tapestry that is visionary and unmatched in the realm of afrobeats-inspired pop. In fact, Fountain Baby is a captivating mosaic of musical motifs from every corner of the world. Take Sex, Violence, Suicide, which transitions seamlessly from a mellow highlife ballad to an exhilarating, guitar-driven punk rock anthem. With a defiant proclamation of “I do what I want so I can get my way,” she encapsulates her approach to the music on this album, refusing to confine herself to the boundaries of any single genre.
Fountain Baby is a work of musical alchemy that stretches as far as touching upon elements of Japanese folk, Spanish flamenco, and rugged American rock, among others, to craft a multilayered sound that is unparalleled in the current music landscape.In many ways, Fountain Baby shares similarities with FKA twigs’ Caprisongs, both albums embracing afropop sounds and moods. However, Fountain Baby exceeds Caprisongs in audacity and its willingness to venture into uncharted territories. Despite drawing from such varied sources, Fountain Baby maintains a remarkable coherence. Every sound, from the koras to the horns, steel pans, and textured guitars, is meticulously placed, reflecting Amaarae’s strategic approach to her musical fusion. She walks a fine line between experimentation and randomness, ensuring that every sonic element serves a purpose and contributes to the album’s overall vision.
While the production on Fountain Baby stands strongly on its own, Amaarae’s talent for crafting infectious melodies and memorable one-liners adds an additional layer of enjoyment. Tracks like Co-Star and Water from Wine showcase her ability to create catchy hooks and memorable lines that stick with the listener. Princess Going Digital possesses an irresistible call-and-response quality, tailor-made for festival stages, while Sociopathic Dance Queen sees Amaarae embracing her inner surfer, delivering a neo-beach rock track that demands repeated listens.
It comes as no surprise that Amaarae draws inspiration from trailblazing artists like Missy Elliott whose influence is all over Counterfeit, and Janet Jackson whose vocal DNA is fused with Amaarae’s. Like them before her, with Fountain Baby, Amaarae fearlessly ventures into uncharted sonic territories, creating an album that pushes the boundaries of genre and captivates the listener with its innovative and visionary sound.
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