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Boundary-busting singer’s latest is a masterclass in controlled hedonism<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\tHedonism can be a tricky topic in pop music. Indulgence can tip over into self<\/em>-indulgence all too easily; holding back can result in a timidity that makes a song sound at odds with its subject. On her third album, the boundary-busting singer Amaarae<\/a> has figured out the ideal leavening agent for her trips (In multiple senses of the word) through the world\u2019s most luxurious hotspots: Head-over-stilettos love, which is only made sweeter by the mind-bending, globe-spanning musical maelstrom she helms over Black Star\u2019<\/em>s 13 tracks.<\/p>\n \n\tAmaarae is no stranger to the finer things. Her 2020 breakthrough hit \u201cSad Girlz Luv Money\u201d blended her gossamer soprano with pumping beats and a take-no-shit attitude epitomized by its hook: \u201cget the fuck outta my way\/ I\u2019m gonna get paid, yuh.\u201d But on Black Star<\/em>, she dives straight into the club, with the stalagmite synths of leadoff track \u201cStuck Up\u201d acting as an exhilarating counterpoint to the string-laden opening of 2023\u2019s luscious Fountain Baby<\/em>. From there, it\u2019s a sweaty, lusty thrill ride with Amaarae firmly in control of the pleasure sensors \u2014 for her and for any amorous targets she might pick up.<\/p>\n