- Amaarae faces backlash in Ghana
- Singer advocates for women's empowerment
- Amaarae wins "Woman of the Year" award
Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter Amaarae has opened up about the overwhelming negativity she’s faced since returning to her homeland in 2017, attributing it to her bold and expressive nature as a woman.
In an interview with ABC News Live Prime, Amaarae shared her experiences, saying, “I don’t think that I have seen anyone get as much hatred from their home country as I have. It is unfortunate and I think that it does also have a lot to do about me being a woman and then being a woman that is so bold and expressive… it kind of shocked people and scared them.”
Amaarae emphasized the need for inclusive discussions on women’s empowerment, urging individuals to break free from societal expectations. “Real conversations about our community need to happen, real conversations about the way that women are viewed and are allowed to express themselves. You don’t have to conform and fall into any boxes, you can absolutely pave whatever path that you want.”
Currently on tour with American singer Sabrina Carpenter, Amaarae cited Carpenter as an inspiration. Her own music style has also inspired peers to experiment with their sound. “What I observe with my music is that it has allowed more of my peers to experiment within music. There’s no more boundaries. If you do Pop, now you can dabble in rap, R&B… I love that we can all bring these different worlds together and true expression of ourselves.”
Amaarae, born Ama Serwah Genfi, has gained recognition with hits like “Reckless&Sweet,” “Like It,” “Leave Me Alone,” and “Wasted Eyes.” She also collaborated with British rapper Stormzy on “This What I Mean.”
Recently, Amaarae was honored as “Woman of the Year” at the 2024 3Music Awards, held on September 28.
