"Amaarae takes listeners on a thrilling ride on BLACK STAR. The Ghanaian-American pop star unabashedly embraces her Ghanaian roots and queer identity with a fun and often humorous collection of Afrobeat earworms and dance-pop bangers. She also reclaims the black star symbol on her native flag, which represents freedom, by offering a raw and unfiltered glimpse into her world through music. Amaarae's follow-up to Fountain Baby is an expansion of her boundary-pushing sound, and a masterful return."
"On his first full-length release in six years, Dev Hynes finds solace in the familiar and comes home. Essex Honey chronicles the musician's journey through navigating grief and finding acceptance in order to move forward. "Light was just for hope and it keeps flickering, I just want to see again" he sings on "Somewhere in Between," as he attempts to remain optimistic. The record is narrated by a distinctive cello motif that holds the beautiful collection of songs together."
August 2025 produced a heavy slate of notable album releases, including breakout projects and high-profile returns. New artists like Greg Freeman, Nourished by Time, CoSigns Teethe, and Joey Valence and Brae released standout projects. Established acts such as Deftones, Earl Sweatshirt, Blood Orange, Dijon, and Wolf Alice returned with significant new work. Amaarae's BLACK STAR embraces Ghanaian roots and queer identity with Afrobeat and dance-pop, reclaims the black star as freedom, and expands her boundary-pushing sound. Dev Hynes's Essex Honey navigates grief and acceptance, anchored by a cello motif and collaborations with Caroline Polacheck, Lorde, Mustafa, and others.
Read at Consequence
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]