Amaarae needs her space in new track “Leave Me Alone”

If, over the past couple years, you've found yourself invested into the new sounds coming from West Africa's alté scene and everything adjacent to it, then you are probably familiar with how crucial a role Ghanaian-American singer plays in it. Possessing a sweet voice and the ability to articulate her innermost feelings with the best of them, Amaarae has proven to be the missing piece that pushes her peers' tracks to the next level. On Odunsi (the engine)'s recent "Body Count," she incorporates the bounciness of Bay Area rap into her melodies, on Cruel Santino (formerly known as Santi)'s "Rapid Fire," she slides in at the song's end to add some dreaminess, and on Lady Donli's "Flava" she's the perfect companion for the Nigerian singer.

Amaarae has kept her momentum going without having a proper full length project, which is impressive to say the least. In late 2017, she dropped the six-track EP Passionfruit Summers, which was a perfect introduction to the calming seduction in her voice. But in the coming months, she will be releasing her first proper full length with The Angel You Don’t Know, which doesn't have a set release date yet. Today, the project's first single was released and if it's any indication of what's to come, we're in for a treat.

"Leave Me Alone" finds Amaarae opening up about the need to have space to herself. Like the majority of her music, it makes you long for night time summer rides, with breeze blowing in your face. “'Leave Me Alone' is a freedom record. It’s just about wanting to live your life and be left to do so," she said of the song in a press release. "There’s so much going on in the world right now. We all need a break — or some form of escape and this song speaks to that desire. It’s about having the space to breathe, process and get your mental and emotional states right.” Listen to the song below.