[The song “Sociopathic Dance Queen” has been removed from this review]
Fountain Baby is the latest album by singer, songwriter, and producer Amaarae. She was first brought into the limelight with her song “SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY” ft. Kali Uchis & Moily, which went viral on TikTok in 2021. Listeners were quickly taken with her beautiful mix between R&B and Pop and her distinct, light voice.
“All My Love” – As the intro, this mini-song has a lot to establish in its 44 seconds. Being purely instrumental, it does a wonderful job showcasing the beautiful sound of this album.
“Angels In Tibet” – As the breakout song from this album, I had high expectations. I had heard a section from it, as it has been prominently featured in viral videos of the most recent Street Woman Fighter (a dance competition) where Kirsten Dodgen and Latrice Kabamba of Jam Republic perform to the song. It has also become popular with dancers online because of its high energy and rhythms.
Its status is certainly deserved. It is the kind of song that makes you feel like you need to dance. The lyrics are incredibly written and performed, and the two sections where Amaarae sings in a different voice bring the song to another level.
It is a song that radiates power and sounds almost ethereal, a common thread throughout the whole album.
“Co-Star” – Everyone who is into astrology will be delighted to discover that there is a whole song about it. Maybe not Libras, however, as Amaarae certainly has some… choice words for you.
While gentler than “Angel In Tibet”, this is still a song that makes you feel like you need to dance with its high tempo and talk of movement. Honestly, the whole album is filled with songs that are perfect to dance to.
A harp can be heard throughout the song and adds a certain quality that I struggle to describe. Like the song itself is shining.
“Princess Going Digital” – I have trouble finding the words to properly describe this song. It has a harder sound than the rest of the album and has a distinct sharp quality to it. Showing this album’s R&B influences, the song prominently features with its strong bass and drums, as well as a synthesizer adding to the background.
“Big Steppa” – This song has by far the softest sound out of the album, with a slower pace and a toned-down backing track. I, as well as many others, find themselves relating to this song, as it is about rediscovering your self-worth and confidence after being undervalued and brushed off.
“Reckless & Sweet” – This song was one of the two songs from Fountain Baby that was released as a single, giving me solid expectations for this. Although simple, the chorus of this song is what stands out to me:
“Call me when the money come, come, come, come, To the money I’ma run, run, run, run, run.”
There is a slight echo around her words, exemplifying the gorgeous quality of Amaarae‘s voice on this track. There is an almost doll-like quality added to the song as her voice in the chorus is pitched up and used in the back of the song.
“Wasted Eyes” – The verse “I can’t be your lover, too many things to lose, you love me with no honor, I don’t wanna leave, I don’t” will forever exist bouncing around inside of my head. Her delivery of these lines is beautiful.
This is a song that you lose yourself in. Every element blends magnificently, and this shows off the brilliance of the production on this album, with the Japanese in the background and the many unconventional sounds sprinkled throughout.
“Counterfeit” – This one is my personal favorites. The song is tracked with what seems to be a steel pan and somewhat reminds me of “Under The Sea” in an unusual way. The beat and sounds make you once again feel like you need to get up and dance.
“Disguise” – Admittedly, this is my least favorite of the album, though coming after “Counterfeit” was going to be a tough act no matter what.
The standout of this song is Amaarae‘s otherworldly delivery of “With these eyes, I know, I know.”
While not the strongest song on the album, it is by no means bad.
“S*x, Violence, S*icide” – This song is split into two distinct halves. A slow, calm, and sweet section for the first two and a half minutes or so, before a moment of silence is broken with a strong guitar as it suddenly transitions into a rock song for the second half.
The first section is both loving and intense, despite its quiet, mumbly nature. The second half is demanding and intense in a much more straightforward manner, with lyrics like “Tell me I’m the one, tell me I’m the best, I do what I want, want so I can get my way”.
It is an incredibly well-done contrast and almost sounds like two different artists, showing off the range she’s capable of.
“Aquamarie Luvs Ecstasy” – As the longest song on the album, at 4:39, it has a lot of opportunity to establish itself, and establish itself it does. This song really exemplifies the water-like quality this album has, reminding me of the feeling of being underwater in a pool. The song itself feels cool and relaxing. She even somehow manages to make German sound soft in her voice.
“Water from Wine” – While I do like this song, it is a bit of a weaker one. There is not a particular section of it that sticks with me. However, this is another song that uses the subtlety of the additional sounds to show off the ingenious production.
“Come Home To God” – This song is a stark departure from the rest of the album, backed with a guitar and chorus of Amaarae herself. While the writing of the song and the lyrics keep the same upbeat energy of the rest of the album, the softer delivery where she’s nearly whispering at some points, and the gentle guitar and drums seem to contrast each other interestingly. It is not in my top five for the album, but it is a solid outro.
Overall, it is a beautiful, lovingly crafted album, and you can hear that in every song. It’s absolutely worth a listen (or a few) and definitely is not leaving my queue for a while.
