Accra: Amid criticisms that Amaarae does not collaborate with local Ghanaian artistes, the US-based Ghanaian singer has explained that she had actually tried to feature several Ghanaian acts on her Black Star album but was unsuccessful. In an interview on the Sincerely Accra Podcast, she noted that people assume she deliberately avoids collaborating with local artistes because they are unaware of what happens behind the scenes.
According to Ghana Web, efforts were made to secure verses from Ghanaian artistes for her album, which was released in August 2025, but most attempts did not materialise. She disclosed that track 13 on the Black Star album, titled ‘Free the Youth,’ originally had a verse from Arathejay, but it did not make the final cut. Arathejay’s contribution was removed after extensive revisions did not meet Amaarae’s expectations.
Amaarae also disclosed that she reached out to Shatta Wale through social media for a collaboration, but she never got a response until after the project was released. She described how she contacted Shatta Wale numerous times, expressing a desire to create something new together, but did not receive a reply in time.
Additionally, other Ghanaian creatives, including Gaffachi and Nshorna Muzik, were also contacted but could not make it onto the final project. Despite her efforts, no local artiste appeared on the Black Star album. Amaarae emphasized that her album represents her vision of the future of Ghanaian music, even though the collaborations she sought did not come to fruition.