It’s been a minute since we last covered r’n’b singer Amaal. The singer burst on the scene with her debut EP, Black Dove, in 2019, with quite the journey behind her– Amaal was born in war-torn Mogadishu, Somalia where she and her family (including nine other siblings) had to eventually flee, finding a new home in Toronto, Canada.
Amaal then grew up with the weight of her background and history, and this is what first led her to create music that was more centered on socially conscious and political topics. It was only with the creation of Black Dove that Amaal found the courage to express her true self and explore the depth of her emotions as well as her sound.
Fast-forward to present day, and fans are anxiously awaiting the singer’s new EP, Milly, scheduled for release on October 28th. Ahead of the EP, Amaal also released the song “Honey.” As a pair, both “Honey” and “Heaven” do offer a taste of this “afro-futurism” sound (a description per her press release)– however, there is also this slight ’90s/vintage r’n’b influence that pervades both singles, particularly with the inclusion of certain sounds and samples. Amaal shared the music video for “Heaven,” which also recalls a certain ’90s style of music video.
The song itself is a sultry, sexy late-night jam, including a creaking bed, while Amaal’s voice floats delicately and easily over the slinking production.
Check out the new jam and let us know what you think. Stay tuned for Milly and check out more on our R&B SEASON playlist on Spotify here.
Quotable Lyrics
Open up the gates of Heaven, yeah, Heaven, yeah
Holy water dripping blessings, oh, blessing
Open up the gates of Heaven, yeah
I’m your lucky number seven
Holy water dripping blessings, my blessings are you