It’s just not fair that AMAKA is coming out of the gate like this! The singer and former member of Van Jess had us ready for summer in March when she dropped her Kaytranada-produced heater “Cruisin’” in our laps. She also promised more heat coming from her direction in the near future. She lives up to her word with the release of her newest single “Leave It Behind.”
Where “Cruisin’” was an uptempo flame ready to burn, “Leave It Behind” operates at more of a simmer. Don’t let its slightly slower pace fool you, though. It’s still a certified jam just like its predecessor. Helping her keep the thread going is Kaytranada once again, this time giving us a bit of throwback to his earlier sound — including bouncy, elastic synth bass, shuffling drums and flowing synth chords that wash over the track like waves.
AMAKA is game to match what Kaytra is putting down, giving us a breathy vocal as she encourages us to put it all down and have a good time. ”Step inside and get a whiff of life / Don’t deny that nothing beats this high / You need to drive instead of riding behind / Just leave all your worries behind,” she sings at one point.
Speaking on the process behind creating the song, AMAKA said in a statement, “I wrote it from the perspective of being in that space and wanting whoever is around me to join in and absorb that same energy: having a good time and being present in the moment no matter what life has thrown your way.”
We’re enjoying AMAKA’s solo journey just far and are pretty much ready to follow her wherever she may lead us. Fall in line and get ready to leave your worries at the door when you listen to ”Leave It Behind” below.
