Somalian-born, Canadian-bred songstress Amaal made a strong resurgence in the last year with her "Coming & Going" and "Not What I Thought" singles, properly giving the siren her due entrance in a climate where R&B in an increasingly post-genre industry has found definitive revival in its torchbearers. Amaal's catalog is no anomaly to the notion and with her full-length Black Dove EP, she properly assures us of such.
The effort is a wondrous mix of midtempo bops to emotive and moody selections. Altogether, they craft a cohesive six-track offering that finds Amaal translating womanhood and growth into instant staples.
"I know I've had great opportunities come my way and I'm very happy and ecstatic for them," she tells Exclaim! of the real-life journey that birthed Black Dove. "But the reality is those things wouldn't come my way if I didn't make changes within myself — coming to myself as a woman and getting comfortable in my skin [...[ I'm just caring less, in the most respectful way, about what other people think. I'm putting myself as the priority."