With her soul-baring pen and stirring vocals, R&B singer-songwriter Amaal creates anthems for liberation. Born in Somalia in 1990, Amaal and her family soon fled the country's civil war and relocated to Toronto. Visiting her birthplace as a teenager inspired the political nature of her early work: on “Mufasa” (2013) and “Last Ones” (2016), she belts with equal devastation and hope for Somalians. That vulnerability allowed Amaal to tap into other parts of herself. Soon, she was ready to centre her own experiences in her music. On her debut EP, Black Dove (2019), she finds freedom in discussing her womanhood and relationships—topics considered taboo in the conservative culture in which she was raised. But it’s on 2021’s Milly where she fully reclaims her power and pleasure, and winking singles “Honey” and “Heaven” throw open the gates for Amaal to dig even deeper and become even freer.