Amanda Black says her breakup inspired the album MNYAMA

South African singer-songwriter Amanda Black joined LootLove via FaceTime on Apple Music 1 to talk about her latest track, “Ungayeki (feat. Berita).”

She also discusses the inspiration behind her latest album, Mnyama, bringing politics into her art, and how she’s not afraid to make her voice heard outside of music.

Amanda Black on being told to stick to the music

People are like, “Oh, you’re a public figure. You are a celebrity. You should only worry about the music.” People are telling me just focus on music. I’m like, “Do you understand my music is political? My music is to make people feel. My music is to make people see themselves. My music is for self-awareness. That is what I do.” Then it’s not any different when I’m not singing it and I’m saying it with my words. I feel that is that disconnect that people are not putting together in that understanding that my music is about the things that I speak out on.

Amanda Black on her conflicting feelings towards Women’s Day in South Africa

I’m like, “I don’t know.” I’m not excited about Women’s Day. I want to be excited. Then you try and sort of like, “Okay, fine.” Yes, this is happening, but we need to still try and empower and celebrate ourselves because we should never stop doing that. We don’t need one day to do that. But at the same time, I’m like, “Yo, what are we celebrating when there’s so much injustice towards women?”

Amanda Black on how her breakup inspired the album MNYAMA

When lockdown hit, a week before we were told we were locking down, I literally broke up with my ex. So I was going through a breakup. And then the world was ending. I was like, “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on.” So I kind of went through that crazy “I don’t know what to do stage,” and those moments of despair and uncertainty gave birth to my conversations in this album.