We spoke to Burundian-Australian singer-songwriter Beckah Amani as she released her debut album, This is how I remember it. Blending Afro-soul, R&B, and pop, the lush production amplifies Beckah’s raw songwriting, creating a sound that feels like a heartfelt conversation.
The latest single “High On Loving You (Talk)” features soulful vocals over delicate piano and a gentle groove, encapsulating the complexity of love with lyrics like, “We don’t have to talk, I analyse you.” The album also includes the official music video for “Call Home”, filmed in Los Angeles, and touches on themes from internal struggles in “Sober” to the playful exploration of connections in “Superstar.” “Free Fall” captures the essence of letting go and finding freedom in uncertainty.
In her words, the album is a reflection on how we remember relationships and the nuances that affect our ability to love. Beckah emphasizes that memories shape our reality and highlights the importance of visibility in love. Her previous singles and debut EP have received extensive support, marking her as an essential emerging artist to watch. Discover the moments that define you with This is how I remember it, a profound exploration of love and identity.
Your debut album, This is how I remember it, is out now! What does this album symbolize for you in terms of your artistic journey?
Debut albums are incredibly monumental for artists and it means so much to me that I can say I’ve got a full body of work out in the world. Writing this album has been one of the hardest but rewarding experiences of my life. It was a messy, confusing and growing time in my life. To me, This is how I remember it. symbolises my growth as an artist and captures a time in my artistic journey where I felt confident enough to sonically explore a range of music genres I love and boldly share them in a conceptual body of work.
“Free Fall” captures the courage to release control. What specific experiences in your life led you to write this song, and how do you hope listeners relate to its message?
I have the most beautiful memories writing and working on this song with Grammy award winning writer Spencer Stewart (Laufey, d4vd, 21 Pilots), M-Phazes (Kehlani, Remi Wolf, Eminem) and Brook Toia (Sezairi, Chris Kläfford, Penny Ivy). It took me from a creatively familiar place on the Gold Coast to a new creative space in LA for the first time where I finished the production of free fall with M-Phazes. Although I hadn’t intended it, the lyrics of Free Fall captured this phase of change in my life so beautifully and wrapped me in so much comfort and contentment. In Free fall, I sonically wanted to capture the chaotic but wonderful and freeing moment when you decide to let go and dive into something new, trusting that you will land where you are meant to be. I wanted it to feel like both falling without a parachute and flying with a pair of new wings. My favourite lyrics in Free Fall are; “it’s ok if you free fall, you’ll land where your soul knows”. Change can be so scary and trusting that things will work out can be so hard when you’re not confident in yourself and have a wall of insecurities and failure as your point of reference. I wrote the lyrics from a second person perspective hoping listeners can find strength and courage in the words during moments of uncertainty and growing pains and also have words to repeat to those around them who are scared of change and believing in themselves.
The album tells a story through conversations between two former lovers. What motivated you to choose this narrative style, and how does it enhance the themes you want to convey?
The album is a series of reflections and conversations between two people and how they remember certain moments and events in their relationship and life outside of it. I was motivated to choose this writing style because I wanted to open a dialogue about the experiences and personal inferences that make it hard for us as people to give and receive love, do healthy relationships well and the light in which we paint our memories. I titled the album “This is how I remember it.” because memories are incredibly important, powerful and can be unique to us. How I remember a specific event or experience isn’t necessarily how you remember that same event or experience. How we remember what we went through and what those around us go through, shape our reality, the world around us and what we believe about ourselves and others. These themes and ideas are worth reflecting on because now more than ever, there is so much outside noise influencing how we see relationships, how we see ourselves and how we relate to others and their experiences. We all deserve to be seen and accept that we are worth loving. It’s a tale old as time but one worth repeating!
Your music often delves into the complexities of love and insecurity. How do you personally connect with these themes, and why are they important to explore in your songs?
Everything I write is to a degree is something I’ve gone through, going through or is a reflection on what others are going through or what I know is happening in the world. Music is my safe space where I comfortably express all of my internal and external thoughts and frustrations. I think the complexities of love and insecurity are such a big part of being a human, particularly a young adult. I love exploring these topics in my music because they affect many different parts of our lives and influence who we are and how we give and receive love. They are the root of so many big feelings and the choices we make. The funny thing is, just like the “remember part” of the title of my album, we all express love and experience insecurity so differently and I think that’s worth writing music about.
How has your Burundian heritage and experiences in different environments influenced the style and content of your music?
I like to think of my music like a garden. A place where many plants grow together in a cohesive and colorful ecosystem. My album is that; a sonic garden. There’s a duality and dimension to who I am, the music I love and the stories I tell. I think this duality is a direct reflection of my heritage, where I am from and the many environments that I grew up in. My story isn’t one thing and so my music is naturally dynamic too. Everywhere I’ve been and my roots have differently influenced how I approach music and the stories that I’m excited to write about. My Burundian heritage in particular has influenced my rhythmic choices in this album.
After touring with Jorja Smith and showcasing at SXSW Sydney, how has performing live affected your musical growth and your connection to the audience?
Touring with Jorja Smith was a literal dream. I learned so much from her, her wonderful team and band. Performing live, particularly for an audience size like Jorja Smith in arenas and huge theatres, has allowed me to expand my fan base and introduce me to listeners who I know connect to my music. It’s been so special to headline my own tour across east coast Australia this past November and directly have fans from the Jorja Smith tour come up to me and say that they discovered me when I opened for her and just had to see my own full show. Talking to fans directly and hearing what my lyrics and music means to them is something I will never get over.
You’ve received significant recognition, such as your nomination for Emerging Songwriter of the Year at the APRA Awards. How do you feel about the support you’ve garnered from the music industry?
Recognition like that means a lot! It’s an encouragement to keep going, to continue writing the music I love and telling stories I hope resonate with others. It’s also such a lovely moment to reflect on how much I’ve grown. I feel so privileged to be receiving support like this from the industry and represent people who look like me in the songwriting space.
You’ve mentioned that moving from Tanzania to various parts of Australia significantly shaped your identity. How have these experiences influenced the narratives and themes in your music?
One of the biggest reasons why I fell in love with songwriting was understanding just how powerful of a storytelling tool it is. Moreover, how much storytelling can get to the heart of who we are and where we are in history. I love that songwriting can be a beautiful place to bring people together to reflect on our shared experiences and listen to new perspectives. Growing up in constant movement made a curious person and a natural collector of stories. It made me reflect on my identity from a young age and question where I belong and fit in. This album for me is an acceptance of all the different parts of who I am in my identity and the different environments that have shaped me. It’s a holistic expression of the identity of a child who grew up in the diaspora and who is connected to both my roots, where I grew up and other places I call home like London.
What advice would you give to emerging artists navigating the challenges of the music industry, especially regarding self-doubt and vulnerability?
I would say, nothing is worth compromising the essence of who you are and your story. It’s so important to trust that your music and what you are trying to put out in the world will reach the right people at the right time. I would also say, please don’t wait around for the industry to catch on to who you are and how awesome your music is, in order to make moves and feel confident in your craft. You’ve already got it, the industry will catch on.
What are your aspirations for the future, both as an artist and as a voice for representation within the music industry?
Next year I would love to see myself touring in new territories I’ve never played before. It would be a dream to tour America and head on my first headline tour across Europe & the UK. I would also love to support more international acts not only in Australia but in places like Europe & the UK. Finally, I’ll continue to release music that speaks to me and hopefully bring to the forefront genres like Alte and Afro and continue to push the narrative that POC artists also do pop and indie.
Can you share a bit about your creative process when writing the album? How did your experiences living between London and Australia shape the final sound?
Writing this album has been one of the hardest but rewarding experiences of my life. When you are stepping into an album process, you hear a lot of people say “you never get your first album back”. I’m still unsure what that statement is meant to inspire in an artist, but for me it put this illusion in my head about what people might expect from it. This led to over writing and losing faith in the story I’ve always dreamed about telling in my first album. For a while I created from a place of uncertainty and what might draw people in. As soon as it hit me that I in fact do not get a second chance to create my first album again, my frame of mind changed, creating the album became exciting and there was a purpose behind the music I was writing. The lyrical aspect of the album mainly came straight from my diary but took shape as I shared my thoughts and feelings with other writers. While writing the album, I lived between London and Australia with occasional short writing and filming trips to LA. Tapping into these varsely different creative scenes contributed to the sonically expansive body of work you can expect to hear on this album. Working with a high calibre of producers, writers and musicians such as Jakwob (Little Simz, Nia Archives), MPhazes (Remi Wolf, Kehlani), Rory Noble (Burna Boy, Ruel), Tev’n (Joy Crookes), The Imports (Beyonce, Tkay Maidza), Alice Ivy, Conor Lawson and Femi Koleoso from Mercury Prize-winning act, Ezra Collective, stretched me and bought so much nuance to the album. I’m eternally grateful to each and everyone one of them for helping me grow such a lovely garden.
Through your music, you aim to open dialogues about love and relationships. What do you believe are the most important lessons we can learn about love from your album?
I think the most important lesson people can learn from my album is that “to be loved is to be seen.” Being seen for who you are unfiltered and unedited though is both comforting and confronting at the same time. As people listen to the album, I hope they know that they are worth loving and that their memories and how they remember aspects of their life from love to the events outside of it, are all worth listening to.
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