Jamaican choreographer-turned-artist AMANYEA has shared audio and visuals for her latest single “TOP GIRL,” out now on all DSPs.
The track, produced by fellow Jamaican rising star RUNKUS, gives listeners a first taste of AMANYEA’s upcoming debut EP, Still Go’ Dance, coming soon from Delicious Vinyl Island. True to its name, “TOP GIRL” is a women’s empowerment anthem, flipping a familiar dancehall flow from Vybz Kartel (via Super Cat) into an encouraging message about independence and self-sufficiency.
The colorful and effervescent video, helmed by noted Jamaican director Ruption with creative direction from Machu Ezra, pays homage to iconic women artists (Erykah Badu, Missy Elliott) while featuring a cast of other top girls in Jamaica’s music scene like singer Courtni, DJ Shacia Marley and dancer Happy Feet.
The daughter of renowned Jamaican artistic director Dr. L’Antoinette Stines, AMANYEA is one of Jamaica’s most accomplished young dancers and choreographers. Her dance career has taken her from her mother’s Kingston-based ensemble, L’ACADCO – A United Caribbean Dance Force, to the Miami Heat Dance Team to choreographing and appearing in Nick Cannon’s Jamaica-set film King of the Dancehall. Artists she’s danced or choreographed for include Cardi B, Major Lazer, Sean Paul, The Arcade Fire and Jimmy Cliff, just to name a few.
Now fully focused on music, AMANYEA has connected with talented Jamaican producers Runkus, JLL and Iotosh to create a fresh sound that’s inspired by reggae, dancehall, R&B, Latin music and hip-hop but sophisticated, sexy and all her own. Her style is rhythmic, bright, girly yet tomboyish, sensual yet down-to-earth, feisty and pretty, likkle but tallawah just like Jamaica itself.
“TOP GIRL” marks AMANYEA’s first release through Delicious Vinyl Island, the Caribbean music imprint from iconic L.A. indie label Delicious Vinyl.
“‘TOP GIRL’ was written to help women conquer fears they may have surrounding their beings and bodies,” Amanyea says. “I’m encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones and to be independent.”
