A decade ago, Ama (formerly Ama Lou) decided to take a leap of faith and make the trip from London to the Big Apple to continue pursuing her music dreams. Without much of a plan, after landing at JFK Airport, she called an “internet friend,” who got the okay from their parents to crash at their place.

Ama had a stint staying at her aunt’s home in Brooklyn, but that didn’t last long either, as she was kicked out there. The British R&B singer-songwriter traded coasts and ended up in Los Angeles, where she still resides today, about 5,000 miles from her hometown of Hackney.

The 28-year-old inked a deal with Interscope Records in late 2019, where she released a pair of EPs and her long-awaited debut album, I Came Home Late, in 2023, but it was a turbulent road to her debut.

“It was such a stressful process,” she tells Billboard of the issues with her former label. “It should’ve taken me a year and a half to make it, but it took way longer. By the time it was out, I was exhausted. The process of writing wasn’t fun anymore. [Interscope] didn’t promote it and it didn’t do anything.”

Ama was zapped of her creative spirit following I Came Home Late. For the first time in her life, she was left staring at blank pages. “I stopped writing. That’s never happened to me since I was 11,” she says. “I’ve never not been able to crawl up in a corner and write something, so I was like, ‘Something is wrong.'”

When Ama found her songwriting groove again in 2024, there was one major change. Every song would be 100 percent truthful and written from her perspective. For the first time in her career, the mask was off and she couldn’t throw cryptic darts and hide behind her velvety vocals.

Following her split from Interscope, Ama received a call out of the blue from Brent Faiyaz, whom she’s been friends with since 2019. Faiyaz couldn’t believe she was unsigned, and the Maryland native convinced Ama to join his ISO Supremacy label in 2025, which operates in partnership with PULSE Records.

Citing Brandy’s seminal Never Say Never album as a primary inspiration, Ama’s self-titled sophomore album arrived on Friday (June 19), featuring a pair of assists from Faiyaz and Bryson Tiller.

Catch Ama opening for Ella Mai on tour this summer and check out the rest of our interview with her below.

You went on hiatus after your last album [in 2023]. What did you do during that time to get to this point?

I just wanted music to be fun again. I would make music if I was trapped in a room for the rest of my life. I’ve never done anything else since I decided I wanted to do this. I went into the studio with my engineer with the whole purpose of doing music the way it’s supposed to be done and I was back. I was only able to solidify songs if they were 100 percent the truth of what I was feeling. When I discovered songwriting, I took it for granted because it was so easy. My family all has academic skills. I was just there as a kid like, “I don’t know what I’m doing.” Then I found songwriting.

We realized I had to change the whole way I work, which was telling everything from the truth. I wanted my music to be super-easy listening. I don’t know how I fell into this bag, maybe it’s because I was being super cryptic. I went with really complicated productions and arrangements. I didn’t want to be seen or whatever.

How was it writing from your own experience and perspective?

I think it was natural. I don’t think there’s a challenge I don’t step up to. I wanted to take responsibility. You might as well take accountability and do some self-assessment of why you’re so reluctant to do that. I was in the studio for a couple of months and I thought the songs were kind of slapping. One of my favorite albums is Brandy’s Never Say Never. I can listen to that album from top to bottom and not know when it restarts. It’s so digestible and that’s what I wanted.

I grew up on pop music. I was on Justin Bieber, Hannah Montana — and Rihanna was my girl. When I saw Rihanna come out, I was like, “D–n, I could do it.” Beyonce wasn’t as accessible for me because she’s American and I’m English. I was like, “D–n, I could do this.” So that’s the structure I’m used to. My first songs were in a pop structure. With this album, I’m going to go as mainstream as possible. I wrote everything and told my producers where I was going.

What made you want to drop the Lou from Ama Lou to go with just Ama?

When people meet me, they’re like, “You’re nothing like I thought you were gonna be like.” That happens in every meeting I go into. People think I’m gonna be quiet and masked vibes and people are like, “You’re so bubbly and personable.” That’s how I am as a person. Part of this project, I really showed up as myself.

Therefore, Ama Lou doesn’t fit that. It felt like a rebrand and her label made her switch, but that’s not what happened. Nobody calls me Ama Lou, it’s always been Ama. I just picked it because it’s my actual government surname when I was like 12. She served me well. It was a great run and period of time, but we’re in the new era now.

How did you link up with Brent [Faiyaz] and sign to his label [ISO Supremacy]?

I’ve been friends with Brent for years. We became friends in 2019. He called me one day because he found out I wasn’t with Interscope. He’s like, “Ama, for real, just give me a chance.” I’m like, “What are you talking about?” He’s like, “I can’t believe you’re not signed. I got this label thing going on and let me show you what I’m about.” He goes, “I’m the best CEO because I’m an artist and I give my artists whatever they want.”

He stroked my ego a little bit when he was like, “You’re someone who everything that you do, I like. I don’t want to change anything about you. I just want to be able to facilitate your journey.” I flew to Miami and we were just hanging out and Brent was finishing his album and we went from there. It seemed like a good fit. This was 2024.

What’s the biggest difference from Interscope?

Care. Now everyone’s personally invested. I don’t feel like I’m fighting people. It was just like, “Hello, who are you?” At the time, Interscope was changing out everyone. It was turbulent. They have a system and don’t stray from that. The people they employ from labels are like from Wisconsin. My project manager had a singing TikTok, like you’re trying to be a star. What is happening here? I can’t take you serious. It works for some people, but it was a mismatch.

What was the creative process for AMA?

[Darhyl “DJ”] Camper was the first person I worked with for this project. You sit in the studio, get a folder, pay your fees and pick some. I take stuff away and write. I never write on the spot apart from “Need It Bad.” I’m very regimented. I don’t want anyone in the studio. That’s an expensive hangout. I’m super-organized. I have big spreadsheets for keeping track. I fill all the sessions so people don’t argue with me about stems and splits. I’m like an EP. It’s efficient. I run stuff like a business. I recorded most of my vocals in London and then in Westlake in L.A.

How did “Aura” with Bryson Tiller come about?

Bryson was actually supposed to be on “Holding Back.” I sent it to him and we’ve been internet friends for years. I had a deadline at the end of last year in November when I was handing my album in. I was like, “How am I gonna get this done without being annoying?” I texted him, “If I’m in Miami tomorrow night, are you free?” I flew to Miami and went to his house and talked to him about the song. I played him some stuff and “Aura” and after I played him that he was like, “That s–t got me emotional, man. Something about that f–king song. Can you just send me that one? I’m not gonna ruin it though, It’s like perfect.” He sent me that second half back.

Things get deep when you finish the album with “RIP.”

That’s deep… That chorus talks about depression and I don’t really hear depression in songs unless I’m listening to indie-rock. I called my sister telling her I wrote a chorus with the word depression in there, how do you feel about that? She said, “B–ch, you better get that out the way!” I feel like I marked the beginning and the end of the album with two very raw and candid subject matters. The middle is just slaps and absolute bangers. That’s day-to-day life.

“RIP,” being someone who’s mixed race, I wanted to touch on a subject that I don’t think I’ve heard anyone speak about. Being someone who’s mixed race, I wanted to touch on fetishization in black-and-white relationships from a mixed-race person that’s not like let me go do an interview and be political and start a whole conversation for my own gain. People connect to that song in their own way.

I feel like I’ve seen a lot of conversation on social media about you embracing your femininity in this era.

I think I’ve always been super-feminine. I don’t know how people categorize that in personality. In the “Need It Bad” , everything I’m wearing is my clothes. I’m super feminine, but I never showed anyone my real personality. So you didn’t see the whole side of it. People are like, “Oh, she’s embracing her feminine side.” I’ve always been this — but women can do what men do, but men can’t do what women do. We can do everything. If I want to be a little bit boyish or like a woman at other times, it’s not even that deep.

You told The FADER, “Being more masked and presenting was a protective thing. I wanted to hide a little bit. I just didn’t want to be seen in this hiatus. I dissected that.”

I’m not blind to it. I did think about it, but in terms of me presenting as feminine, it’s not like, “Oh, let’s be more feminine.” When you’re not sexualized in any way, that stays ambiguous. People will look to other things they find interesting about you. When I was starting out, I just wanted to be taken seriously. From 18, I was alone in studios with random men late at night. I grew up in a place where you got pulled into blocks. I grew up in Hackney. I learned the less you’re seen that wxay, I found people would take me more seriously musically. I would never give them space to have anything else.

The “So…” video with you wearing guy’s prosthetics, that was funny. How did that come about?

I wrote it for a male artist as a general perspective. I loved the song and I wanted to keep it. When it got chosen to be a single by my team, I was like, “How the f–k do I represent this?” I’m not a f–kboy. As a song living on the album, it works. But visually, how am I gonna do this where people don’t think I’m an a–hole. So I had this idea to play a light-skinned person and go as cliche as possible and show a satisfying exchange between a body and this guy who lots of people found very handsome. That was weirding me out a bit. The comments are like, “I would.”

The point was you’re not supposed to like him, but maybe that is the point. They keep getting away with it. I really love wearing prosthetics and I haven’t directed in a long time. I wanted to get back into it. I just wanted to play a character and I got possessed every time the camera came on. I did have a meeting about [acting] the other day and my acting agent was like, “I did see that video and I was pleasantly surprised.” I’ll be in stuff soon, I think.

I remember when you came out to NYC back in like 2018, opening for Jorja Smith on tour.

That’s my f–king girl. I remember when she moved to London and she had like 16,000 followers and she was the baddie girl. I will give the f–king flowers. We’ve known each other for 10 years and were just talking the other day about how we’re still super young, but we’ve experienced layers.

Drake posted your music as well around that time.

I would never be a Drake hater. I grew up on this man. He’s still doing it. If I’m stressed, I listen to Drake. The “BBW” song — I love that song. Drake’s been very supportive. If you hang out with [Drake or Jorja], they’ll always show you some s–t you’ve never heard. They’re big music heads.

Did you always want to build a fan base in America rather than back home?

I always wanted to do this. I said to my teacher I’m never having a job and I’ve never had a job. He pissed me the f–k off. In England, if you break England, then you can be a very successful artist and run Europe, but there’s a chance you never break America. I used to call them the BBC babies. You get into a run as a U.K. darling and I never wanted to be in that cycle. I thought, “Let me go for the biggest guy in the room.” I have a U.S. passport, so why wouldn’t I take the chance to do it? This is where the sound I want is.