Album Review: Aminé – '13 Months of Sunshine'
What makes you think of summer? Is it that first blue-sky morning after months of grey? That first visit to the park or the beer garden? Is it standing in the middle of a field watching your favorite band at a festival you spent the best part of a year saving up for? Well, if you’re like me, it’s the music. And when it comes to summer anthems, there aren’t many artists who do it better than Aminé.
Aminé’s latest offering, 13 Months of Sunshine, is a rich, breezy body of work that doubles as a soulful exploration of identity and introspection. At its core, it’s an album about family - particularly the relationship between Aminé and his Ethiopian father - and the delicate push-pull between joy, nostalgia, and growth. With its title referencing the Ethiopian calendar, the project draws from a wide palette of cultural, emotional, and sonic inspirations, producing some of Aminé’s most adventurous and personal music to date.
The album opens with “New Flower!” featuring Leon Thomas, the former Nickelodeon kid turned R&B artist, and it wastes no time easing into that signature Aminé groove. Built on a foundation of throbbing drums and a wild keys sample, it’s a cosmic, disco-inspired track that pairs a laid-back flow with confessional lyrics. Leon’s buttery vocals blend smoothly with Aminé’s sharp delivery, as he vents frustrations with creative constraints and charts his personal growth - like a flower pushing through soil. Toward the end of the track, Aminé includes a secret recording of his father, captured during a beach walk, subtly anchoring the album’s familial narrative.
“Feels So Good” is a soulful, sun-drenched track that could slot neatly into a “Rizz Gyat Beach Party” Spotify playlist; or whatever name the algorithm suggests. Thumping drums and DJ scratches play background to Aminé as he delivers lyrics about fleeting joy and wisdom from his dad, again referencing the “13 months” concept. It’s celebratory but reflective, a tension Aminé rides throughout the album. Things get more introspective on “Sage Time” featuring Monsune - a vibe-heavy track with shimmering production that explores indulgence and guilt in a playful, almost tongue-in-cheek manner. The groove masks a darker lyrical core about succumbing to pleasures he knows better than to chase, but it never feels too heavy due to its breezy bounce. One of many Aminé (Rizz Gyat Beach) party tricks.
“I Think It’s You” shifts the tone entirely, stripping things down with gentle African drums and minimalist production. Aminé sings tenderly here, leaning into vulnerability and heartbreak with a simplicity that cuts deep. The distorted outro and sparse midsection add a ghostly elegance to the track’s emotional weight. Contrastingly, “Cool About It,” featuring Lido, plays like a long-lost cousin to Aminé & Kaytranada’s 2023 Kaytraminé. The vocals are versatile, the beat lush and loose, and the “lalalalala” loop is infectious. It’s one of those cuts that feels casual on the surface, but the finesse in its execution reveals just how in his bag Aminé is with this project.
With Waxahatchee joining him on “History,” Aminé tries something new - and wow, does it work. The soft, sedative duet opens with gentle guitar plucks before dissolving into a track about intimacy and tension, with a beautifully reversed instrumental in the outro. It’s one of the more experimental cuts, and although it may seem out of place sonically, its raw and unpolished feel matches up perfectly with the confessional lyrical themes of 13MOS. The album hits another high with the single “Vacay” featuring Yâme - a summertime banger through and through. It features one of Aminé’s most animated verses, playful references to the recently viral “honey packs,” and an equally intoxicating hook. The energy is carefree but calculated - a perfect example of Aminé’s ability to balance fun with finesse.
“Familiar,” another single released prior to the album, sees Aminé return to his Kaytraminé bag to keep the vibes flowing. It’s the kind of song made for sunset rooftop sets - warm and effortless. “Doing the Best I Can” opens with a spoken-word snippet from Aminé’s father, setting a contemplative tone. The piano is soft, the vocals barely above a whisper. It’s a moment of emotional pause, an honest portrayal of vulnerability that feels deeply intimate. Aminé relaying “doing the best I can” over and over is gut-wrenching - an emotion he aimed to evoke when speaking about the process of making music for this project. He wanted to resonate with his fans emotionally, and this hook certainly does that.
“Temptations” returns to Aminé’s easygoing rhymes, laced with glittery synths. There’s a grandeur to the production here, lifting Aminé’s introspective second verse into something genuinely affecting. Then there’s “Be Easier on Yourself”—arguably the highlight of the album. It’s smooth, cohesive, and emotionally rich. Aminé rides the instrumental like he’s weightless, offering some of the most affirming verses of his career. The outro is crushing, filled with raw, vulnerable honesty. For a record full of summer hits and danceable tracks, this is the emotional centerpiece.
“Raspberry Kisses” is a final burst of summer heat. The Anderson .Paak influence is clear in the instrumentation and had me hoping he was about to pop out on the track at any second. However, Aminé switching flows and vocal inflections throughout makes for a great track. More wisdom from dad filters in at the end, tying the exuberance of youth to the guidance of ancestry. “13MOS / My Peoples” featuring Aster Aweke is a two-part track that leans heavily into its Ethiopian roots. The tribal ambience and infectious hook - “sunshine, baby want some sunshine” - make it an earworm that captures the warmth and cultural pride that permeates the project.
On “Changer,” with chlothegod, the tempo drops and the raps sharpen. There’s a mysterious quality to the beat, layered with another lush soul sample, and the multicultural influences are undeniable. Aminé is assertive here, standing firm in his identity. “Arc de Triomphe,” featuring The Streets, brings a UK garage bounce into the mix, and on a personal note, is what originally got me so excited for this project. The production is stellar, and the track pulses with energy without losing the project’s cohesion. It’s a reminder of Aminé’s global scope and refusal to be boxed in sonically.
“Images,” with 454 and Toro y Moi, is another standout. A dreamy, multi-textured track that showcases brilliant feature curation. It’s one of the most sonically adventurous moments, with blurred genre lines and a beautiful interplay of voices. A floating finale that blends sound and sentiment in equal measure. It’s a graceful close to a deeply personal, eclectic, and emotionally intelligent project.
In 13 Months of Sunshine, Aminé offers more than just an album - it’s a warm letter to lineage, a soundtrack to growth, and a solid effort in genre blending. It’s easily his most mature and exploratory project yet, rewarding both casual listeners and long-term fans alike. By interweaving family wisdom, playful sensuality, and cultural pride, Aminé cements himself as one of the most intriguing and emotionally nuanced voices in contemporary hip-hop.
Words by Alex Peters
