It’s a daunting task, taking on the role of “next big thing” — but somebody’s gotta do it. Enter Alemeda, the Ethiopian-Sudanese songwriter and fresh-faced Top Daw Entertainment (TDE) signee who has been doing the rounds on artists to watch list this year. Her debut EP, Fk It, was released in the fall of 2024 and sounds like SZA, Paramore and Fall Out Boy combined with a dash of petulant angst and drum ‘n’ bass (like when she sings “Fuck your therapist, she didn’t change a thing/ You’rе still everything you said you wouldn’t be” over clashing hooks, in distorted vocals on “UR SO FULL OF IT”) — it’s so visceral and nostalgic you want to burn it onto a ripped CD. “This EP is the truest expression of who I am right now,” Alameda said about her heart-open release. “It’s about letting go of what doesn’t serve me and embracing the chaos and beauty of being real, unapologetically.”
Below, Alemeda takes us to Brooklyn’s Baby’s All Right as she brings her playful punk pop bangers to her growing fanbase.
My pre-show ritual is playing Uno with the band.
After show glow! Me with friends taking photos backstage after my performance.
This was a real moment with my fans. It’s so much fun engaging with them on stage. I love the energy they bring and I give it right back.
I performed an acoustic version of Amy Winehouse’s “Cherry.”
Me and the band stunning on our last tour date in Brooklyn. We had so much fun!
Pre-show glam. I always do my own lips even when I get my make-up done.
Tour essentials: Water, soda, juice, snacks, fruit, tea, candy and energy drinks.
Photography: Nikki Cardiello