I know Aminé because of his commercial debut single “Caroline,” but outside of that song, I am not very familiar with him or his music. Aminé is an American rapper from Portland, Oregon. Although “Caroline” was released in 2016, he began his music career in 2014 with the release of his debut mixtape, Odyssey to Me, which was also followed by his debit extended play, En Vogue” (“Aminé”).
“Together” by Aminé is about a narrator who regrets the place his relationship is at with the woman he loves. He acknowledges he has made many mistakes, but he still wants to make the relationship work because he needs her and loves her. He regrets many of his actions and how he treated her which is enforced by the references to drinking, such as “need a damn drink” and “I see it in this cup,” (Aminé – TOGETHER). He yearns for the beginning of the relationship “when it was just innocent,” and there was no hurt or regrets between the two (Aminé – TOGETHER).
This song has an R&B sound that remains “chill and on the lowkey side. The chorus of this song is a sample of the song “Party Zute/Learning to Love” by LA Priest which was released in 2015. Like “Together,” this song is also about fighting for a relationship and wanting to start over with the woman (Aminé – TOGETHER). The last 30 seconds of the song are reverbed guitar riffs that follow the chorus which is sung by both Aminé and LA Priest which I feel represents that the narrator and the woman are now on the same page and are willing to work on keeping this relationship.
A lyric that stuck out to me was “a heart is worth the weather.” I’ve never heard of this saying, so I tried to look it up, but it turns out it’s not a common saying, and it’s unique to “Together” and “Party Zute/Learning to Love.” I interpreted this line as weather referring to specifically harsh weather conditions. Love is worth braving the storm and taking the chance of getting hurt; The benefits of love outweigh anything negative that have happened and could happen. The speaker simply wants their significant other’s heart.
I really like this song, and I think it’s my favorite out of all the songs I’ve reviewed this semester. As a delusional romantic, I enjoy the meaning of the song, and I feel like Aminé conveys a common situation in a unique way with his songwriting. As a result, I will definitely be adding this song to my playlist!
Work Cited:
“Aminé.” Wikipedia, 20 Mar. 2023. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amin%C3%A9&oldid=1145769352.
Aminé – TOGETHER. genius.com, https://genius.com/Amine-together-lyrics. Accessed 25 Mar. 2023.
Images:
https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/lifestyle/2017/12/27/rapper-amin-xe9-s-past/16728723007/
https://genius.com/Amine-together-lyrics
https://www.documentjournal.com/2020/12/portland-rapper-amine-reignites-his-hometowns-indie-rock-roots/