Biography
Under the alias Berhana, Amain Berhane shapes an unhurried and silky strain of alternative R&B through his work as singer, songwriter, and producer. A background in screenwriting led naturally to early fan attention via the reflective “Janet,” a ballad nodding to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and the relaxed “Grey Luh,” a slow jam placed in an installment of Atlanta; both appeared on his self-titled, self-released EP from 2016. Two full-length projects followed: the meticulously sequenced HAN in 2019 and the story-driven Amén in 2023, the latter drawing on the artist’s East African roots through corresponding sonic textures.
Raised outside Atlanta, Berhana showed childhood interest in music yet chose to pursue screenwriting at The New School in New York City after high school, also appearing in short films before treating music as a primary outlet. His recorded entrance came with the six-track self-titled EP in 2016; one highlight, “Janet,” honored actress Janet Hubert by referencing her well-known departure from the role of Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Hubert viewed the video and voiced her approval online. Momentum continued when Donald Glover’s series Atlanta featured the closing cut “Grey Luh” during its March 2018 “Money Bag Shorty” episode. Roughly ten days afterward, Berhana issued a reinterpretation of Wreckless Eric’s 1977 punk-pop staple “Whole Wide World.”
October 2019 brought his debut album HAN, structured for continuous listening and incorporating flight-attendant interludes styled after A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders. Tracks such as the atmospheric “Golden,” the funk-tinged “Health Food,” and the luminous “California” gained traction comparable to his earlier singles. Subsequent releases included the Mereba collaboration “Golden, Pt. 2” and the Baird pairings “Beluga v2” and “Sundays.” A run of further singles throughout the opening eight months of 2023 preceded Amén, an album shaped by Ethiopian jazz and themes that encompass Olympic gold medalist Abebe Bikila on the track “Gone.”
Raised outside Atlanta, Berhana showed childhood interest in music yet chose to pursue screenwriting at The New School in New York City after high school, also appearing in short films before treating music as a primary outlet. His recorded entrance came with the six-track self-titled EP in 2016; one highlight, “Janet,” honored actress Janet Hubert by referencing her well-known departure from the role of Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Hubert viewed the video and voiced her approval online. Momentum continued when Donald Glover’s series Atlanta featured the closing cut “Grey Luh” during its March 2018 “Money Bag Shorty” episode. Roughly ten days afterward, Berhana issued a reinterpretation of Wreckless Eric’s 1977 punk-pop staple “Whole Wide World.”
October 2019 brought his debut album HAN, structured for continuous listening and incorporating flight-attendant interludes styled after A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders. Tracks such as the atmospheric “Golden,” the funk-tinged “Health Food,” and the luminous “California” gained traction comparable to his earlier singles. Subsequent releases included the Mereba collaboration “Golden, Pt. 2” and the Baird pairings “Beluga v2” and “Sundays.” A run of further singles throughout the opening eight months of 2023 preceded Amén, an album shaped by Ethiopian jazz and themes that encompass Olympic gold medalist Abebe Bikila on the track “Gone.”
Albums
Singles
