KCRW’s Private Playlist is a listening session with Southern California’s most notable musical figures in their private creative environments. Ah Mer Ah Su’s name derives from the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu, who is often characterized as the Queen of Heaven. It’s a fitting moniker for Star Amerasu, whose music acknowledges the depths of human experience while striving for a higher state of being. A musical polymath from a young age, Ah Mer Ah Su’s sound originated in her years in musical theatre and her formative training in voice and guitar. Following two early EPs, she released her full-length debut, “Star,” in 2018. As her sound has evolved into a vibrant, pop-oriented creation, her lyrics have similarly moved from the struggles of disenfranchisement to the power of reclaiming one’s space. She appeared as part of TOKiMONSTA’s “Every Woman Live Stream” in March 2021 and is working on a new album to be released this summer.