For years now, Outkast fans have been waiting and waiting (and waiting) for André 3000 to release a solo album. Now, he finally is, although musically speaking, it might not meet Outkast fans’ expectations.
In a new interview with NPR Music shared today (November 14), André announced the project: It’s called New Blue Sun and it’s set for release really soon, on November 17. It’s not a rap album, though; André said, “I don’t want to troll people. I don’t want people to think, ‘Oh, this André 3000 album is coming!’ And you play it and like, ‘Oh man, no verses.’ So even actually on the packaging, you’ll see it says, ‘Warning: no bars.’”
To his point, the first song on the album is titled “I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A “Rap” Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time.” The other titles on the tracklist (find that below) are equally unconventional.
NPR described the project as “a stunning 87-minute mind-bender, minimalist and experimental, tribal and transcendent” and noted, “One thing it is not, however, is a rap record: No bars, no beats, no sub-bass. André doesn’t sing on this joint, either. What he does do is play flute, and plenty of it — contrabass flute, Mayan flutes, bamboo flutes — along with other digital wind instruments.”
While this is definitely a musical departure, it’s not a complete surprise, given that André has, on multiple occasions in recent years, been spotted out and about playing the flute in public.
Check out the album art and tracklist below.
1. “I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A “Rap” Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time”
2. “The Slang Word P(*)ssy Rolls Off The Tongue With Far Better Ease Than The Proper Word Vagina . Do You Agree?”
3. “That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into A Panther And Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control … Sh¥t Was Wild”
4. “BuyPoloDisorder’s Daughter Wears A 3000
Button Down Embroidered”
5. “Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé”
6. “Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C. / Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, And John Wayne Gacy”
7. “Ants To You, Gods To Who ?”
8. “Dreams Once Buried Beneath The Dungeon Floor Slowly Sprout Into Undying Gardens”
New Blue Sun is out 11/17 via Epic Records. Find more information here.