Solé Scott – Features Editor
Tranquility, peacefulness and flutes erupted in my eardrums as André 3000 emerged from obscurity to showcase his instrumental talents in an unusual way.
‘New Blue Sun’ was released on Nov. 17 after André 3000 surprised his fans with his announcement via NPR on Nov. 14.
The album is one hour and 27 minutes long and consists of eight songs in total. This marked his first solo debut.
To the surprise of his fans, this album has no beats or bars whatsoever. This means André is just playing flutes throughout the entire album.
How can one of the greatest rappers not release a rap album after all these years?
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 majority of the song titles are egregiously long, yet hilarious.
Another favorite title of mine is ‘The Slang Word P*ssy Rolls Off The Tongue With Far Better Ease Than The Proper Word Vagina. Do You Agree?’
Lastly, “Ninety-Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé,” was a creative title and yet a head scratcher to say the least.
The album is giving meditation or a day at the spa. It was not what I was expecting, but I could get used to it.
More rappers should release calming albums, especially as they age, because it will show their adaptability.
Also, this dramatic change shows that André has not only aged but elevated the music he wants to share with the world.
For some added background information for readers who may not know who André 3000 is, he was part of the award-winning rap duo OutKast.
André has sold 20 million records and won six Grammys over his 31-year career.
For the first time, I did not scroll through Twitter before listening to the album because I wanted to have a clear and unbiased opinion.
As I listened, I realized the tone of the flute is varied. Andre is playing a variety of different flutes, which blew my mind.
I later learned one flute he was playing was a custom-made wooden Mayan double flute made with two resonating pipes.
Apparently, he owns dozens of flutes from all over the world, most likely practicing diverse cultures’ music.
I could understand the confusion some may have about this new project. How does someone that has ‘Miss Jackson,’ ‘Hey Ya’ and ‘Elevators’ in their discography move to such a bizarre and unprecedented new era of his career?
So far, I have listened to the album from start to finish twice, and I am really digging it.
I already have plans to listen to ‘New Blue Sun’ when I have trouble sleeping at night or when I need to de-stress.
This album will not attract his traditional hip-hop core audience, but the ones who appreciate music in all of its forms will adore its artistry.
Nevertheless, all music lovers should give the album a listen, and open their mind to a new creation.
