Rapper and singer-songwriter Andre 3000 is set to release his debut solo album on Friday (November 17).
This will be his first LP (long-playing record) solo project since Outkast split 17 years ago. The title of the album is dubbed ‘New Blue Sun’.
According to NPR Entertainment News, it’s a surprise album in more ways than one: “In place of beats, bars, and singing, the 87-minute record presents André the flautist. Contrabass flutes, Mayan flutes, bamboo flutes, and digital wind instruments feature heavily.”
Another is the extended titles for some of the tracks, one is titled, “I Swear, I Really Wanted To Make a ‘Rap’ Album but this Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time.” Another is called “Ninety-Three’Til Infinity and Beyoncé.”
NPR wrote that Andre said the album was born out of jams he undertook with the vaunted percussionist Carlos Niño. Following that, they introduced keyboardist Surya Botofasina and guitarist Nate Mercereau to the fold, recording the improvisations that comprise the LP (long-playing record) of the new direction.
He told them, It’s not like I don’t try or it’s not like I have a lot of these songs just sitting—I have songs but it’s not like rap things that I really feel happy about sharing. And really, that’s the most important part. I have to feel happy about sharing it. That’s why New Blue Sun was something that I realized, whoa, I really want people to hear it. I really want to share it.”
