It’s a new day for Erykah Badu fans. After months of anticipation, the artist confirmed in March 2025 that she was joining forces with The Alchemist for a collaborative album. The news carried significant weight because Badu hadn’t released a proper studio album since New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh) in 2010, nor had she delivered a full-length project since the 2015 mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone. A single, “Next To You,” arrived last June, but thereafter there was silence. More than a year passed before they resurfaced with the track “Witch Doctor” earlier this month and announced a release date for the LP; yet, with no title, cover, or tracklist, some skepticism lingered. Put those doubts to rest — today, for the first time in sixteen years, a new Erykah Badu album drops.
The project bears the title Before The World Blows, described as a loose, mood-driven record. It features a wealth of collaborators: Steve Lacy, Earl Sweatshirt, Thundercat, Kamasi Washington, DRAM, DJ Creole Princess, fellow ’90s space-soul voyager Joi, and two appearances from Westside Gunn. The genesis of the record traces back to Badu’s decision to rap over an Alchemist-produced beat derived from Mobb Deep’s 1999 track “The Realest,” a moment that anchors the album in a potent history of hip-hop.
On the majority of the tracks, Badu alternates between singing and rapping, delivering a laid-back, whispery vocal flow that often reads as an extension of her singing voice. The raps carry a melodic, conversational cadence that feels intimate and unforced. She also slips in several references to André 3000’s Outkast lyrics. There’s even a track that finds her saluting the rap producers she’d love to have create beats for her. Whether many sections were improvised in the studio remains unclear, but the record carries an unanchored, casual, almost chatty vibe. It doesn’t come across as a project designed to scale artistic summits; instead, it revels in ease, and there’s genuine warmth in that approach.
In a new Guardian interview with Shaad D’Souza, Badu says that The Alchemist’s arrangements feel like “classical music” to her, thanks to the layering of chimes, voices, strings, and horns. She adds that their working method mirrors this sensibility, creating a process that’s as combustible as it is beautiful. “I get chills when I hear his music,” she reveals. The Alchemist himself recalls a time when he would sneak into the crowd to watch Badu perform during the 1996 Smokin’ Grooves tour, while working as a Cypress Hill roadie and as part of the Soul Assassins duo Whooliganz. “I never would have thought in a million years that I would be making music with her,” he admits. Check out the album below.
Before The World Blows is available now on Control FREAQ Records/Young Recordings.
