André 3000’s Solo Debut, ‘New Blue Sun,’ Eschews Outkast-Style Rap for a Peaceful, Easy Feeling: Album Review
variety.comChris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic When a record comes with a warning label, believe it. That’s the case behind André 3000’s solo album debut, 17 years after the close of the recorded catalog of his Atlanta-based hip hop behemoth, Outkast.
With this week’s announcement of André 3000’s surprise solo release, “New Blue Sun,” the album came with the label “Warning: no bars,” plus press notes stating that “New Blue Sun” is “an entirely instrumental album centered around woodwinds; a celebratory piece of work in the form of a living, breathing, aural organism.”’ Uh-oh?
I haven’t heard an excuse for a renowned artist’s major-label instrumental album like this since Lou Reed dropped the staticky white noise of “Metal Machine Music” on RCA in 1975.
Yes, 3000 has appeared as a guest on music from Beyoncé, James Blake, Drake and Frank Ocean since his time away from Outkast (who last worked together on a tour nearly a decade ago).
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