Erykah Badu Goes Deep and Gets Darker
Every Erykah Badu album release feels like an event to me. I was in my sophomore year of college when her Grammy-winning 1997 debut, Baduizm, dropped and changed the modern R&B game for the better. Subsequent Badu albums -- Live (1997) Mama's Gun (2000) Worldwide Underground (2003) -- sparkled with gems. And, for me, each set deepened with repeated spins.
Now the Dallas-born, neo-soul sorceress returns with a new CD, New Amerykah, in stores today. I've only it spun twice since I got it this morning, and each time my reaction has been the same: "Uh, what is this?"
But that's not necessarily a bad thing. The album is just not as musically accessible as Badu's previous platinum-selling releases. (Well, come to think of it, Badu has always been an acquired taste.)
But New Amerykah especially begs for your patience. It's a dark, politcally charged album. Lyrically, Badu is cryptic and elliptical as the music, which is bottom-heavy and mostly programmed this time, throbs and meanders. The album has the feel of an underground mixtape with beats courtesy of hip-hop producers Madlib, Shafiq Husayn of the Sa-Ra Creative Partners and others.
The songs boast the loose jam feel of Worldwide Underground. But the organic instrumentation that warmed Badu's previous releases is largely absent. (The singer-songwriter's homeboy and former classmate Roy Hargrove plays multi-tracked trumpet on the hypnotic "Me.")
New Amerykah, the first in a thematic series of two or three albums Badu plans to release this year, doesn't go down easily. But it has enough musical wierdness to keep you coming back. It will probably be a while before I listen to this record and a light bulb pops on: "Oh, yeah, I get it."
Comments
When I 1st heard this yesterday I thought it was just noise. As with all of her cd's (except the 1st one) it ad to grow on me. I LOVE IT!!!! She appears to be a different person on this one. More of a Black Panther sound you might say. Do ya thang Erykah------Her true fans will find what they need to in this cd.
Posted by: Nique---Happy 2 B Nappy! | February 27, 2008 3:55 PM
This album is not for your Physical Ears... It's for your spirit and an aid to opening your 3rd eye.
Posted by: Dot | March 2, 2008 3:03 PM
Here let me help you "get it".
The single, Honey was to grab the attention of mainstream music lovers to lure them into buying the LP, believing that they'll more of the same up beat pop-like medicine that Honey offered.
Rather when you go through the songs, you are being given almost a lecture musically of the politics and injustices of America. It is a tour like replica of going through the American nightmare, like a roller coaster.
If you notice the last song before honey, we are exiting the ride and thrust back into the blindedness pop life, the countdown to her single Honey.. she counts down.. there's a pause and the single blares from the speakers.
She got ya.
Posted by: CD | March 8, 2008 4:14 PM