Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Erykah Badu and The Alchemist Reveal 16‑Song Album Before the World Blows

The release marks Badu’s first full-length project in more than a decade and pairs her vocals with The Alchemist’s hip-hop-rooted production under an independent rollout.

Overview

  • Badu and The Alchemist published the official 16-track listing two days before the record’s planned digital release and confirmed a wide roster of guest artists across rap, jazz and modern R&B.
  • The credits name collaborators such as Westside Gunn, Earl Sweatshirt, DRAM, Steve Lacy, Thundercat, Joi, DJ Creole Princess and Kamasi Washington among others.
  • The album will be distributed digitally through independent imprints Control FREAQ Records and Young Recordings rather than a major label.
  • Promotional tactics have been unconventional and interactive, including a puzzle-based “Badu Burner Phone” campaign, phone-free listening sessions using Yondr pouches, cryptic global posters and video premieres.
  • The project grew out of an 18-month recording process split between Dallas and Los Angeles and will be supported by a Fall North American tour with De La Soul and select Smino dates, underscoring the release’s commercial and live‑performance push.