Ms. Badu hosted her NYC Pre-launch party for New Amerykah Part 1 (Mental) due out next Tuesday. We were treated to artwork from the album with Erykah's explanations and hand written notes, a private listening session, and a Q&A. While the album played, we watched a film made of short abstractly edited clips of ordinary life, that speed up or focused with the music.
New AmErykah takes us on another journey, this time of how Ms. Badu interprets the world since her last album, 2003's 'World Wide Underground'. The album tracks, delve deeper into Erykah's spiritual/psychedelic overloads. Each of them funky, sensual; definitely I would say "Sensory Mood Music". One exceptional piece featured Georgia Anne Muldrew; and and "Honey" is definitely the Whackest (sorry) 'Bonus Track' on the album. I am sooo glad, I was scared for half a second...
The album is truly Erykah, meaning phoenix & life, her own spelling of her given name 'Erica. As she discussed the album, she recalled how she wrote the emotional "Telephone", the day Dilla died. She spoke with Dilla's mother who discussed him often having conversations with friends like Old Dirty Bastard, while in intensely painful states due to the Lupus disease that ended his young life. One day while he was 'talking' to ODB, he told him that when you die, choose the 'white bus', not the 'red bus', as the 'white bus' will take you to heaven. This is just one of the personal reflections she shared. She also talked about how her son, 10 year old Seven (with Andre 3000) taught her how to record this entire album on her MAC laptop.
Set at the Earl Grey Museum in NYC, the artist's 5th dimension detail of bodies and surreal elements was a perfect back drop to listen to the album on cushions and pillows on the floor of the museum. This was truly a memorable listening experience.
Aside from being the new face for Tom Ford's fragrance 'White Petunia', this year Erykah will release New Amerykah Part 2 (Spiritual) in July, and 'Low Down Loretta Brown in November. As she continues her lifelong self evolution, fans will continue to enjoy the ride with her.
WATCH Erykah's intro for NewAmerykah
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