The Winds of Creativity
André 3000, a world renown rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, and flautist, recently came out with his first solo album. New Blue Sun is an ambient instrumental album with eight songs and a total run time of one hour and 27 minutes. Commonly known for being one half of hip hop duo Outkast, André’s fans have come to know him as an eccentric creative visionary, but even still, this album is vastly different from what his seasoned supporters have come to expect from him.
André experienced much success with Outkast and in his work with other artists, but stepped out of the spotlight one day. Every once and a while he would feature or have a lead on new tracks by other artists, notably his verses on “Pink Matter” and “Solo (Reprise)” by Frank Ocean, a recent feature on Killer Mike’s new album, past features on a Future song, Kid Cudi song, and many, many more. Aside from these features, he would occasionally be spotted traveling the globe with his flute, becoming an elusive character, one who no one could predict where he would appear next.
When André finally stepped back into the spotlight and initially announced this debut album, he deliberately emphasized that it would not adhere to the familiar sounds his fans knew from him. He even put an actual label on the album spelling it out: “Warning: no bars.” The opening track of the album itself is titled, “I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time,” hinting at a divergence from his traditional musical style. Despite these clear warnings, many fans and supporters were taken aback when they realized the album is filled only with instrumentals, with no lyrics and, of course, no bars. New Blue Sun stands as a testament to André’s current interests and continuing creative evolution. While the album may not align with the tastes of most fans, it undeniably represents a remarkably pure and authentic expression of André’s vision as an artist—one that he is beyond proud of sharing with the world. New Blue Sun challenges preconceptions and offers listeners a unique and unexpected auditory experience. In interviews, André shared how the songs weren’t fully planned out, but often came from collaborative jam sessions with other musicians where they just let the creativity flow. André described New Blue Sun as a “full living, breathing album”.
While many fans and music appreciators admired this new album, others were disappointed and wished for more from André’s return to music. Fan entitlement is a common thing we see with great artists throughout history. The intense anticipation of new music from a favorite artist, or any piece of art by one you admire and look up to, can sometimes transform into a volatile dynamic where disrespect can quickly arise. The preconceived expectations of fans can not only leave them disappointed when artists bravely explore new territories, but shows a lack of respect towards artists. After all, artists are just individuals looking to share their passion and work with the world. Admiration for an artist doesn’t require an unconditional love for every project they create, so it is important to keep these expectations in check and diminish unrealistic and unfair assumptions.
André’s return with New Blue Sun marks a distinctive chapter in his career and holds a unique place amongst his discography, as well as in the broader landscape of music today. The ambient instrumentals and shift in gears from his usual style not only defies expectations but reaffirms the power of artistic exploration and not being confined by expectations.