Andre 3000 to release new album, but not what fans expect

Andre 3000 is gearing up for the release of a brand-new album.   

'New Blue Sun' - which will drop on Friday, November 17 - is his first album as a solo artist. It is also his first offering since Outkast's 2006 album, 'Idlewild'. 

The musician, whose real name is Andre Benjamin, made the surprise announcement on Tuesday.

"André 3000 New Blue Sun November 17, 2023," he wrote on Instagram.

The 48-year-old is known for singing and rapping on hits such as 'Ms. Jackson' and 'Hey Ya!' alongside fellow Outkast member, Antwan 'Big Boi' Patton. 

However, Andre 3000 will neither rap nor sing on his new album. He even included a warning on the album's packaging to notify his fans that there are "no bars". 

So what can they expect from Andre 3000's new album?

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His new album “is an entirely instrumental album centered around woodwinds". 

According to NPR, Andre 3000 will play the contrabass flute, bamboo flute, and the Mayan flute.

Andre has been playing the flute for years and has been spotted in public spaces such as coffee shops playing the instrument. 

"... going into 'New Blue Sun', it was kind of like trying to figure out, well, how do I share it? And I had all these ideas and all these influences of how I wanted it to sound. And I think moving to Venice definitely helped introduce me to people I would be playing with," he told NPR. 

The album's tracklist includes titles such as 'I Swear, I Really Wanted To Make A 'Rap' Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time'.  

Andre also revealed the deep meaning behind the album's title. 

"New Blue Sun', for me, it means ... Right now, if you look up in the sky, the sun that we've been living under for ages, even the Egyptian times, it's the same sun. And it's this kind of whitish, light, brightish kind of yellow. When people draw it or paint it, it's usually this whitish or yellowish kind of sun. And unfortunately, that sun is gonna burn out. At some point, that sun will die just like all stars."

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Main image credit: YouTube/Outkast ('Hey Ya' music video)

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