ANDRÉ 3000 TO RELEASE HIS FIRST SOLO ALBUM, ‘NEW BLUE SUN’ FEATURES NO BARS

The American musician André 3000 announced his debut solo album New Blue Sun, which the former member of OutKast will release this Friday, Nov. 17th!

In a conversation that explores this new album — its art includes a label warning that the album contains “no bars” — André reveals the mind-opening journey that led him to his current instrument of choice, the flute, and how it has allowed him to push his one-of-a-kind creative energy into new places.

It’s the first full-length André has released in 17 years, since OutKast’s sixth studio album Idlewild. And it’s part of an artistic evolution that has taken him from MC to multi-hyphenate icon.

“I didn’t know I’d be rapping,” he tells NPR. “I didn’t know I’d start producing. I didn’t know I’d start singing. I didn’t know my style would go a certain way. I didn’t know I’d put a wig on. Like, I didn’t know none of this. So, I’m on the ride with y’all.”

While the element of surprise has always been a strength of Andre’s repertoire, he acknowledges fans may be caught off guard by his latest departure. So he tackles the elephant in the room with the first song title: “I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time.”