It’s been almost two months since I’ve listened to New Blue Sun, Andre 3000s first solo studio album. The album is a full woodwind album and you are hearing a myriad of different flutes being played. I told myself that when this releases, I’ll let it marinate and reflect on the reality of this being real. What made me know this album would feel good is when Andre said in an interview with GQ that he had outgrown rap, had nothing to talk about, and just wanted to play his otherworldly looking flute, a custom wooden Mayan double flute. This is a very ancient and indigenous instrument with Central and South American and Native American origins. My first listen was on the day of the drop, November 17, 2023 while measuring clothes I wanted to sell on Depop via someone else’s phone. The first round it was backdrop music for our ambience. The second full listen was on a walk I took around my neighborhood. Since the album is about an hour and twenty-seven minutes total, I knew by the end I would have gotten a full workout. I remember as the album began I saw three birds circle the bright sky. The sun was at its peak and the blues and whites were perfect. The scene was so movie like and angelic. I listen to Indian flute music during my meditations, and this still felt unique and fresh to me.

After about two months of listening and living with the album, Ants To You, Gods To Who? Is my favorite (today at least). The instrumentals are so long and articulate, I’ve had all eight records on there play at different points in time. I’ve even replaced my typical Indian flute music and have slept and meditated to the album. I admire Andre for being authentic and doing what he wanted to do. It doesn’t really matter if we want him to rap or not, he seems content with how his journey panned out. I can’t help but to think he gave the people this album to attribute to the age of Aquarius/truth. The rules are fake, you can do you.

Cover photo by Dexter Navy