André 3000 - New Blue Sun

The mosh pits for this one are about to go fucking crazy (it's a yoga class)

In a surprise move that I don’t think anyone saw coming, André 3000, the rapper/singer/songwriter and one half of the hip-hop duo Outkast releases his debut album that is… (*checks notes*) new age, ambient, fully instrumental, and... spiritual jazz...? And what the fuck it actually sounds beautiful?

Gonna add this one to the “I did not expect to see [unexpected thing that actually happened in 2023] on my 2023 bingo card” (a lot of unexpected shit has happened this year).

Yeah holy shit, he actually delivered here. I had some doubts as well as so much intrigue going into this, but I’m genuinely surprised at how good this is. No it’s not the type of music you jam out to in your free time but rather just have in the background during said free time. This album is pretty different to any album I’ve listened to this year so it’s weird to rate or review, but I’ll try my best and keep it short to prevent me from yapping like I always tend to do.

The atmosphere and soundscapes this album creates are fucking beautiful. Andre really wasn’t fucking around with us on the concept of this thing because it all sounds genuine, authentic, fully fleshed, and filled with passion. It’s so relaxing, calming, easy, organic and natural (for the most part anyway), with the flutes and synths, plus some intricate background sounds and instrumentals all contributing to its tranquil nature. There’s not much else to really talk about with this, it’s simply a beautiful and soothing hour and a half. This is literally the perfect music to throw on in the background while you get some work or study done, or even for meditation, and yes I’d also say it’s perfect to mosh to during yoga class or some shit lmao.

I guess the main complaints with this are how drawn out it is (though it actually works in some songs better than others) and that it isn’t really doing anything new within the ambient genre. + A few of the sounds throughout the record didn’t really fit into the rest of the relaxing soundscape that it established. That being said, I feel that my rating of 83 doesn’t fully reflect how much I enjoyed this because I did a fuck ton. It’s simple, super chill, vibey, and nice. It’s a very ambitious move from the predominantly rap artist and one we didn’t expect to get a fully fleshed-out project like this. Good shit!

Highest rated: I swear I Really Wanted To Make A “Rap” Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time, Dreams Once Buried Beneath The Dungeon Floor Slowly Sprout Into Undying Gardens

Lowest rated: That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into A Panther And Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn't Control ... Sh¥t Was Wild, Ninety Three ’Til Infinity And Beyoncé