André 3000 Is Embracing the Pivot

This piece originally appeared on November 30, 2023 in Sound Signal, our biweekly newsletter that identifies emerging artists, scenes, and trending tracks, crafted by the world's best writers and curators. Sign up here to never miss our take on what's next in music.

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André 3000 is back—and not like before. On November 14, news broke that the former OutKast rapper was releasing his first solo album, New Blue Sun, nearly two decades after the legendary rap duo’s dissolution. The surprise announcement rocked the music world, which has awaited his return to music after creative pursuits in television, film, fashion design, and other endeavors.  

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He staged one of the most daring artistic turns in recent memory: ditching the imaginative, witty bars and singing that made him a singular force in the hip-hop world for a cosmic brew of exploratory instrumentals drawn from new age, spiritual jazz, and electronic music firmly grounded by his flute playing.

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André 3000’s infatuation with woodwind instruments shouldn’t be much of a surprise. He noodled saxophone bits on OutKast’s “She Lives in My Lap” from the duo’s 2003 Grammy-winning bestseller, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Many years later, he became an Internet meme legend for casually playing his flute in public places, prompting fans to share viral videos of one of the greatest rappers flaunting his mystique and eccentric nature.

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The daring multi-hyphenate’s new direction has sharply divided fans, critics, and hip-hop circles alike. Leading up to New Blue Sun’s November 17 release, revered hip-hop luminaries like Questlove and Pete Rock praised the artistic detour in their respective Instagram posts, dubbing it a brave leap forward. Others have been perturbed, sparking reactions and debates across social media on whether 3000’s esoteric solo debut was worth the 17-year wait.

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The mixed reception hasn’t hampered New Blue Sun’s intriguing appeal, though. The instrumental-heavy excursion, which also features Brazilian percussionist and producer Carlos Niño and other noted musicians from L.A.’s experimental jazz scene, debuted at No. 30 on the Billboard 200 album chart after moving 24K album-equivalent units, outperforming recent hip-hop releases from the likes of Nas, Lil Wayne, Kodak Black, and Ice Spice. This impressive feat expands to Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, where the ambient eight-song LP’s opener, “I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time,” debuted at No. 90.
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No matter what side of the fence fans are on, André 3000’s bold genre-defying exercise is heralding a shift in what artistic growth sounds like for hip-hop vets while challenging its purists to explore beyond the familiar.

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