New Blue Sun: Andre’ 3000 Returns With Much-Needed Sound Therapy

No raps from Andre?

A FLUTE ALBUM?!???

It’s no surprise that the news of Andre 3000’s solo debut found me during my daily doom scroll on Twitter, where many expressed confusion and disappointment. But as someone who always valued self-reflection and sound therapy, the announcement filled me with wonder. I held tight to this wonder and decided to put off listening until I could dedicate my full attention to these new sounds.

My wonder grew when interview clips of Andre soon surfaced. I watched an aged Andre discuss life after OutKast and the crafting of the best selling rap album in history, ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’. Andre recalls praying alongside Big Boi for a life that wasn’t quite what he had imagined.

“That’s life: You want what you want until you don’t want it,” Andre told GQ writer Zach Baron, “I don’t regret any of that but it’s kind of like now that I’m at a certain level, I miss certain things about normalcy.”

Andre went on to say that he carries his flute with him everywhere and when he’s asked “why a flute album?“, Andre said he responds, “Why anything?”

His words were a powerful confirmation of why I gave up the capitalist rat-race earlier this year. The question of “what are we chasing?” ringing in my head once again. After a year of personal and collective strife, the release of Andre’ 3000’s New Blue Sun, feels right on time.

On a rainy Monday afternoon, I dove into the project’s opener ‘I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A “Rap” Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time‘. The track starts out somber, but builds up excitement for what’s truly in store for the listener. You’re instantly engulfed by a variety of sounds that carry you to another place, possibly one undiscovered. The song ends with the repetition of a triumphant and celebratory melody, leaving the the listener feeling as though something has been awakened and that liberation is near.

The next track, ‘The Slang Word P(*)ssy Rolls Off The Tongue With Far Better Ease Than The Proper Word Vagina. Do You Agree?‘, draws you in with a soft yet potent intro, keeping you enticed through the song’s entirety. The song feels transcendental because it is. By this point, I knew I wouldn’t be meditating to anything else going forward.

‘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‘ feels tribal and familiar to my spirit, like the telling of a story I’ve always known. For me, these sounds paint the scene of wild, undisturbed land who’s inhabitants are just the same.

Tracks like ‘BuyPoloDisorder’s Daughter Wears A 3000™ Button Down Embroidered‘, ‘Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé’ and ‘Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C. / Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, And John Wayne Gacy‘ come across especially experimental and challenge the mind’s reception of such sounds. At times I found myself wondering “how do I even register this combination of sound?“

After an auditory whirlwind, the pace seems to slow with ‘Ants To You, Gods To Who ?‘ before ending with the sweet ‘Dreams Once Buried Beneath The Dungeon Floor Slowly Sprout Into Undying Gardens‘. The final track feels like a lullaby and a nudge to go on to create something novel yourself.

What Is Sound Therapy?

Sound Therapy – The use of sound to treat physical and mental conditions, traditionally used by indigenous societies. Sound therapy may include singing, drumming, dancing, hand-clapping and any form of instrumentation.

Benefits of Sound Therapy:

– Promotes relaxation

-Removes blockages from the body

-Eases stress, anxiety and depression

-Aids high blood pressure and heart disease

– Helps with chronic and acute pain

– Assists mobility

-Improves blood circulation