new amerykah

there's a long profile of erykah badu in today's new york times by melena ryzik in anticipation of her two part album, new amerykah, the first part of which, called 4th world war, has recently come out. (the second is due later this summer.) though the piece is short on critical talk of the actual album, there's a few interesting tidbits about her life (like, for instance, and among other things, that she and andre benjamin named their son seven) and apartment (pictured) and creative process. but ryzik does write of new amerykah:

her first full-length album in eight years is a dense, stylistic mash-up. By turns overtly political and intensely personal, with 1970s-groove instrumentation, hip-hop phrasing and a roster of beats and samples from collaborators like the D.J. and producer Madlib, it is fierce but weird. And apart from “Honey,” the bouncy, playful single, it is largely uncommercial.

fierce but weird. apart from the conjuction - why can't it be fierce and weird? are those traits really in opposition? is being weird the equivalent of being soft? i doth protest - that does sound about right, in keeping with the erykah badu brand, as she calls it in the piece. have a listen to that first single:

erykah badu - honey

a decent song, no? though, from some accounts, in addition to that brief mention in the times piece, distinct in that regard from the rest of the album. i can't speak to that, really. (i am impressed by the ambition and size of her project, however.) you should also watch the clever video for "honey," in which badu injects herself into some of the more iconic album covers:



and for good measure here's erykah paired with the roots, from their album things fall apart, for little more reason than i simply really really like this song:

the roots feat. erykah badu - you got me