After a five-year hiatus from recording a solo studio album, Erykah Badu is back with her fourth album, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War).
Had this been Badu’s first album, the reception from die-hard fans and critics alike would be different because her work will always be compared to Baduizm and Mama’s Gun.
New Amerykah is a departure from her other works because instead of the electric beats and Badu’s raspy voice over complex lyrics about love, listeners are taken for a 45 minute ride down social-political land to 1950s and 60s beats.
In the song, “The Cell,” Badu sings about the psychological prisons the present generation is locked in today.
“Brenda done died with no name/nickel bag coke to the brain/will they ever find the vaccine?” She goes on to sing, “rich man got the double barrel/po man got his back to the door/code white, stand for trouble…/shots from the po-po.”
The powerful lyrics and tunes is the Achilles’ heel to the album, making it hard for listeners to sing along and memorize.
New Amerykah would have been better off as a performance piece or soundtrack to an independent movie because of the heavy themes and the graphic art inside of the album booklet.
The first single, “Honey,” featuring production by ex-Little Brother member and famed hip-hop producer 9th Wonder, should have been a warning sign to listeners that Badu’s new album is, for a lack of a better word, different.
“Honey” is not apart of New Amerykah but a bonus track that does not go with the dark, moody theme of the album. The song is upbeat and channels Mama’s Gun. Hopefully when Badu releases Part Two or perhaps a Part Three, “Honey” and the theme of New Amerykah can be explained.
In “Me,” Badu lets her guard down and reflects on her love life; something the artist has been hushed about. She moans on the song, “had two babies different dudes/and for them both my love was true/this is my last interview/hey that’s me.”
Since the neo-soul movement is facing an inventible death, Badu, like Jill Scott, D’angelo and Common before her, has to morph her sound into something marketable; though it is ironic she releases a political album during an election year.
While props should be given for Badu trying to experiment in another direction with New Amerykah, this album is a flop. On the other hand, lets hope Part Two will be better.
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‘Analog Girl’ Erykah Badu misses mark
March 10, 2008
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