André 3000, a former member of the legendary hip-hop duo Outkast, is bringing his first solo album on tour. He released the album “New Blue Sun” on Nov. 17, 2023, his first official music release in 17 years.
Fans of André 3000’s work with Outkast expected an album focused on hip-hop and rap, which Outkast specialized in. Instead, André 3000 released an 87-minute album filled to the brim with experimental flute music.
André 3000 clarified before the release that it would contain “no bars.” The first track, titled "I Swear, I Really Wanted to Make a 'Rap' Album, but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time," is his tongue-in-cheek apology to the fans for not delivering a rap album.
While longtime fans may not have expected his debut album to be experimental ambient jazz, the album itself does exactly what it should. Of the eight songs on the album, six are 10 minutes or longer, with songs ranging from just under four minutes to over 17 minutes.
André takes the audience on a spiritual journey through the world of flute music, where 3000 used a variety of flutes to create his desired ambiance. Contrabass flutes, Mayan flutes, bamboo flutes, and other digital wind instruments were all used by André throughout the album.
The music is far from the songs of André 3000’s Outkast past, but he holds a feeling for melody and song structure that only the greatest musicians have.
André announced he would bring his “New Blue Sun – Live In Concert” tour across the U.S. on June 26, 2024. He first performed live at the Atlanta Jazz Festival on May 27, where he closed the festival out.
The first official show on the tour was on Sept. 22 in Austin, Texas, and will bring the album to the Mesa Arts Center – Ikeda Theater on Saturday, Sept. 28. He will be joined on stage by instrumentalists from the album Carlos Niño, Surya Botofasina, Nate Mercereau, and Deantoni Parks.
Tickets for the concert start at $39.50, with VIP upgrades available. For more information on the concert, visit https://mesaartscenter.com/andre3000.