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A wave of wellness and honesty followed the release of Andre 3000's most recent album, New Blue Sun. Some listeners mentioned the album was tuned to 432 MHz, which, when listened to, can help with sleeping and lower stress. Other listeners applauded the change of pace, embracing meditation and mindfulness taking center stage in pop culture. His album was a slice through the mind-numbing "bops" that often inspire the body but not always the spirit. New Blue Sun asked us to be quiet momentarily and hear our thoughts, which was a welcome invitation for me.
On the other hand, some hip-hop fans were not as excited to hear the rap legend release an album where he didn't utter a rhyme. Fans have been waiting for an Andre 3,000 album for over 17 years. Now that he's entered the studio, he's left with his flute and an intimate film where he is doing yoga, meditating, and exploring movement and art while his album plays in its entirety. Andre's response and reflection on why he shared this meditative masterpiece with the world is an excellent reminder for artists, poets, and writers that our art, when trusted, will meet us where we are, not where the world is, and that can lead to an even greater return.
Andre was not in the space to release a rap album, so he didn't. He instead released a response to his life at the moment, which was loving his flute, engaging with other artists in community, and listening to his heart in reflection. I believe it's the dedication to self that turns excellent works of art into masterpieces that inspire art in their listeners; that's Andre 3000's New Blue Sun. From the first listen, I wanted to write a response poem to each track (I still might do that); it elicited something in me that I didn't know I had amongst the silence, the ambiance, and the flute and now the spiritual exchange that happens when engaging with each other's art continues.
Authenticity is always the secret sauce, and art's industrialization and monetization sometimes distract from that. We've all been there: We want to create work that responds to the buzz of the current moment, catches the eye of its readers, and pierces the mundane and superficial; maybe a political piece or a love poem, but when we lay pen to paper, it all becomes foggy. The number of times I tried to write the poem I wanted to share instead of the poem I needed to see for myself, I ended up in the same place: reluctantly meeting my piece of paper and writing a poem for the part of me that is still healing my inner child as I nurse my daughter's cold. That is me meeting life on life's terms, not unlike Andre 3,000's 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." Often, as a performance poet, I can't help but think of the audience and what would grasp the listener more, but I forget that it's in my authenticity that my art can genuinely thrive. The poem that honors where I am in the moment is 10 times stronger than what I thought the world would want to hear. And if we're honest, responding to the world as it is today is not sustainable for our mental health long term.
These days, there aren't many famous artists with whom I want to have lunch. However, Andre 3,000 is on that shortlist. Our conversation would be about the intersectionality of art, life, healing, and action and how joy can be prioritized in all those spaces. It would be a lunch to learn from, and more art would be made from it. Artist that inspire not only praise but more art are rare and deserve their flowers. If an artist can nudge me to be more authentic and courageous in my work, I owe them a thank you.
Andre 3,000, thank you.
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