Erykah Badu is not known for releasing new material every year, but this time the creative break lasted for 5 years. Some people forgot about her and some others were looking forward to new songs. Personally, I kind of forgot about her but I felt really excited when a song produced by Madlib leaked a few months ago. In her first albums her sound was some kind of classic but updated soul. This sound completely changed with Worldwide Underground (her most experimental album). New Amerykah is something in between. The way she sounds reminds me of old Erykah, while she often avoids the classic r&b structure for a less conventional way of singing. The beats also travel between classic grooves and the latest experimental hip hop. Sa-Ra, Madlib and 9th Wonder have done their job well because the album really works as a concept. Although, Erykah’s capacity of adapting her voice to different sounds shouldn’t be underestimated. There are no vocal collaborations, so it’s all bout her. This album is supposed to be the first part of a conceptual project including two albums. I guess the next one won’t take 5 years to be released. - Grey