After the flute-centric and Grammy-nominated New Blue Sun, André 3000 has surprise-released a new instrumental project named 7 Piano Sketches.
As the title suggests, it’s a seven-song collection that centers around piano, with the individual tracks prefaced by himself, Emmy Paalman, or Fatima Robinson reading off the song titles. Vocal effects and occasional samples, like a laugh track on “Off Rhythm Laughter,” also intermittently appear.
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In a press release obtained by Pitchfork, André 3000 said, “The original title for it was The Best Worst Rap Album in History. And here is an excerpt from the original liner notes: ‘It’s jokingly the worst rap album in history because there are no lyrics on it at all. It’s the best because it’s the free-est emotionally and best I’ve felt personally. It’s the best because it’s like a palette cleanser for me.’”
Partially composed and recorded prior to New Blue Sun, 7 Piano Sketches first took shape nearly a decade ago when André 3000 stayed in a sparse Texas house with his son that only had a piano, two beds, and a few TV screens. “Having lived with the recordings for a time, André was drawn to the idea of creating more and sharing them in the Spring, a time of year that promises that life, creativity, and possibility are ever-renewing,” the press release elaborates. The artist also revealed that his Instagram that all of the tracks were recorded on his iPhone, with the exception of "blueberry mansions," which was recorded in a studio.
It seems André 3000 timed the EP's release to align with his appearance at the 2025 Met Gala. He wore a bespoke piano by Burberry on his back, in collaboration with Benji Bixby - an evolution of Benjamin Bixby, André 3000’s late aughts fashion line - and styled by Law Roach. His outfit appears to match the illustration on the 7 Piano Sketches’s cover artwork.
7 Piano Sketches is André 3000’s first new music since releasing the flute-focused album New Blue Sun in 2023. That served as the Outkast rapper’s debut solo LP, and it earned him three Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year. The 2024 short film Moving Day, directed by Dexter Navy, documented the making of New Blue Sun and included a previously unreleased track from those recording sessions. The artist also went on a short tour during the fall of 2024 to promote the project.
See the cover art and listen to some tracks from 7 Piano Sketches below.
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Article Image: Close-up of André 3000 at a Pasadena event in 2016. (Jean_Nelson via DepositPhotos.)
