Erykah Badu is stepping back into the spotlight with a significant power move, albeit musically.
The neo soul pioneer just announced she’s ready to unleash her first studio album in 15 years, and she’s doing it entirely on her terms.
Taking to the Gram early Thursday morning, June 5, she let fans know that the highly anticipated collab with elite producer The Alchemist is officially dropping under her independent label Control FREAQ Records. Her caption was loud but straightforward with intent: Let’s go.
This upcoming and highly anticipated release will be her first full-length album since 2010’s New Amerykah Part Two Return of the Ankh. A lead single is expected to drop later this summer, and the full project is set to follow not long after. Fans got a taste of what’s to come back in March when Badu first teased the project and confirmed that The Alchemist is handling all the production.
Control FREAQ Records isn’t new. Badu originally founded it in 2005 as a creative sanctuary, and now she’s fully leaning into its mission by using it as her base for complete artistic ownership and control. The Dallas-born visionary has already spent over two decades evolving and reshaping the sound of neo soul, and now she’s carving out the next chapter of her legacy without any middlemen.