Before The World Blows - 2026 UK Young Records Label Black Vinyl 11-track 2LP Set (Pre-order)

IBEFORE THE WORLD BLOWS: THE ABI AND ALAN EXPERIMENT
In a world that constantly pushes us to inherit someone else's way of thinking, the only true constant is the self. Yet even the self is never fixed. Eleven years since her last project, Erykah Badu returns not with conclusions, but with a series of existential insights.

Before the World Blows: The Abi and Alan Experiment exists within the tension between introspection and growth. Recorded over 18 months in Dallas and Los Angeles, the album marks the collision of two iconoclasts: Badu (Abi) and The Alchemist (Alan).

The result is hypnotic, blunt, deeply personal, and impossible to categorize.

THE ARCHITECTURE & ARTISTRY
Badu has never chased trends; she lets time do the work, absorbing emotional residue until it evolves into something deeper than mere commentary.

The Collaboration: The project ignited when Badu expressed a desire to rap over Mobb Deep's "The Realest." The duo's sessions yielded a unique creative language--Alchemist's sample-based architecture meeting Badu's jazz-informed experimentation and hands-on beatmaking on the MPC.

The Soundscape: Fluidly moving between soul, blues, funk, rock, jazz, and underground hip-hop, the album was road-tested live in intimate, phone-free settings from 2024 to 2025 alongside Badu's digital collective, The Cannabinoids.

"An artist does not exist separate from their time. We are mirrors. We are translators. We take in the energy, the emotion, the tension, the beauty, and the chaos of the world around us, and express it in ways words alone cannot hold." -- Erykah Badu

Tracklisting.

1. "Echos" -- A three-act stream-of-consciousness opener where Badu turns a woozy beat into a sermonic invocation of her ancestors.
2. "I Just Play A Part" -- High-frequency guitars meet synths as DJ Creole Princess and Westside Gunn deliver an anthem on unlocking personal power.
3. "Crossfade" (feat. Thundercat) -- Buoyed by deep, rolling bass, exploring how opposites attract amidst shifting emotional dynamics.
4. "Valentine" (feat. DRAM) -- Interpolates Barry White's "Playing Your Game Baby" into a gloomy soundtrack about manipulative relationship dynamics.
5. "Love Me Not" -- Composed by Badu's daughter, Mars, serving as a spiritual successor to "Bag Lady" that traces the unraveling of innocence in a situationship.
6. "To the Moon (Plan C)" (feat. Steve Lacy) -- A breezy, candid exploration of early romance, sudden surprises, and fast-moving life realities.
7. "They Ain't You" & "Breezy" -- Dissolves time into euphoria before contrasting it with external projections and jukebox-swagger basslines.
8. "Witch Doctor" -- Dismantles external labels and mythologies over an extended psychedelic medley of keys, mellotron, and percussion.
9. "What the People Say (Apostle 1)" & "Hot Bibi (Apostle 2)" -- Deep ancestral reflections paired with Badu's spontaneous beat-remixing sensibilities.
10."I Know That Man" (feat. Earl Sweatshirt) -- Syrupy verses meld with gospel chords and handclaps, reaching for spiritual clarity.
11."Black Box" (feat. Kamasi Washington) -- The finale draws parallels between technological and bodily dopamine, anchored by floating saxophone solos

Release date: December 11th 2026