Erykah Badu Is Ushering In A New Era of Neo-Soul With the Release of Her New Album

The Breakdown: Erykah Badu has announced that she’s been working on a new album. In collaboration with The Alchemist, the singer-songwriter is back in her bag and on the way to making another classic.

Erykah Badu has become known as the Queen of Neo-Soul. Her album Baduizm and her work with the Soulquarians garnered her attention and accolades like no other. She won the Billboard Icon Award for her work in music and inspiring women in the arts all over the globe.

She’s revered as one of the fiercest singers in the world, with vocals reminiscent of the likes of Billie Holiday. Since the beginning of 2025, Erykah’s been rumored to be working on a new album, and now fans are wondering all the details on her latest project. We have all the updates here.

In March 2025, Erykah Badu announced that she’s working on a new album. It’s the first full-length album that the songstress will have put out in 15 years. It’s being produced in collaboration with producer The Alchemist.

The Alchemist has been one of hip-hop’s most profound producers in the last decade. He heavily influenced and supported the Griselda uprising of Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn. The California native has also fully produced albums with Freddie Gibbs (Alfredo), Larry June (The Great Escape, Life is Beautiful), Domo Genesis (No Idols), and Boldy James (Super Tecmo Bo). This is just since 2020, and it doesn’t look like the collab albums will be ending anytime soon.

The last project that she released was her 2015 But You Caint Use My Phone. Derived from a line in one of her most popular songs, “Tyrone”, the mixtape is full of Badu-esque remakes and originals that she calls “Trap&B.”

She flaunts her psychedelic vocals over hip-hop beats influenced by soul and rock. Solely produced by Zach Witness, the project started from a remake of Drake’s “Hotline Bling” that was posted on Soundcloud named “Cel U Lar Device”.

Her last full-length album was New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh. It boasted production credits from J-Dilla, Questlove, and 9th Wonder. It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and received great critical reception.

It earned an 83/100 on Metacritic, and Pitchfork rated it a solid 8/10. It’s been regarded as one of Erykah’s best albums, many only putting it below her classic 1997 album Baduizm.

While it’s been some time since she’s produced a full-length album that won awards, she hasn’t become unfamiliar with the accolades. In 2025, Erykah won a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance with Rapsody for their song “3:AM.” With all her hard work in the past, fans are now wondering about when her new album will be released.

While much hasn’t been shared about the project, Erykah says that it’s been taking up most of her time. The release date is still unknown, but videos have leaked of her working with The Alchemist and Earl Sweatshirt. The singer is collaborating with more young artists on her new album, and has been for a minute.

Since her 2010 album, she’s offered her sultry vocals on multiple features for new-age rappers and singers. Her Earl feature comes as no surprise after working with Tyler, the Creator on his 2013 track “Treehome”. She’s also lent her voice to Teyana Taylor, DRAM, Janelle Monaé, and Rapsody.

In her 2025 interview with Billboard, she reflected on today’s hip-hop artists that she’s stayed tuned into.

“Rap is the people. Hip-hop is the people. It’s the folks. It’s the tribe. I have the luxury of experiencing having children who I watch grow up … and I cannot separate them when I see artists who are that age coming up … They are continuing the tradition.”