Ranking the 5 Best Songs From Erykah Badu & The Alchemist’s ‘Before the World Blows’ Album
This one was worth the wait. Check out our highlights from 'Before the World Blows.'
Album cover for 'Before the World Blows,' by Erykah Badu and The Alchemist.
It took a while, but it’s here. More than a year after it was announced, Erykah Badu & The Alchemist’s joint album, Before the World Blows, has officially been released — and it’s largely exactly what you expected it to be.
For this one, Badu grafts her sultry alto onto a bed of astral soundbeds that are as disorienting as they are engrossing. It’s a potent combo that’s got something for everyone who’s ever had a hip-hop neosoul kick. But which song is the best? Check out our breakdown below to find out.
5. “Breezy”
On an album that’s otherwise dark and druggy, “Breezy” is … breezy? Or rather, light and druggy. Whatever. It’s a nice tonal switchup, Badu’s laces ALC’s retro soul soundscape with what seems to be commentary on her own eccentric ‘round the way girl persona. Playful and purposeful, it demands playback.
4. “I Know That Man” featuring Earl Sweatshirt
Earl Sweatshirt X The Alchemist proved itself a dope combo a relatively long time ago. Earl Sweatshirt X The Alchemist X Erykah Badu might be even better. Here, Earl Sweatshirt’s distant, druggy flows fit ALC’s opiate soul beat like heroin and needles, and Badu’s phantom runs only enhance the mesmerizing effect of it all.
3. “Echos”
Most of Before the World Blows sounds like it was recorded in a space vacuum where there can’t be echoes, But Badu’s hovers and reverberates through the corridors of Alchemist’s astral “Echos” soundscape, a spiritual song that explains the inextricable ties that bind affection, understanding, and circumstance: “See, we used to be bound by blood/Now we bound by love.”
2. “Witch Doctor”
Pairing ALC’s eerie soul with Badu’s hazy vocals, "Witch Doctor" would’ve been a fine alternative name for Before the World Blows. As it is, it’s an accurate description for an entrancing track that swirls the best elements of two legends.
1. “Next 2 U”
It’s been more than a year since this one dropped, and nothing’s changed: I’m still amazed that a grimy-a—s Mobb Deep beat can, in the right hands, transform into a love song. Or, rather, an infatuation song. Here, Badu’s down bad as she requests the attention of a would-be lover.
