New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War cover

New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War

Released

Even with so many notable collaborators — Madlib, Omar Rodríguez-López, Sa-Ra, Georgia Anne Muldrow, a whole nebula of Soulquarians — Badu’s greatest album in a career filled with them still feels like a powerful auteur statement. This is where what feels like her bohemian-cool neo-soul assurance fully displays itself as the product of a lot of navigated anxiety and meditative strength. And it also happens to be the funkiest record of the whole decade, from the Blaxplendence of the opening “Amerykah Promise” to the closing lover’s euphoria “Honey.”

Nate Patrin

Recommended by

Suggestions
Brainchild cover

Brainchild

Society of Soul
McLemore Avenue cover

McLemore Avenue

Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Connected cover

Connected

the Foreign Exchange
Black Moses cover

Black Moses

Isaac Hayes
On & On cover

On & On

José James
Black Love & War cover

Black Love & War

Declaime, Georgia Anne Muldrow