Erykah Badu and The Alchemist release collaborative album

Erykah Badu and producer The Alchemist have released their collaborative album, ‘Before the World Blows’. The project explores the intersection of everyday thoughts and profound themes, such as the impact of digital media and patriarchal social structures.

Though the album was originally scheduled for an August 2025 release following a tour in June, its release was indefinitely postponed just one day prior to the original date. Badu indicated that while the work was complete, she felt it was not yet ready for public consumption. The album features Badu’s vocals and rapping over The Alchemist’s nocturnal boom-bap production, drawing on Badu’s hip-hop roots in Dallas and New York.