Multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter-actress Erykah Badu , one of the best loved, most constantly challenging and uniquely creative artists currently working in popular music, has announced a one-off London date for July.
Badu whose new album New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh, was recently released to unanimous acclaim, will play the London O2 Academy Brixton on Saturday July 24.
The new album is the Dallas native’s follow-up to her equally critically acclaimed 2008 album, New Amerykah, Part I: 4th World War. In contrast to New Amerykah, Part I: 4th World War, which was digitally produced and political in tone, New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh features lush live instrumentation and taps into Badu’s emotional side by thematically focusing on romance and relationships.
“With Part I, I was standing at an apex, looking at what was going on around me politically, socially, and economically,” Badu explained. “With Part II, I’m hovering over me, looking at what’s going on inside of me.”
New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh features contributions from some of the most talented, groundbreaking, underground producers and engineers in the hip-hop game, including Grammy winners 9th Wonder and James Poyser, eclectic soul singer Bilal, and the late J Dilla. “We used a lot of analog instruments—harps, strings, drums, piano, and even a Theremin—to give the album that sonic feel,” said Badu. “There’s a strong undercurrent of bottom, a rumbling to these songs that feels good to me. It feels like a hug.
Erykah Badu emerged in 1997 with her masterpiece debut album, Baduizm, as a primal force of nature connecting old school soul with contemporary R&B. The album garnered her numerous award nominations, including two Grammys (Best Female R&B Vocal, Best R&B Album) and multiple top spots on critics’ Best-Of-The-Year Lists. In 2000, she followed up with the critically acclaimed platinum-selling album, Mama’s Gun. In 2003, the EP World Wide Underground was awarded Gold certification.
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