Erykah Badu Transformed The Alchemist’s Beats For Their Daring Joint Album

Erykah Badu Joined The Alchemist Across Dallas And Los Angeles To Protect Art And Identity Before The World Blows.

Erykah Badu, the celebrated singer, and underground’s favorite The Alchemist revealed full details of their collaborative album, Before the World Blows: The Abi and Alan Experiment.

The project is scheduled for release Friday through Young/Control Freaq Records.

The 16-track collection blends soul, blues, funk, rock, jazz and underground Hip-Hop while examining love, creativity and the pieces of identity people preserve when life starts coming apart.

Here is a preview of the highly anticipated opus.

Badu and The Alchemist built the project during an 18-month recording process split between their respective creative territories of Dallas and Los Angeles. Their partnership began with The Alchemist sending Badu a batch of instrumental beats.

She did more than simply add vocals.

Badu dismantled and reconstructed the material, incorporating kalimba, chords and drums until the music carried her artistic fingerprint. That approach turned their sessions into the Abi and Alan Experiment promised in the album’s title, with both artists sharing production duties.

She explained her process in an expansive video.

The album unfolds in four movements rather than following a conventional collection of unrelated songs. Its shifting sound provides the framework for questions about affection, artistic purpose, selfhood and emotional survival.

A wide group of collaborators joined the experiment. DJ Creole Princess, Westside Gunn and Joi appear together on “Crossfade,” while DRAM contributes to “Valentine.” Steve Lacy guests on “To the Moon (Plan C)” and Thundercat appears on “They Ain’t You.”

Westside Gunn returns for “No I.D.” Earl Sweatshirt joins Badu and The Alchemist on “I Know That Man,” while Kamasi Washington closes the guest lineup on “Black Box.”

The duo previewed the project with “Witch Doctor,” but the promotional rollout quickly moved beyond a standard single release. Posters displaying “One More Song…” surfaced in Sydney, Melbourne, London, Paris and New York. Each advertisement included a code connected to a placeholder website, creating an international trail of clues around the record.

That mystery later developed into the Badu Burner Phone.

Visitors who complete a series of challenges at b-t-w-b.com can unlock a telephone number offering the possibility of a direct FaceTime or video call with Badu before the album arrives.

The complete tracklist also includes “Echos,” “I Just Play a Part,” “Next 2 U,” “Love Me Not,” “Breezy,” “Abracadabra,” “What the People Say (Apostle 1)” and “Hot BiBi (Apostle 2).”

Badu and Al’s experiment is ready to leave the laboratory.

Before the World Blows: The Abi and Alan Experiment tracklist:

• “Echos”
• “I Just Play a Part”
• “Crossfade” (feat. DJ Creole Princess, Westside Gunn, Joi)
• “Witch Doctor”
• “Valentine” (feat. DRAM)
• “Next 2 U”
• “Love Me Not”
• “Breezy”
• “Abracadabra”
• “To the Moon (Plan C)” (feat. Steve Lacy)
• “They Ain’t You” (feat. Thundercat)
• “What the People Say” (Apostle 1)
• “Hot BiBi” (Apostle 2)
• “No I.D.” (feat. Westside Gunn)
• “I Know That Man” (feat. Earl Sweatshirt)
• “Black Box” (feat. Kamasi Washington)