Erykah Badu and The Alchemist take us on a psychedelic, spiritual trip through the weird little corners of our own minds.

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TOP 5 SONGS

5. I Just Play A Part

This song felt like a hallucination, honestly. Like my third eye was opening and I was having the “you know you a baddie” conversation with my inner self.

This track radiates confidence and sensuality, but they go hand in hand with this cutthroat, poker-face, “try me” kind of vibe. It’s somehow both very intense and utterly transcendent. I don’t even know how else to describe it other than feeling like I temporarily left my body while listening.

4. Next 2 U

Next 2 U has a lighter, slightly more typical R&B feel than some of the other tracks on the album, but it still feels like there’s a little bit of magic and mystery woven in. It’s lighter sounding, with a fun, repetitive beat and harmonies that practically feel like they’re glittering.

The track itself is about wanting to be around someone that you feel close with, wanting to do even the simplest things with them, and just wanting them around. It feels innocent and airy, and it’s hard not to like.

3. Witch Doctor

This song had a very hypnotic feel, which makes even more sense when you hear the lyrics. Witch Doctor is about being someone who is enticing, someone who can lure someone in, cast a spell on them, and make them infatuated. It’s this slick, seductive type of person that has you unable to escape their grasp.

Don’t get it mistaken, though—we aren’t talking about normal witches. We’re talking Witch Doctors, powerful people meant to cleanse you, heal your mind, and rid you of darkness. The distinction matters. And honestly, that little bit of mysticism makes the track even more interesting.

2. To The Moon (Plan C)

Okay okay, I KNOW y’all are getting sick of my top 5 lists being filled with Steve Lacy features, but come on. This feature was a little too good. Like, their voices contrast perfectly and their personalities mesh so well, it’s madness.

To The Moon is about the chaos and changes that come with love and life itself, for better or for worse. Things move fast, change before the blink of an eye, and suddenly, the person that you used to be seems like a stranger, so far away from the place in the world that you are now. I love the introspection, the vagueness, and the kind of songwriting that leaves you with more questions than answers.

1. I Know That Man

Earl Sweatshirt opens I Know That Man with unfiltered heat, straight realness, and the energy doesn’t change from there. Some of the bars in his verse had my mind reeling. And while I was completely locked in to the lyrics, the gospel-forward, slightly psychedelic hip-hop production and soft but powerful gospel chorus gave an entirely different perspective. It made the song feel even larger than it already was. There’s something almost spiritual about the whole thing, like the music is asking you to actually sit with what you’re hearing instead of just letting it play in the background.

SONG BY SONG RATING

Echos (4/5)
I Just Play A Part (4/5)
Crossfade (4/5)
Witch Doctor (4/5)
Valentine (4/5)
Next 2 U (4/5)
Love Me Not (4/5)
Breezy (4/5)
Abracadabra (N/A)
To The Moon (Plan C) (4/5)
They Ain’t You (4/5)
What The People Say (4/5)
Hot Bibi (4/5)
No I.D. (4/5)
I Know That Man (4/5)
Black Box (4/5)

RGM RATING

(B)

Erykah Badu teamed up with The Alchemist for her first album in over a decade, Before The World Blows. This is the kind of album that makes you think deeply, question everything, and really peer in at your inner self. And somehow, it does all of that without feeling like it’s trying too hard to be profound.

When it comes to the music, the album gives me psychedelic neo-soul and alternative R&B. There’s a lot of creative flair here, and it makes every single track feel unique, personal, and undoubtedly Erykah. The production feels like it’s constantly moving around you, with little sounds, textures, harmonies, and unexpected moments popping up as you listen. It’s weird in the best possible way.

Lyrically, this album is about life. There really is no other way to describe it. I can label a lot of albums as breakup albums or bedroom albums, but despite the love songs on this tracklist, those labels don’t feel right here. Before The World Blows looks strongly at oneself—how you think, how you interact with others, where you blossom, and where you struggle. Erykah sings about self-confidence, complex decisions, and the different roles you fill in different moments of your life.

This album felt like a personal therapy session, a spiritual journey, and a nostalgic look into the past all at once. It’s introspective without being boring, strange without being inaccessible, and emotional without spelling everything out for you. There’s something to uncover here every time you listen, and honestly, that’s what makes this such a special album.

Ileyah

Ileyah is a mom, a writer and a musician. She loves late nights and gluten free snacks.