André 3000 surprises fans with debut solo album announcement

Bee Delores
André 3000 in a green button up shirt and suspenders playing a guitar

Outkast member André 3000 revealed a debut solo album of flute music (out November 17), and fans can’t contain their excitement.

It’s been 17 long years since Outkast broke up, at least in terms of making albums. The duo reunited for a world-crossing tour in 2014. Their last joint record was Idlewild in 2006.

Big Boi teased in 2017 that a new Outkast album wasn’t totally out of the question. However, six years later, that has yet to be seen.

Over the years, Big Boi has issued a sequence of critically acclaimed solo records, from Sir Lucious Left Foot to Boomiverse. For André 3000, his time in the spotlight as a soloist finally arrives.

André 3000 playing a flute with a star shining overhead
Album cover art for André 3000’s solo debut

André 3000 plans debut solo album

On November 14, the rapper revealed his plans to release a solo debut album called New Blue Sun. The record, which features such song titles as “I Swear, I Really Wanted To Make a ‘Rap’ Album but This Is Literally the Way the Wind Blew Me This Time,” drops on November 17.

The flute record—no, you won’t hear any vocals—finds André 3000 leaning into a vast collection of influences, including Laraaji, Brian Eno, and Alice Coltrane.

Upon hearing the news, fans immediately took to Twitter/X to express excitement.

“He’s a seeker of beauty to discover things that compel him. He has the capacity to just explore and, when compelled, share with the world,” wrote one fan.

Another user chimed in, “I’ll be purchasing I knew he had something on the horizons n we got it.”

Many others shared memes to capture their feelings over the news.

Here is the album tracklist:

01 “I swear, I Really Wanted To Make A “Rap” Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time ”
02 “The Slang Word P(*)ssy Rolls Off The Tongue With Far Better Ease Than The Proper Word Vagina . Do You Agree?”
03 “That Night In Hawaii When I Turned Into A Panther And Started Making These Low Register Purring Tones That I Couldn’t Control … Sh¥t Was Wild”
04 “BuyPoloDisorder’s Daughter Wears A 3000™ Button Down Embroidered”
05 “Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé”
06 “Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C. / Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, And John Wayne Gacy”
07 “Ants To You, Gods To Who ?”
08 “Dreams Once Buried Beneath The Dungeon Floor Slowly Sprout Into Undying Gardens”