Listen: André 3000 Drops New Album ‘7 piano sketches’ from the Met Gala
Photo credit: Gabe Drechsler
Anyone who’s been following André 3000’s steady and often stealthy artistic ascent over the past three decades knows to expect increasingly eclectic creative ventures. Last night, he proved that trend yet again with both a surprise album drop and the debut of his new fashion line, direct from the Met Gala.
At 8 p.m., moments after stepping onto the red carpet in an avant-garde assembly of custom tailoring and a mock piano, the post-rapper dropped 7 piano sketches, a collection of solo keyboard passing thoughts. Released via Epic Records, the 16-minute cycle was partially composed and recorded prior to his 2023 atmospheric woodwind album New Blue Sun, which was a radical change even in his series of departures. Like that record, which featured a track titled “I swear, I Really Wanted to Make A ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time,” his latest contains no bars.
7 piano sketches dates back nearly a decade, when André and his son were staying in a house in Texas where a piano provided the only furnishing apart from their beds. In the wake of his triple Grammy-nominated redefinition, the artist saw the long-vaulted recordings he cut on that instrument as ready for a rebirth of their own, alongside some newer forays into the style–all but one of which were recorded on his iPhone or laptop microphone. He cites Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Philip Glass, Stephen Sondheim, Joni Mitchell and Vince Guaraldi as influences on his sound, and detailed in a release: “The original title for it was ‘The Best Worst Rap Album In History’ and here is an excerpt from the original liner notes:
‘It’s jokingly the worst rap album in history because there are no lyrics on it at all. It’s the best because it’s the free-est emotionally and best I’ve felt personally. It’s the best because it’s like a palette cleanser for me.’”
André’s album launch doubled as the first look at his benji bixby, a redevelopment of his 2000’s fashion line Benjamin Bixby; the jumpsuit and piano look he brought to the Met Gala’s “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” theme was a collaboration between that brand and Burberry. Three Stacks was in the news last week for missing posters wheatpasted around Amsterdam that rallied the public in search of a missing blue notebook; some speculated that he may be rolling out a new rap album in his own oddball way, but the file name for the downloadable poster – “Where_is_my_notebook_This_is_real_Andre_3000_Thanks_for_sharing” – makes it clear enough that the guy is really just looking for his notebook.
Last Monday, André was honored alongside his longtime collaborator Big Boi as Outkast was selected for entry into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Read up on the Class of 3000 2025 here.
7 piano sketches is available to stream now. Read on for the full tracklist.
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7 piano sketches – André 3000:
bluffing in the snow
and then one day you’ll …
when you’re a ant and you wake up in an awesome mood, about to drive your son to school, only to discover that you left the lights on in the car last night so your battery is drained
hotel lobby pianos
blueberry mansions
off rhythm laughter
i spend all day waiting for the night
