Neo-soul goddess Erykah Badu has been in the music business for over a decade, but don’t think that because she hasn’t had a hit single in a few years that her songs have an expired shelf life. Badu has released five (including 1997’s “Live”) full-length albums, with a new one – the continuation of 2008’s “New AmErykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War” – due out in 2009. (-Photo/volume12)
Erykah Badu raises her hand in defiance at a performance at the Gent Jazz Festival in Belgium in 2008.
This year at Bonnaroo, Badu will make her first appearance, and it could not be timelier. Her previous two albums have been laced with funk and groove, and contain songs with long, sometimes scattered, jams. “New AmErykah” sounds like a Parliament Funkadelic album, with Badu’s inspiring vocals taking place for George Clinton.
Admittedly, I viewed Badu as a sort-of guilty pleasure in the past. The sheer hilarity of songs like “Bag Lady” (in which she condemns women for walking around with too many bags) and “Tyrone” (when she orders a failing lover to call his friend to move out) kept my knowledge of her at a single-only level. “On & On” is a classic, while “Love of My Life” was one of my favorite songs years ago, in the 8th grade.
But as I’ve dived head-first into Badu’s discography, I’ve realized just how immensely talented she really is. Her lyrics weave a careful story of love, life and religion, while her hip-hop influenced music pulses energy through her gospel. Badu has a lot to say, and I’ve never heard another artist be as bluntly honest about how she is feeling.
I’m always interested in artists that are capable of and look to constantly reinvent themselves. Though Badu has, for the most part, stayed within the realm of R&B and soul, she is constantly reworking songs and performing new versions live.
Badu is unafraid of how the public will view her work because she’s a true artist. She’s unapologetic about her affairs with men, marijuana and God, and her life goes on, like in “On & On” – the cipher keeps moving like a rolling stone.
I expect Badu to be an enormous amount of fun at Bonnaroo because I believe she can hold her own against jam-rock bands. Sure, the sound coming out of her speakers may be much funkier than her peers at the festival, but I think that will only make her performance stand out more.
Hopefully, she will sort out whatever problems she is having releasing “New AmErykah, Pt 2: Return of the Ankh” before June so that her fans can get used to the new material. Even if she doesn’t, I expect her to perform a handful of new tracks, along with some of the classics that have sold her millions of albums worldwide and won her four Grammy Awards. (-Photo/Dan..)
Erykah Badu performs in June 2008.
Bonnaroo or Bust! 