https://pitchfork.com/artists/6335-andre-3000/" rel="nofollow - André 3000  has surprise-released a new instrumental project dubbed  https://andre3000.lnk.to/7pianosketches/" rel="nofollow - 7 Piano Sketches . As the name suggests, it’s a seven-song collection that centers around piano, with the individual tracks prefaced by himself, Emmy Paalman, or Fatima Robinson reading off the song titles. Vocal effects and occasional samples, like a laugh track on “Off Rhythm Laughter,” also intermittently appear. Give it a listen below.

“The original title for it was The Best Worst Rap Album in History,” André 3000 said in a press release. “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.’”

Partially composed and recorded prior to  https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/andre-3000-new-blue-sun/" rel="nofollow - 7 Piano Sketches first took shape nearly a decade ago when André 3000 stayed in a sparse Texas house with his son that only had a piano, two beds, and a few TV screens. “Having lived with the recordings for a time, André was drawn to the idea of creating more and sharing them in the Spring, a time of year that promises that life, creativity, and possibility are ever-renewing,” a press release elaborates.

It’s no coincidence that André 3000 dropped this new project late at night. He timed the release to align with his appearance at  https://pitchfork.com/news/met-gala-2025-photos/" rel="nofollow - the 2025 Met Gala  in New York, where he wore a bespoke piano by Burberry on his back, in collaboration with Benji Bixby—an evolution of Benjamin Bixby, André 3000’s late aughts fashion line—and styled by Law Roach. His outfit appears to align with the illustration on the 7 Piano Sketches’s cover artwork.

7 Piano Sketches is André 3000’s first new music since releasing the flute-focused album New Blue Sun in 2023. That served as the  https://pitchfork.com/artists/3199-outkast/" rel="nofollow - Outkast  rapper’s debut solo LP, and it earned him  https://pitchfork.com/news/grammys-2025-winners-see-the-full-list-here/" rel="nofollow - three Grammy nominations , including  https://pitchfork.com/news/andre-300-beyonce-and-charli-xcx-nominated-for-album-of-the-year-at-2025-grammys/" rel="nofollow - Album of the Year . The 2024 short film  https://pitchfork.com/news/andre-3000-shares-new-song-moving-day-listen/" rel="nofollow - New Blue Sun and included a  https://pitchfork.com/news/andre-3000-shares-new-song-moving-day-listen/" rel="nofollow - previously unreleased track  from those recording sessions.

from https://pitchfork.com