Erykah Badu and the Alchemist Finally Releasing Joint Album This Month
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Erykah Badu and the Alchemist (Alan Maman) have set an official release date of August 28 for their debut collaborative album, ending a wait that began in spring 2025.
- The announcement omits the album title entirely — Alchemist had previously revealed the name "Abi & Alan" in 2025, and a Bandcamp listing now reads "Sorry, we don't have an album title yet …"
- Alchemist and Badu co-produced the LP over 18 months across Dallas and Los Angeles, with the release handled by Control Freaq/Young and likely to include the earlier single "Next to You."
- The lead single "Witch Doctor" arrives with a 10-minute music video that serves as a sequel to Badu's 2010 "Window Seat" clip, where she was controversially depicted stripping at the site of JFK's assassination.
- Badu walks nighttime streets facing escalating violence in the new video, ultimately being robbed of her clothes — a reversal of the 2010 clip in which she removed them herself.
- Badu and the Alchemist will tour North America together in September following the album's release.
Why it matters: Fans and collectors tracking the project since Alchemist's 2025 title reveal now have a concrete drop date but no album name — a reversal that suggests the collaborators are still finalizing the project's identity. The "Witch Doctor" video's direct callback to the 2010 "Window Seat" controversy signals Badu is deliberately leaning into her most provocative visual legacy, raising the stakes for how the album will be received.
Ask SkimNews
