Badu is back. Her new video for "Honey" has its embedding "disabled by request" for some dumb-ass reason, but you can see it here. In it you see Badu inserted onto some really legendary album covers from-among others-Eric B. & Rakim, Funkadelic, LaBelle, Minnie Riperton, The Beatles, Grace Jones and Olivia Newton-John. Yup, ONJ. There's a wacky "Hey Yeah!" tribute midway, but no Ryan Phillipe intro, sadly.
I e-mailed good buddy Darryl Stephens to ask his thoughts on the new album, and I liked what he said so much I asked if I could post his comments, and he kindly agreed:
"the album is interesting. been meaning to ask you about it. it feels
like someone very talented started smoking too much pot. "telephone"
which has a cool hook about "save me a place in heaven" is otherwise
rambling and incoherent. it feels like jam sessions--not unlike
WORLDWIDE UNDERGROUND--but without the obvious gem of "I Want You." i
think it's gonna be a grower... and i'll find myself wrapped up in some
song unexpectedly a few months down the line. there are some that
stand out now. "The Healer" is good. and "Master Teachers" has a cool
hook. i'm not sure, though, that she's focused enough to have a real
hit here. i like it, don't get me wrong. it just feels more ambient
that soulful."
AFTERTHOUGHTS FROM DARRYL IN THE SECOND HALF