Key Takeaways
- Erykah Badu and The Alchemist will release their long-awaited collaborative album, Before the World Blows, digitally on August 28, 2026, after spending 18 months recording between Dallas and Los Angeles.
- The 16-track project includes “Next 2 U” and “Witch Doctor,” with guests including Westside Gunn, Earl Sweatshirt, Thundercat, Steve Lacy, DRAM, Kamasi Washington, and Joi.
- After false starts and cryptic teasers, the duo will support the album with a North American tour featuring De La Soul and Smino on select dates across the 2026–2027 cycle.
On paper, Erykah Badu, one of the defining neo-soul singers of the '90s, and The Alchemist, boom bap's most prominent contemporary torchbearer, don't seem like an obvious pairing.
But that doesn't mean they can't make beautiful music together. On Friday, August 28th, the two will release Before the World Blows, their first album together, one that has been talked about for over a year.
The album is Badu's first full-length album since New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), which dropped in 2010, and Al's first fully produced album since Armand Hammer's Mercy.
Here's everything you need to know about Before the World Blows.
Tracklist
On August 26th, Badu and Al put out the tracklist for the album, which features 16 songs. The tracklist includes previous singles like "Next 2 U" and "Witch Doctor." Here is the full tracklist:
1. "Echoes"
2. "I Just Play A Part"
3. "Crossfade"
4. "Witch Doctor"
5. "Valentine"
6. "Next 2 U"
7. "Love Me Not"
8. "Breezy"
9. "Abracadabra"
10. "To The Moon (Plan C)"
11. "They Ain't You"
12. "What The People Say (Apostle 1)"
13. "Hot BiBi (Apostle 2)"
14. "No I.D."
15."I Know That Man"
16. "Black Box"
Who Are the Featured Artists on the Album?
The album features Westside Gunn, Earl Sweatshirt, DRAM, Steve Lacy, Thundercat, DJ Creole Princess, and Joi—a guest list that speaks to how diverse both Badu and Al’s palettes are.
- Westside Gunn — appears on two songs, “Crossfade" and "No I.D." Gunn was one of the artists who teased his involvement publicly last year.
- Earl Sweatshirt — One of Alchemist's most consistent collaborators, the rapper appears on "I Know That Man."
- Thundercat — is featured on the song "They Ain't You.”
- Kamasi Washington — Jazz legend closes the album out on "Black Box."
- Steve Lacy — On "To The Moon (Plan C)."
- DRAM — appears on "Valentine."
- Joi — The Atlanta singer and Dungeon Family fixture joins "Crossfade," alongside DJ Creole Princess.
- DJ Quik — Not credited on the tracklist, but Alchemist revealed on Drink Champs that Quik is on the record.
The making of 'Before the World Blows'
Let's start with Mobb Deep.
For years, Alchemist was one of the main producers for Prodigy and Havoc. The first beat he placed with them was "The Realest," off 1999's Murda Muzik.
That song turned out to be the origin story for Badu and Al. Badu was riding in a car with her longtime creative partner Cold Cris when "The Realest" came on, and she mentioned she'd always wanted to get on it. Cris told her he knew the guy who made the beat.
As she told N.O.R.E. on Drink Champs: "I'm a huge Mobb Deep fan, of course, and I always wanted to sing over this, 'The Realest,' and he goes, 'I know the guy that produces it.'"
For Al, locking in with Badu was a “bucket-list” item. He started sending her beats whenever she crossed his mind. But she sat on them—she wasn't trying to waste "anybody's time"—until she had 10 to 15 records she felt strongly about. Then she went to his studio in Los Angeles. That first LA session they made "Next 2 U," the one built on the "Realest" flip.
Badu and The Alchemist spent 18 months working on the album, splitting time between Dallas and Los Angeles. They only confirmed the album's actual title two days before it dropped, with the album releasing through independent labels Control Freaq and Young.
The Year of False Starts
This hasn't been a clean rollout for either artist.
Badu announced the project in March 2025, after teasing an album with a mysterious collaborator. Then came rumors of an August 29, 2025 release date; of course, the day came and went with no album. That same day, Badu posted a video telling fans nothing was dropping at midnight and pointed the finger at Alchemist. ALC, for his part, denied ever announcing that date, telling fans on X to show him where he'd said it.
For months after, the album sat in limbo, listed on digital platforms under the placeholder "Sorry, we don't have an album title yet." But the two kept signaling the music was real. Badu and Alchemist played what would become Before the World Blows in full in phone-free rooms, where the audience had to lock their devices in Yondr pouches.
What Singles Have Erykah Badu and The Alchemist Released From Before the World Blows?
Three songs have surfaced ahead of the album. "Next 2 U" arrived first, followed by "Echos 19 (mix 122)," which Badu debuted at her Juneteenth show in Dallas before the project was formally announced. "Witch Doctor," the album's fourth track, landed August 13, 2026, alongside the official announcement.
That rollout came with a stunt. Ahead of the announcement, cryptic posters started appearing in Sydney, Melbourne, London, Paris, and New York, reading "One More Song…" alongside a code that also turned up on the placeholder album art and at b-t-w-b.com. Fans who worked through the clues decoded the title: Before the World Blows.
The "Witch Doctor" video followed days later. Badu directed and stars in it, with cinematography by Ayinde Anderson, and she's credited as executive producer, creative director, and stylist. It premiered at a one-off screening paired with "Window Seat," her 2010 short—16 years later, she's back on the same stretch of road.
The release of "Next 2 U", which came in June 2025, featured AI art, which was heavily criticized by some fans. Al responded on X, saying “A cell phone is a.i. think about that. Nah really think about it. Angry commentary about ai, WHILE ON A CELL PHONE. how dumb this conversation is LOL.”
What Is the “Badu Burner Phone” Campaign?
Running alongside the album is the “Badu Burner Phone,” an interactive campaign that asks fans to work through a series of challenges to unlock a phone number. Participants start by joining Badu's mailing list and decoding the album title, then have to give that title as a passphrase—say “Before the World Blows” out loud and you're in the running to get Badu on the line directly, live, via FaceTime or video call.
Select participants get invited to fill in the blank: "One Mo ______ Before the World Blows." The prompt lets fans put their own experience into what the album means to them. Some of those conversations will be recorded and folded back into the wider campaign.
When and Where Can You Get Before the World Blows?
Before the World Blows arrives digitally on Friday, August 28, 2026, through Control FREAQ Records and Young Recordings. Fans can pre-save it now at abiandalan.ffm.to. Badu's own storefront, Badu World Market, handles merch at baduworld.market.
Is Erykah Badu Going on Tour in Support of the Album?
Yes, Badu and the Alchemist are taking on Before the World Blows on the road. On June 24 she announced a Fall 2026 North American with The Alchemist and De La Soul along as supporting acts, with Smino joining on select dates. The run includes at least 17 dates spanning the 2026-2027 cycle.
Here are the tour dates:
08-09 Richmond, VA - Richmond Jazz and Music Festival
09-10 Highland Park, IL - Ravinia Festival *^
09-11 Detroit, MI - Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre *^
09-13 Toronto, Ontario - RBC Amphitheatre *^
09-15 Cleveland, OH - Jacobs Pavilion *^
09-17 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena *^
09-18 Queens, NY - Forest Hills Stadium *^
09-20 Vienna, VA - Wolf Trap *^
09-22 Indianapolis, IN - Everwise Amphitheater ^
09-24 Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium ^
09-26 San Diego, CA - Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre ^=
09-27 Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre ^=
09-28 Highland, CA - Yaamava Theater ^
09-29 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl ^=
