Erykah Badu and the Alchemist set debut album release
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Erykah Badu and producer the Alchemist will release their long-awaited collaborative debut album on 28 August, after first signalling the project in spring 2025. The announcement also brings the new track “Witch Doctor” and confirms that the pair will tour North America together next month.
The album was co-produced over 18 months in Dallas and Los Angeles by Badu and the Alchemist, whose real name is Alan Maman. Although it was previously said to be titled *Abi & Alan*, the current announcement gives no official name; a Bandcamp listing instead says the album does not yet have one. It is being released through Control Freaq/Young and is likely to include the earlier single “Next to You”.
- Erykah Badu and the Alchemist’s joint album arrives on 28 August.
- The newly released song is called “Witch Doctor”.
- The album’s previously announced title appears to have been dropped.
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Erykah Badu is an American singer and songwriter known for mixing soul, jazz and hip-hop influences. She became a leading figure in neo-soul, a style that drew on classic soul music while using modern rhythms and production.
The Alchemist, whose real name is Alan Maman, is an American hip-hop producer with a long record of work with rappers and underground artists. His production is often built around sampled sounds and carefully layered beats, making his work influential in modern rap.
A full project from the pair brings together artists from different but overlapping musical worlds: Badu’s vocal-led soul and the Alchemist’s hip-hop production. Their collaboration has attracted interest because both have established, distinctive styles and have rarely worked together on an album-length release.
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Originally published by Pitchfork as “Erykah Badu and the Alchemist Finally Releasing Joint Album This Month”.