The collaborative record arrives alongside new single ‘Witch Doctor’, ahead of a US tour running through September
Erykah Badu and The Alchemist have announced their joint album, out Friday August 28th 2026 via Control FREAQ Records/Young Recordings. The album was co-produced and recorded over 18 months across Dallas and Los Angeles.
The announcement comes with new single ‘Witch Doctor’, following previous singles ‘Next to You’ and the Amazon Music exclusive ‘Echos 19 (mix 122)’.
It’s Badu’s first project in eleven years and her first official studio album in 16, a gap filled with touring, teaching, motherhood and doula work. The Alchemist, meanwhile, has stayed one of hip-hop’s most prolific producers, most recently releasing Alfredo 2 with Freddie Gibbs, the sequel to their Grammy-nominated 2020 record Alfredo.
The collaboration started more than three years ago, when Badu told longtime creative partner Cold Cris she’d always wanted to rap over Mobb Deep’s ‘The Realest’, an Alchemist production. The two were introduced soon after, and their first LA studio session produced ‘Next to You’, setting the direction for the rest of the record. The Alchemist sent over instrumental beats, which Badu deconstructed and rebuilt with everything from kalimba to full chords and drums, landing somewhere between soul, blues, funk, rock, jazz and underground hip-hop without settling into any one of them. The pair road-tested the material live throughout 2024 and 2025 in phone-free shows with Badu’s collective The Cannabinoids and The Alchemist on the MPC, refining the tracks as they went.
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Tour dates:
- September 10th – Highland Park, IL – Ravinia Festival
- September 11th – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre
- September 13th – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre
- September 15th – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion
- September 17th – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
- September 18th – Forest Hills, NY – Forest Hills Stadium
- September 20th – Washington, DC – Wolf Trap
- September 22nd – Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater
- September 24th – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
- September 26th – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
- September 27th – Berkeley, CA – Greek Theatre
- September 28th – Highland, CA – Yaamava Theater
- September 29th – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
