Andre 3000 always has a left turn to make. The Outkast rapper confused everybody when he dropped his first solo album in 2023. Instead of bars, which fans had been patiently waiting for since 2006, he decided to pick up the jazz flute. The resulting album, New Blue Sun, has become something of a pop culture curio. Nobody knows quite what to make of it, which seems to be why Andre 3000 had so much fun making it. Now, the Outkast icon has decided to drop a feature length film to accompany.
The film is called Listening to the Sun. Three Stacks uploaded the 90 minute feature to YouTube on August 29 with a subtitle that explains its intent. Listening to the Sun is an "intimate album film for New Blue Sun," and it was apparently recorded on November 11, 2023. For context, the album dropped the same exact day. The film is artsy, as one might expect for a companion piece to a jazz flute album, but it's undeniably interesting to watch. Andre 3000 occupies the frame during the entire film, and there doesn't appear to be a cut. He performs his musical and physical actions in one unbroken shot. This makes the flow from sequence to sequence even more natural.
Andre 3000 Made The Film The Day He Dropped His Album
Andre 3000 is a frequent collaborator of Frank Ocean. He's appeared on both of the singer's albums, and he maintains a similar hermit persona. It's worth mentioning Ocean because Listening to the Sun feels like Andre's version of Endless. Ocean built a staircase over the course of an hour in Endless, as new music soundtracked his process. Andre 3000 has a bit more focus with his film (and 30 minutes more to fill), so it's admittedly a more engaging watch.
Three Stacks has been transparent about not knowing what he's doing with the flute. He told The Shop that he was a novice when it came to the instrument, which has been part of the appeal. "I don’t know what notes I’m playing, to be completely honest," the rapper explained. "I’m not trying to pretend like I know what I’m doing, in a way. I actually don’t know what I’m doing and that’s part of the art." Listening to the Sun feels like a cinematic expansion on this freedom. Give it a watch if you haven't already.
