Erykah Badu Releases Cover Art, Leaks New Song on Web Site

Over the weekend, Erykah Badu leaked a couple more juicy bits of information pertaining to her upcoming, March 30 release, New Amerykah Pt. 2: Return of the Ankh. First and foremost is the cover art, which, yep, you can see right here to your right (my left.. no, that can’t be right…). Just like with New Amerykah Pt. 1, the artwork associated with the release was provided by noted rock poster designer Emek. More infortmation on the artwork, along with Emek’s press release-approved quote about his design process, can be foudn after the jump.

As for second juicy leak from Badu camp? Why, it’s a song–“Strawberry Incense,” in fact, the tenth off the new album–and it’s streaming currently at ErykahBadu.com. Kind of an atmospheric jam. Check it out.

And, again, click the jump for the press release about the artwork.

ERYKAH BADU REVEALS ALBUM COVER ARTWORK
FOR

NEW AMERYKAH PART TWO: RETURN OF THE
ANKH

 

ALBUM IN STORES
MARCH 30

 

 

Multiple Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer,
and actress ERYKAH BADU has revealed the cover artwork for her upcoming
fifth studio album, NEW AMERYKAH PART TWO: RETURN OF THE ANKH,
which will be released by Universal Motown Records on 3.30 2010 AD
(((333))).

 

The cover art for NEW AMERYKAH PART TWO is a
collaboration between ERYKAH BADU and famed artist and poster
designer EMEK, who also designed the inspired packaging for
2008’s New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War. The new album cover
depicts an underwater image of BADU wearing a suit of armor that
symbolizes the tough exterior she developed to protect herself from the harsh
realities of life. The armor is her old shell and now she’s liberating herself
from it by climbing out of her own head so that she
can be reborn. Her tuning fork is summoning the vibrations of the
universe and the purple-colored tree of life and purple sky represent the 7th
Chakra–the Crown Chakra right above her third eye shield, which represents
peace, wisdom, and spirituality. The numerical theme of three is symbolized by
three moons, three hidden babies, three trees, and three ankhs. Closer inspection reveals that BADU‘s
shoulders are surrounded by many of the same objects that filled her abstract
afro on the cover of New Amerykah Part One, including
handcuffs, a foreclosed home, fast food, cigarettes, broken chains, and a
military tank. Here, those items represent refuse and rubble from which new life
grows into a vibrant garden of colorful flowers blossoming all around her.

 

“Working with ERYKAH always brings out the best in
me,” says EMEK. “I have worked with hundreds of bands and I have to say
that she is pretty unique. The amount of time and energy she spends on all
aspects of her life. She is very creative and hands-on, but she also respects
and encourages the creativity in others.”

 

In keeping with the concept of the cover art, NEW
AMERYKAH PART TWO: RETURN OF THE ANKH taps into BADU‘s emotional
side by thematically focusing on romance and relationships. “With Part
One, I was standing at an apex, looking at what was going on around me
politically, socially, and economically,” BADU explains. “With PART
TWO, I’m hovering over me, looking at what’s going on inside of
me.”