André 3000 surprise-releases ‘7 Piano Sketches’ EP as he wears a piano to the Met Gala

André 3000 wore a piano to the Met Gala last night (5/5) as he simultaneously surprise-released a new EP, 7 Piano Sketches, which follows his 2023 ambient jazz flute album New Blue Sun but which he says was recorded almost a decade earlier. His custom Burberry x Benji Bixby jumpsuit was designed by Burberry creative director Daniel Lee and famed stylist Law Roach, and the EP’s cover is a sketch of André with that same look. About the EP, he says:

7 piano sketches

warning: no bars

These piano sketches are improvisations. To conjure them up, I spread my fingers out on the keys and randomly but with purpose move them around until I find something that feels good or interesting. If it feels really good I will try to repeat it. I cannot name which notes, keys or chords that I’m playing. I simply like the sound and mechanics of piano playing. Some of my favorite piano music composers and players that inspire me are Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, Philip Glass, Stephen Sondheim, Joni Mitchell and Vince Guaraldi.

These piano pieces weren’t recorded with the intention of presenting them in any formal way to the public. They were personal, at home recordings. I would sometimes text them to my family and friends.

Pardon the sound quality, they were all recorded with my iPhone sitting directly on the piano or my laptop microphone with the exception of ‘Blueberries’. (recorded in studio)

Most of these were recorded in Texas. The house my son and I were renting had no furniture at all. Only a piano, our beds and tv screens.

This collection of songs was recorded almost a decade before New Blue Sun. The original title for it was ‘The Best Worst Rap Album In History’ and here is an excerpt from the original liner notes.

“It’s jokingly the worst rap album in history because there are no lyrics on it at all. It’s the best because it’s the free-est emotionally and best I’ve felt personally. It’s the best because it’s like a palette cleanser for me.”

– 3

Listen and see André’s Met Gala look (and many others) below…

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BrooklynVegan (@brooklynvegan)