Staying closely attuned to neo-soul can take incredible amounts of patience. Even Erykah Badu, one of the genre’s leading proponents, routinely spends years in hiatus between albums. So when the 44-year-old funk-mystic released her new mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone, she must have sensed a growing appetite for the sound.
Created in just 12 days alongside producer Zac Witness, the record’s spontaneity is obvious. In a recent interview with Complex, Badu playfully labelled the mixtape her “side-bitch”, explaining that its casual release eased the usual pressure of a full length album. The typically analogue artist made the most of loose expectations by experimenting in a digital soundscape. Although the title is a nod to the cult classic single Tyrone (from 1997’s Live),followers of Badu-ism may be disappointed – this record shouldn’t be heard with any preconceptions.
The tape’s first inspiration comes from Drake’s Hotline Bling,which Badu famously remade into a Soundcloud favourite. References to the smash hit can be heard throughout the record’s entirety, sometimes awkwardly so. On U Use To Call Me, rising rapper ItsRoutine drops a verse that sounds pretty much like Drake with a blocked nose. But as connections to the 6 God fade out, the telephone theme doesn’t.
Judging by the cover-art, it’s clear Badu interprets phones as more than a clever piece of technology. To her they’re portals; a means of communicating intimacy, dangerous yet powerful, distracting yet necessary. In Phone Down Badu demands the undivided attention of her lover, singing, “You ain’t gon’ text no one when you’re with me”, but the dark undertones of production hint at feelings of doubt.
The closing song Hello brings order to the moody track list. Scattered ideas of love, lust and neediness sound more refined alongside harmonious vocals from Badu’s old flame, Andre 3000. It’s a rare feature, which naturally drew attention to the record’s release. The deeply intimate ballad is fascinating considering the pair’s romantic past. But Hello is ultimately a tune about two grown-up folks with a history, trying to work things out. Like the record, they plead for clarity of connection.
BY JESSICA ANKOMAH
