Iconic singer Erykah Badu and legendary producer The Alchemist have joined forces for their new single “Next To You.”
The psychedelic soul track, which they wrote and produced together, is the first release under Badu’s new imprint Control Freaq Records/EMPIRE.
On “Next To You,” Badu’s ethereal vocals are baked into the relaxed production that samples Mobb Deep’s “The Realest,” which The Alchemist produced. Lyrically, the song is about wanting to stay in close proximity to a love interest.
“I wanna smoke blunts with you / I wanna get drunk with you, I do / I wanna be next to you,” Badu sings in the chorus.
“Next To You” is the first offering from Badu’s upcoming album, solely produced by The Alchemist. The forthcoming project will mark Badu’s first full-length album since 2010’s New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh.
New Amerykah Part Two, which was among Rated R&B’s 50 Best R&B Albums of the 2010s list, included her hit “Window Seat.”
In 2015, Badu returned with her mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone, which included standouts like “Phone Down,” “Hello” and “I’ll Call U Back.”
In recent news, Badu won her first Grammy in over 20 years at the 2025 Grammy Awards. The “On & On” singer took home a trophy for Best Melodic Rap Performance for her feature on Rapsody’s “3:AM.”
On Juneteenth (June 19), Badu performed an exclusive livestreamed concert, Badu Presents: Echos 19, in her hometown, Dallas, as part of Amazon Music’s Black Music Month celebration. During her set, Badu debuted a never-before-heard version of “Echos 19 (mix 122),” now streaming exclusively on Amazon Music.
Up next, and for the first time ever, Badu and The Alchemist will perform a series of shows for The Abi & Alan Japan Tour. It kicks off June 24 at Billboard Live Osaka and concludes June 30 in Yokohama.
As for The Alchemist, the producer released Life Is Beautiful, his collaboration album with rappers Larry June and 2 Chainz, in February.
Stream Erykah Badu and The Alchemist’s new song “Next To You” below.
