André 3000 reacts to surprise album of the year Grammy nomination

André 3000 has gotten used to not having expectations over the years. Since rattling the mainstream music foundation as one half of Outkast, the 49-year-old has consistently thrown wrenches into what the world had come to know and accept as popular music, from the runaway success of his outré pop single “Hey Ya!” in 2003 for the groundbreaking work he created with Big Boi.

That’s why it came as a surprise earlier this morning that “New Blue Sun,” his spacious, experimental flute-forward record, ended up with three nominations for the 2025 Grammy Awards, including a coveted album of the year — up against Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter “, Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet”. It’s the first time he’s been nominated in the category since Outkast’s “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” won in 2004, making it the second hip-hop album at the time to take home the award.

“I’m used to people feeling one way, but at the same time it just proves to me that I can only do what I want to do,” he shared Black shortly after the nominees were announced. “I think that’s why I’m here. I rise to try to expand myself. I have to be funny and be good at what I do. That’s it.”

“New Blue Sun,” out in November 2023, also earned nods for Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Instrumental Composition for “I Swear, I Really Wanted To Make A ‘Rap’ Album But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time ” – an apt summation of how his artistic instincts once again paid off.

What’s your immediate reaction to getting album of the year? That may have surprised a few people.

I felt like we were trying to run a campaign to see if we could get into the alternative jazz or ambient category. So this morning when the Album of the Year category came up, I was really, really surprised because I didn’t think that many people knew about it. So I’m just glad that the votes came out that way and that more than anything people were paying attention.

Are you surprised people didn’t know? You’ve been performing this album for a good part of the year and it had attention on it.

Well, no, because when it first came out, people asked me if it was a real thing. We recently released a movie, this movie that came with the album, we released it on YouTube, and a lot of people on YouTube were like, oh, I’ve heard about this a little bit, but I never checked it out until now. It’s almost had a second wave of people listening just because of that movie. I feel the same way now. A lot of people might have heard of it, but I think when you say André 3000 and flute album, which is misleading — they call it that because I play it the most, but people think flute, they think pied piper, classical concert flute, Jethro Tull. But there are many great flute albums in the world, and this is much more than a flute album. I think people have swept it under the rug. So no, I don’t think a lot of people, even if they heard about it, I don’t think they checked it out because it was also promoted that there were no lyrics or verses on the album.

So do you think that makes it harder for the average listener to find their way into it?

Yes, if you are used to a certain thing or expect a certain thing. But no, once you get into it, I definitely think it’s a listen. It’s background music in your life, it’s not (intense) music. It’s not like I’m trying to choke you into listening to my thoughts. It’s really up to you.

The last time you were nominated and won this category was literally 20 years ago. What do you think it says about the trajectory of your career that you’re back at this point two decades later?

It really just lets me know in myself confirmation, because as artists, the doubt only comes when you have to present it to people, you have to open the door and say, “Hey, check this out!” But while we do, you’ll have that doubt. So it reminds me that my career has been that all along. I haven’t changed my formula at all, I can only do what I enjoy doing at the time. Even with “Speakerboxxx/Love Below,” I have a cousin, my favorite cousin, and after every Outkast album, I’d sit with him in the car when we’d finish it, and I’d just play it for him. He was my older cousin who I looked up to, he was cool in high school. And so I’d play him every album, and after “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik,” every album I’d play him, he’d turn to me and say, “Man, I’m so scared of you André.” And so now at this point it’s become, I hope he’s afraid of me. So I’m used to it at this point.

People have short memories, when “The Love Below” came out, it was a chance, like you’re really out there with this record. People may have felt the same way about this. What do you think it says about your willingness to go where your artistic compass points you that leads you to these places?

That it’s normal for me. It’s only abnormal when I have to open the door for other people. That’s all it says. Because when I do these things, I don’t think, oh, this is… It’s natural to me. It’s very, very natural because I’m in it. It’s not one thing, but you have to consider other people when you finish it and pack it up and put it out. I remember when we were about to broadcast “Hey Ya!” as single. At one point the label would put it out as a white label, without saying who it was. So there are preconceived notions, like “This is Outkast” or “This is an André 3000 song, but it’s not a rap song.” So that just tells me you have to do what you came to do. And I’m happy now because I’m old enough to see the kids who were around and saw us do it, now they’re the stars and they’re pushing things. And I’m like, whoa, let’s go! I love it because they reach out to me and they give credit. Like a man I talked to an artist’s mother and she thought when he was young that he was you. I was like whoa, this is crazy! So that’s great.

Have you listened to the other records that you are up against in album of the year and what are your thoughts on where the music is right now?

I think it’s interesting, because I think in life right now, we’re at a very interesting time as human beings. I think something is changing, something is changing. Things are revealed, I don’t know. I don’t want to make it too esoteric, but something is happening. And I think people are just exploring more. So I appreciate that, but music for me, I never judge music in a way that’s like, this is terrible, this is bad. It’s just what happens at the time. And generations usually react to the generation before in some way. So I’m always up for it, man.

How has your attitude towards awards and being nominated changed over the years? Does it feel as exciting today as it did 20 years ago?

Yes, for sure. And because of what it is. You don’t expect recognition or even to be recognized for things that will be heavy, heavy ridicule at first. That’s how I feel about prices in general. Any of these big, big awards like the Grammys or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they’re institutions because of the artists. If there were no artists, there would be no institutions. But it’s always nice to be recognized, man. As humans, we want validation for our time being here. These prices sort of do. Of course, I don’t think about the Grammys when I make an album. It’s not a thing. But yeah, even on the street when someone tells you, “Man, I love this album, me and my kids listen to this album every morning,” that’s validation. So it’s just validation or proof of infiltrating people, proof that people are enjoying it. I can dig that.

The idea of ​​being subjected to harsh ridicule, is that something you’ve personally felt in your career?

Oh yes, for sure. My whole career has been like that. So I’m kind of used to it, but then you don’t get used to it because people get meaner and meaner. I think they have a right to what you are and what you do, and I think the audience, even though I’m from Atlanta, it’s not Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola has a formula they can do over and over again. I think sometimes the audience feels, why can’t you just do it over and over? That’s not how it works. I think the ridicule comes because their belief is, oh, you can just go in there and do this. And if you don’t, sometimes it’s disappointing for people. So there is ridicule.

What do you think it says about the evolving nature of hip-hop that you’re at this point in your career, you’re able to try something new and find this success so deep into it?

I can only say that I did not chase the success. I was chasing the satisfaction of trying something new, of really pushing something. That’s what I’m going for, I need to feel like I’m doing something interesting. That’s what I’m after. The work is done after the recording, as I tell every artist. I don’t care what genre you’re into. Visual arts, film, music. Set realistic goals for yourself that don’t include any outside factors because you will always be disappointed. You can never control what an external factor will think, do or react. All you can do is do what you set out to do, and if you achieve it, everything else is gravy. That’s how you should think about it.