In a previous endeavor with a woodwind instrument,
André 3000 collaborated with
James Blake in 2018 to release a 17-minute long instrumental jazz song called "Look Ma No Hands"; the former played
bass clarinet on the track. In the years leading up to the release of
New Blue Sun, André 3000 made media appearances playing flute in public settings; this was especially amplified online by his appearance as a flautist on the score for the
Daniels' 2022 film
Everything Everywhere All at Once. He would later meet with
jazz musician Carlos Niño in
Los Angeles, where the two agreed to create a studio album. The song "Tunnels of Egypt" was made during
New Blue Sun's recording sessions, but was left off the album and later released on November 22, 2024. Ahead of
New Blue Sun's announcement, fellow
rapper Killer Mike teased an impending release by André 3000. As his first solo studio release, and the first studio material of his in a significant period of time, the 87-minute album largely consists of "
experimental flute music" with both acoustic and electronic instrumentation, influenced by
spiritual jazz musicians and
minimalist composers. It features "a myriad" of different flutes performed by André 3000 in various styles across eight instrumental pieces. When announcing the album on November 14, 2023, André 3000 emphasized that the project is not "a rap record", with the packaging displaying a lighthearted disclaimer that it contains "no bars"; he has additionally dismissed rumors that he was "sitting around on rap albums" that he has been characterized as refusing to release, saying instead that he felt more comfortable with the direction indicated by
New Blue Sun. The album was originally titled
Everything Is Too Loud, but was renamed because André 3000 felt that it put out negative energy. ==Critical reception==