Rapsody is making her long-awaited return in 2024 with her first album in five years, Please Donât Cry.
The North Carolina native announced the new project on Thursday (March 14), while also sharing its release date, tracklist and cover art.
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âMay 17th, Please Donât Cry. My fourth studio album,â she wrote on Instagram.
Rapsody then offered a hint at the albumâs concept, describing the journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance that she has embarked on since her last full-length release.
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âThe last four years have been a beautiful, challenging, exciting, scary, journey back to self,â she said. âA becoming. A reintroduction. An unveiling. An unlearning. A knowing. An unplugging. A welcome home. A reality check.
âA love story with the reflection in the mirror. And I love her. Sheâs raw. Imperfect. Real. Goofy. Intelligent. Cool as a cucumber. Patient. Kind. Mad. Emotional. Funny. Quiet. Swear she gangsta. Thoughtful. Grateful. Forgetful. Overwhelmed.â
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She added: âOnce a month she got an attitude. She cares deeply. Sometimes too much. Sheâs a lot of things. Sheâs complex. But, I think thatâs what makes her special. And I canât wait for you to get to know her. Love [kiss emoji] The Homegirl.â
The albumâs tracklist (which can be seen in full at the bottom of this page) reveals collaborations with Lil Wayne, Erykah Badu, Hit-Boy, Baby Tate and Alex Isley, among others, across 22 songs.
Rapsodyâs announcement was met with excitement from fans and peers alike, with Vic Mensa commenting on the post: âlove you !!!!! GOD LEVEL.â
âLetâs goooooo,â fellow Roc Nation and Jamla representative Reuben Vincent wrote, while screenwriter/producer Lena Waithe added: âThe perfect birthday present!â
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The 41-year-old has been steadily teasing a new album for months through a social media campaign fittingly called â#RapIsBack.â
The rollout has included a series of video and song teasers, behind-the-scenes footage and merch. Most recently, Rapsody released a poignant short film voiced by former Cosby Show star Phylicia Rashad asking viewers: âWho are you in your rawest state?â
She also dropped the first single, the soulful yet hard-hitting âAsteroids,â in November and debuted the Erykah Badu-assisted â3:AMâ during a live performance with the legendary singer earlier this year.
Please Donât Cry serves as the follow-up to Eve which arrived back in the summer of 2019 and paid tribute to Rapsodyâs heroes like Lauryn Hill, Nina Simone and Michelle Obama.
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Bolstered by appearances from J. Cole, DâAngelo, Queen Latifah, JID and GZA, the album marked a new commercial high for Rapsody, peaking at No. 76 on the Billboard 200.
It also received rave reviews, earning a perfect five out of five score from HipHopDX.
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âWith Eve, Rap gives the listener every opportunity to learn who she is through the lives of these powerful women,â the review read.
âHer wordplay wizardry, intricately woven details and unparalleled lyrical prowess emanate from every song. As Rap always says, âCulture over everythingâ and Eve is no exception.â
Check out the tracklist for Please Donât Cry below.
1. Sheâs Expecting (feat. Phylicia Rashad)
2. Marlanna
3. Asteroids (prod. Hit-Boy)
4. Look What Youâve Done
5. DND (Itâs Not Personal) (feat. Bee-B)
6. Black Popstar (feat. DIXSON)
7. Stand Tall
8. That One Time
9. 3:AM (feat. Erykah Badu)
10. Loose Rocks (feat. Alex Isley)
11. Diary of a Mad Bitch (feat. Bibi Bourelly)
12. Never Enough (feat. Keznamdi)
13. He Shot Me
14. Godâs Light
15. Back In My Bag
16. Nikoâs Interlude (feat. Niko Brim)
17. Raw (feat. Lil Wayne)
18. Lonely Woman
19. A Ballad For Homegirls (feat. Baby Tate)
20. Please Donât Cry Interlude (feat. Phylicia Rashad)
21. Faith
22. Forget Me Not (feat. Amber Navran & Phylicia Rashad)