Rapsody is making her long-awaited return in 2024 with her first album in five years, Please Don’t 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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“May 17th, Please Don’t Cry. My fourth studio album,” she wrote on Instagram.
Rapsody then offered a hint at the album’s 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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“The last four years have been a beautiful, challenging, exciting, scary, journey back to self,” she said. “A becoming. A reintroduction. An unveiling. An unlearning. A knowing. An unplugging. A welcome home. A reality check.
“A love story with the reflection in the mirror. And I love her. She’s raw. Imperfect. Real. Goofy. Intelligent. Cool as a cucumber. Patient. Kind. Mad. Emotional. Funny. Quiet. Swear she gangsta. Thoughtful. Grateful. Forgetful. Overwhelmed.”
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She added: “Once a month she got an attitude. She cares deeply. Sometimes too much. She’s a lot of things. She’s complex. But, I think that’s what makes her special. And I can’t wait for you to get to know her. Love [kiss emoji] The Homegirl.”
The album’s 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.
Rapsody’s announcement was met with excitement from fans and peers alike, with Vic Mensa commenting on the post: “love you !!!!! GOD LEVEL.”
“Let’s goooooo,” fellow Roc Nation and Jamla representative Reuben Vincent wrote, while screenwriter/producer Lena Waithe added: “The perfect birthday present!”
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The 41-year-old has been steadily teasing a new album for months through a social media campaign fittingly called “#RapIsBack.”
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: “Who are you in your rawest state?”
She also dropped the first single, the soulful yet hard-hitting “Asteroids,” in November and debuted the Erykah Badu-assisted “3:AM” during a live performance with the legendary singer earlier this year.
Please Don’t Cry serves as the follow-up to Eve which arrived back in the summer of 2019 and paid tribute to Rapsody’s heroes like Lauryn Hill, Nina Simone and Michelle Obama.
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Bolstered by appearances from J. Cole, D’Angelo, 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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“With Eve, Rap gives the listener every opportunity to learn who she is through the lives of these powerful women,” the review read.
“Her wordplay wizardry, intricately woven details and unparalleled lyrical prowess emanate from every song. As Rap always says, ‘Culture over everything’ and Eve is no exception.”
Check out the tracklist for Please Don’t Cry below.
1. She’s Expecting (feat. Phylicia Rashad)
2. Marlanna
3. Asteroids (prod. Hit-Boy)
4. Look What You’ve Done
5. DND (It’s 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. God’s Light
15. Back In My Bag
16. Niko’s Interlude (feat. Niko Brim)
17. Raw (feat. Lil Wayne)
18. Lonely Woman
19. A Ballad For Homegirls (feat. Baby Tate)
20. Please Don’t Cry Interlude (feat. Phylicia Rashad)
21. Faith
22. Forget Me Not (feat. Amber Navran & Phylicia Rashad)
