New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Kendrick has just shared his new single, 'The Heart Part 5'. The first single from his fifth studio album that is scheduled to be released on May 13th. Music bloggers across the internet have reacted to this new release with great excitement as we finally get a taste of Kenny's music for the first time in four years. Watch the video for his latest single below:
When did the news break?
On April 18th, Kendrick Lamar unveiled the specifics of a new album. The rapper, scheduled to headline target=_blank>Glastonbury Festival this summer with Paul McCartney and Billie Eilish, tweeted out a new link to his Oklahoma website. He announced the album's new title and release date.
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is the title track for Kendrick Lamar's highly anticipated new album, which will be released on May 13th, five years after DAMN. Kendrick had previously hinted at the release date when he signed off a letter posted on his enigmatic Oklama.com website with `See you soon enough!`.
Kendrick Lamar's new album is called Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, indicating the news before its release in May. Previously, he posted an elusive message on his otherwise vacant Instagram account that sparked rumours. The image depicted a file with the word "nu thoughts" in it, and the caption read: oklama.com.
Fans are taken to a website with the same file when searching target=_blank>oklama.com. If they click on it, it leads to a letter written by Kendrick that begins: "I spend most of my days with fleeting thoughts. Writing. Listening. And collecting old Beach cruisers."
It continues, "As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years. The Struggles. The Success. And most importantly, the Brotherhood. May the Most High continue to use Top Dawg as a vessel for candid creators. As I continue to pursue my life's calling."
According to a label insider, it'll be the first official solo disc from the rapper. It'll come after Lamar's Pulitzer-winning 2017 album, 'DAMN.', which got four stars in NME and was called "a powerful, potent look inside the tortured mind of a genius". Since then, he's also curated the Black Panther soundtrack.
In September, Lamar registered a slew of new compositions with ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), suggesting that a new album was imminent. Kendrick Lamar announced that his next album would not only be released but would also be the last for his long-standing label, Top Dawg Entertainment, a few months back. Although no date was mentioned at the time, Lamar's appearance on a few songs from Baby Keem's new album sparked rumours that his TDE retirement was approaching sooner than he'd like us to believe.
Now, fans are excited for DAMN's follow-up, after the six previously unheard songs leaked on Spotify were swiftly removed. The musician's photo on the streamer was changed, which fueled fan speculation. Something boosting more fan excitement is one of the more popular rumours that Lamar and Cardi B have been talking about performing together at a future date - paired with a headlining performance at Day N' Night Festival in Las Vegas and Lamar's forthcoming appearance alongside Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J.
Fans of Kendrick Lamar, on the other hand, are no strangers to tracking down leaks. Last year, a similar buzz developed in early September 2020 when three unfinished tracks became available and then vanished in minutes. But with the rapper seemingly getting fans ready for his last collaboration with Top Dawg, we're not that far off from an official release.
