Jay Z Announces New Album 4:44, Out Next Week

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Jay Z Announces New Album 4:44, Out Next Week

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Earlier this month, Tidal started posting mysterious ads touting something called 4:44. There was a lot of speculation that this might be a new Jay Z album. As it turned out, it was a new Tidal-exclusive movie starring Mahershala Ali and Lupita Nyong’o. But, of course, we all forgot the lesson of American Gangster: Jay Z is perfectly capable of making a new album and giving it the same name as a new movie. And today, we learn that there is, in fact, a new Jay Z album called 4:44. It’s coming out next week, on the same day that the 4:44 movie will arrive on Tidal.

Jay already shared a clip of a new song called “Adnis” in a 4:44 trailer, and it suggests a more sparse and thoughtful direction than past Jay albums. (It’s not clear yet whether the 4:44 movie is a visual album or whether it’s its own thing.) 4:44 will, of course, be a Tidal exclusive. And like Jay’s last album, 2013’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, it’ll also be available to Sprint customers. The four-year break between Magna Carta Holy Grail and 4:44 is the longest-ever stretch between Jay Z albums; he didn’t even take that much time off when he was retired.

In a press release, Sprint says that the 4:44 album and movie are the first in a series of planned Sprint/Tidal exclusives. They will both arrive 6/30 at 12:01AM eastern time.

Also, Jay and Beyoncé welcomed twins into the world last week.

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