N.E.R.D. premiered their new album in Long Beach, California last night (November 4).
The group recently revealed their first track in seven years – a collaboration with Rihanna called ‘Lemon‘.
Last night, the trio reunited on stage for the first time in three years at Long Beach’s ComplexCon festival. During the set, they aired their new record ‘No_One Ever Really Dies’ in full.
As Complex reports, the listening session saw N.E.R.D. fill the stage with real cars and groups of dancers to provide a visual spectacle as the record played. The group began the set sat in a van at the back of the stage, but both Shay Haley and Pharrell Williams later made an appearance in front of the crowd.
Favorite song so far off the new album #NoOneEverReallyDies @NeRdArMy x 3 stacks #complexconِ pic.twitter.com/DDPvUXTqIf
— roxanne the samurai (@YungIndigochild) November 5, 2017
This new @NeRdArMy album is bout to change human life as we know it lml pic.twitter.com/ZmyLBkmZV8
— Maybe: Justin (@Maybe_JustinS4G) November 5, 2017
‘No_One Ever Really Dies’ features 11 tracks and a handful of guest appearances from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran, Future, M.I.A. and André 3000. Ahead of ‘Don’t Don’t Do It’, the band’s collaboration with Lamar, Williams explained the track was written after the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, North Carolina last year.
“I just know that for all those unarmed motorists that’s been killed, I know there’s a moment when they tell them to do something there must be a voice in their heads saying, ‘Don’t don’t do it’,” Williams explained.
N.E.R.D @ComplexCon listening party. #complexcon2017 pic.twitter.com/2MdjQlqp3F
— Chiefy (@richhomiechief) November 5, 2017
The boys are back. @NeRdArMy pic.twitter.com/LQrmfRsfLv
— Dbruze (@darienbruze) November 5, 2017
Deep Down Body Thurst ???@NeRdArMy @Pharrell @i_am_OTHER pic.twitter.com/ZaKXJKoCnq
— 美哉 (@MiiiyaJeanee) November 5, 2017
During the listening session, Williams also told the crowd not to expect the new record to drop immediately. “The album’s not coming out tomorrow,” he said. “We’re giving it to you. It’s yours. You got it before everybody else.” There is no confirmed release date for the record as yet.
The tracklist for ‘No_One Ever Really Dies’ is as follows:
‘Deep Down Body Thirst
‘Lemon’ (feat. Rihanna)
‘Voilà’ (feat. Gucci Mane and Wale)
‘1000’ (feat. Future)
‘Don’t Don’t Do It’ (feat. Kendrick Lamar and M.I.A.)
‘ESP’
‘Lightning Fire Magic Prayer’
‘Rollinem 7’s’ (feat. André 3000)
‘Lifting You’ (feat. Ed Sheeran)
‘(Secret Life Of Tigers)’