Following on from his recent musical supergroup Dinner Party, which saw Robert Glasper join forces with Terrace Martin, Kamasi Washington, and 9th Wonder, Glasper is back with a new single ‘Better than I Imagined, featuring H.E.R. And Meshell Ndegeocello. It’s the first new music from the Black Radio 3 project, coming in 2021.
Of the song, Robert explains “No one wants a life without love, but we have generations of people in our community who haven’t had the tools to actually be in healthy relationships. It seems like people are finally ready to open their eyes to systemic racism in this country, and if we’re going to talk about it, we have to also talk about how it affects our relationships.”
There’s a sort of hipster stroll to Better Than I Imagined, these taut piano chords exude warmth, and are swathed in electronic hue and occasional synth noise. Over the top, the gentle strains of the vocals are slathered in harmonies and veer between the soulful and the spoken word, as it charms your ears and your feels.
Check it out, along with a beautiful video animated by Gianni Lee, which paints a surreal and post-apocalyptic world where heroes come to heal the Black community through love.
