Stream Maxwell’s Highly-Anticipated New Album ‘blackSUMMERS’night’

The wait is over!!! Seven years in the making, Maxwell has finally released his long-awaited new album, blackSUMMERS’night.

After performing the first single “Lake By The Ocean” at the BET Awards, and teasing us with multiple tracks this past week, the 43-year-old singer delivers the second album in his trilogy, the follow-up to 2009’s BLACKsummers’night.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the soulful crooner addressed the delay. “I started traveling, and I lost a very, very important family member of mine about two years ago,” he said, referring to his cousin, who died in 2014. “And sonically, I was evolving. I had anxiety about having to meet that challenge of [recording] a sequel to 2009’s BLACKsummers’night.”

But hopefully we won’t have to wait as long for the final installment in the trilogy. “We’ll be done as I begin my arena run in the fall. I do not want to be 50 years old releasing the same-titled album,” said Maxwell, adding. “I don’t want to oversaturate the market and be out there all the time. I like knowing that I’ve taken time on each song. The songs are actually easy for me to make. They’re not much of a problem—it’s just the whole process of celebrity. That’s not that exciting for me.”

He also gave a brief hint at what we can expect on part 3. “It will be on the darker side, but it will have a political edge that I don’t think I’ve ever touched on before. With all the traveling I’ve had to do over the years, I’ve gotten to see places in Nigeria, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic where people need help. Those types of experiences have [led] me to cherry-pick certain songs [for the album]. But I’m always a lover at the end of the day. There’ll be a love aspect, but there will be these hidden messages that sort of hint at something else.”

For now, kick back and vibe out to the smooth sounds of blackSUMMERS’night.

Stream the album below via Spotify or Apple Music.