Universal music's multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter-actress Erykah Badu releases her fifth studio singer's hotly anticipated follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2008 disc, New Amerykah, Part I: 4th World War.

New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh features contributions from some of the most talented, groundbreaking, underground producers and engineers in the hip-hop game, including Grammy winners 9th Wonder and James Poyser, eclectic soul singer Bilal, and the late J Dilla. “We used a lot of analog instruments—harps, strings, drums, piano, and even a Theremin—to give the album that sonic feel,” said Badu. “There's a strong undercurrent of bottom, a rumbling to these songs that feels good to me. It feels like a hug.”

The press are already raving about New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh, one of the most anticipated albums of 2010. The Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy blog calls it “a throwback to her 1997 debut, 'Baduizm,' with a more acoustic feel” while Vibe.com says, “Badu delivers an album that offers the emotional highs, lows and maddening complexities of being involved in a romantic relationship.”