September 18, 2026
Meshell Ndegeocello has shared the final single to be revealed from her forthcoming Blue Note album Synonym which finds the acclaimed singer-bassist-producer reimagining and reconceptualizing a brilliantly curated collection of classic songs as duets with an astounding rollcall of special guests. Bill Callahan and Chris Thile sing duet on the album’s unforgettable closer – a riveting rendition of Bob Dylan’s folk classic “With God On Our Side.”
“Bill Callahan’s voice to me is enchanting and just draws you in,’’ Ndegeocello says. “And then my other angel is Chris Thile. He’s a very grounded human being; I just love the earthiness of his voice.”
While she loves the energy of Dylan’s original version, “the lyrics just have a lot more aggression in it than its arrangement,” Ndegeocello explains. “So, I was challenged to take this folk song and make it feel like I hear it. It’s like putting together a puzzle with all these little pieces. Rearranging allows me to give more respect to the song.”
Throughout the album, it’s evident that even though Ndegeocello has long been associated with alternative R&B, her love for all kinds of music weighs more than the importance of genre. She also says that Synonym represents the stage of her career in which her albums don’t need to narrowly center on herself as the main artist. “I want to do more collective music,” she explains. “On this album, I wanted to show off as a producer. I love being on Blue Note Records, because with that, I still get to be a musician.”
Other featured guests on Synonym include Cynthia Erivo, Cat Power, Lianne La Havas, Chaka Khan, Brandi Carlile, Bill Callahan, Chris Thile, Madison Cunningham, Laura Lee (of Khruangbin), Lizz Wright, Emily King, Moses Sumney, Destin Conrad, Nick Hakim, Robert Glasper, ANOHNI, WILLOW, Evann McIntosh, and Ink. The album also marks a reunion with David Gamson, the producer of Ndegeocello’s first two classic albums – Plantation Lullabies (1993) and Peace Beyond Passion (1996) – who co-produced Synonym with Ndegeocello and Abe Rounds.
Exploring expressions of desire, care, heartbreak, friendship, disappointment, and love in all forms, the songs range from 1960s folk and 70s soul, country, and pop to 80s R&B and electro-boogie, early-90s alternative rock, and early-aughts hip-hop. “This project is about classic songs that are known and loved,” Ndegeocello says. “The songs have diverse tones, representing various genres and intentional grooves. But the album is also about joy, selfhood, individual representation, and universal experience.”
The tracklisting for Synonym is as follows:
- I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) with Cynthia Erivo
- Don’t You Want Me with Cat Power
- Don’t Stop The Music with Nick Hakim, Robert Glasper
- Islands In The Stream with Chaka Khan
- It Ain’t Me Babe with Madison Cunningham
- Always on Time with Laura Lee
- Be Real Black For Me with Emily King, Lizz Wright
- Don’t Look Any Further with Lianne La Havas
- The Closer I Get To You with Destin Conrad, Moses Sumney
- Golden Ring with Brandi Carlile
- I Got You Babe with ANOHNI
- Here We Come (Here He Comes) with Evann McIntosh
- Guilty with Ink
- Hunger Strike with WILLOW
- With God On Our Side with Bill Callahan, Chris Thile
