Missy Elliott has not released a studio album on digital streaming platforms since 2005. However, when she did release The Cookbook, her sixth and most recent LP, songs like “Lose Control” and “We Run This” landed at No. 3 and No. 48, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Additionally, songs on the album like “Joy” and “Partytime” were produced by Timbaland, one of Elliott’s longtime friends in the industry. Timbaland, who also produced eight of the top 10 Missy Elliott songs on our list from earlier this year, spoke to Variety recently about the singer-rapper’s upcoming studio album.
An LP that fans have been anticipating for over a decade, Timbaland gave tremendous insight regarding its creation. Along with saying that he and Elliott were set to begin recording songs for the album, he also hinted that it could drop before the end of the summer.
“We’ve got a lot of songs we’re gonna start recording soon, and my dream is to have it out around her birthday in July (July 1),” he said. “I want it to sound how she looks—she looks incredible right now. We both look like we 19 again—see? (Holds phone camera closer to his face.) I know how Missy works: It’s got to be new and fun—or maybe not so much new as kind of underground, and everything is upbeat.”
Later, Timbaland spoke on how he and Missy’s combined sound is similar to current urbano and reggaeton music. In fact, he flat-out said he would love for a Latin star like Bad Bunny to work with Missy.
“Some of it has a kind of Latin feel to it, almost a Bad Bunny effect, some of it’s kinda like underground Brazilian funk,” he continued. “People gonna eat it up—and it might reach a just a different demographic of people. It’s like it’s her doing… not reggaeton but Missy-ton (laughter)... I would love to see her doing features with Latin artists, like I think Young Miko would be dope with Missy, and so would Bad Bunny—I think that she could show them something. She’s already global, but this takes it to a different level.”
Elsewhere in the new conversation with Variety, Timbaland divulged information about Justin Timberlake’s upcoming album, which he says is practically complete. While the official rollout for Missy Elliot’s comeback LP has not begun yet, though, it’s certainly thrilling for fans to learn when they could potentially receive the album and what it will sound like.
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