Fans of Lemonade, rejoice. Jay Z has just released a similar visual album, entitled 4:44, and you won't want to miss it. If you are wondering where to download 4:44, look no further. The album will initially be available to stream exclusively over the streaming platform Tidal.
JayZ announced 4:44 in a joint promotion with Sprint, highlighting their Tidal partnership. The singer purchased Tidal in 2015 for $56 million, then re-launched and grew it under his own brand. Earlier this year, Sprint invested in a $200 million stake in the streaming service, creating the partnership.
Details about the contents of the new album were kept mostly under wraps until its release. The promotional video for the album included a 30-second-long snippet of the song "Adnis," named after Jay Z's deceased father. The video for "Adnis" stars Oscar winner, Mahershala Ali playing a boxer. Along with Ali, the visual album will also feature stars Lupita Nyong’o and Danny Glover.
Billboard reported that famous Chicago producer and Capitol Music executive NoI.D. was solely in charge of production of Jay Z’s new album. 4:44 is the first of Jay Z's albums to be produced by a single producer. Jay Z and No I.D. last worked together on Jay Z's 2013 hit, “Holy Grail,” and have collaborated throughout much of Jay Z's career.
There were high expectations for this new album. Jay Z has been on a musical hiatus since 2013’s Magna Carta Holy Grail, seeming to focus on other aspects of his empire, as well as growing his family, and the music world has been awaiting his return. Given his recent induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, it is unlikely that 4:44 will disappoint those who've been waiting patiently for a new drop.
Along with promoting the new album, Sprint is using the release of 4:44 and its Tidal partnership to gain public attention for its "1Million Project," which aims to provide wireless internet devices and unlimited web access to 1 million high school students across America. The initiative, a pilot program, launched earlier this year, and provided devices and internet access to 4,000 students in school five districts. According to NPR, there are currently 15 million students in public high schools in the United States, which means the 1Million Project could provide as much as 6.6 percent of American high school students with crucial web access.
Tidal subscribers and Sprint customers are eligible for a free six-month trial of Tidal’s premium HiFi service, making for optimum 4:44 viewing. A physical album release has yet to be announced and it is not clear how long 4:44 will remain exclusive to Tidal. For now, head over to Tidal and experience the new album for yourself.
