Andre 3000 released new music for the first time in 17 years this week. But "New Blue Sun" is not what most fans may have expected. The record has no rap music. What it does have is the flute.

When we think of powerful pop and rock ‘n’ roll, we typically imagine an instrument that can make a lot of noise: guitars, bass, drums, even a growling saxophone if you’re in the right mood (or decade ...

Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. The flute’s fate in pop tends to ...