Shortly after announcing his new album A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2, Common visited The Tonight Show to debut his latest single, “When We Move,” alongside the Roots’ Black Thought, who also appears on the studio version of the track.
For the performance, the rappers were joined by saxophonist Seun Kuti, the youngest son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti. Black Thought previously featured on Common’s “Say Peace,” from 2020’s A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1.
“A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 2 was created with hope and inspiration in mind,” Common said in a statement of his new LP, out September 10th. “The spirit of the album was meant to emulate what a greater day would sound and feel like. We were in the midst of some tough political and socially challenging times. There was still hurt, anger, and pain lingering, so I was thinking, ‘What is the next step in this revolution?’ I thought about what being still in these times had brought me and that was a peace beyond understanding, a greater love for self, a closer connection with God, and more appreciation for my family, friends and the simple things in life.”
Last month, Common released a new song called “Imagine” in support of A Beautiful Revolution Pt. 1. Of the release Common said, “I wrote ‘Imagine’ at a time when we were all going through a lot. But something kept telling me to focus on the good and the things I wanted to see in the world. For me, music is one of the things that gives me hope and happiness throughout these times, whether I am creating it or listening to it. So I wanted ‘Imagine’ to create that feeling of how you can play a song and feel inspired. How a song can make you move and also move your spirit. Essentially, I want us all to feel like days are getting better and that great times are ours for the taking. And the first step in feeling that way is imagining it.”