The musical gods certainly seem to be smiling down on music fans in 2014. In addition to finding out that new projects from Eric Roberson, Common and more are on the way, my favorite Atliens have announced that they are reuniting to headline 40 festivals around the globe. After years of hoping, wishing and praying that they would join forces once again, it seems that those prayers have been answered now that Big Boi and Andre 3000, or Outkast as they are collectively known, have revealed that they will hit the road in celebration of the 20th anniversary of their classic debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. The official news comes just days after it was announced that the duo would headline this year’s edition of Coachella in April. While Big Boi has been keeping busy with several solo releases, he and his counterpart haven’t shared the stage since their 2003 GRAMMY Award-winning double disc Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. News of their triumphant return to the stage was announced via their official website through a joint statement. “It’s truly an honor to celebrate 20 years and still be free to do music the way we choose,” said Big Boi. Meanwhile, Andre added, “And imagine, all we wanted to do was rap! I am thankful to have been a part of a group that allowed me to explore anything that came to mind and have fun doing it.”
Rumors of a reunion have been circulating for years, but they seemed to take on new life when Big Boi posted the photo above of the longtime friends hanging out on his Instagram page last month. Though there’s no word on whether this new batch of shows will give way to any new Outkast music, it’s still an exciting way to kick off the new year. They also made it officially official by opening up a joint Outkast Instagram and Twitter account, big moves for the social media shy Andre. Both guys took the time to thank fans for their unwavering support throughout the years. “Returning to the stage together is the most exciting way for us to thank everyone for their 20 years of supporting Outkast,” Andre said. Something tells me that the fans will be more than satisfied with Outkast’s method of thanking them.