Black Thought & El Michels Affair Offer New Single "That Girl" for Valentine's Day

Following their latest single "Grateful," Black Thought and El Michels Affair are back with "That Girl" from upcoming album Glorious Game.

Black Thought and El Michels Affair are back with a second offering from their upcoming album, Glorious Game. Just in time for Valentine's Day, The Roots frontman and New York "cinematic soul" band El Michels Affair dropped new single, "That Girl." The song follows their first collaborative single, "Grateful," with Glorious Game expected to release on April 14 via Big Crown Records.

Over throwback production from El Michels Affair, led by musician Leon Michels, Black Thought, legal name Tariq Trotter, raps to the lady in his life: “I thought the final wifey wasn’t likely/ My lover, friend/ My spiritual twin, yet nothing like me.”

Trotter and Michels met in the 2000s when Trotter became acquainted with the East Coast contemporary soul scene. Nearly two decades later, in 2020, Trotter contacted Michels to collaborate with El Michels Affair, ultimately chopping up soul samples to create boom-bap instrumentals for Trotter to write to.

Glorious Game also follows a set of 2022 projects from Trotter, including Cheat Codes with producer Danger Mouse and EP African Dreams with Seun Kuti. Featured on the Glorious Game are KIRBY, Son Little and Brainstory.

Earlier this month, Trotter co-narrated the Hip-Hop 50 segment during the 2023 Grammys alongside LL Cool J. In addition, Trotter has assumed a co-host role on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In the last year, Michels has produced for heavyweights in hip-hop and R&B, including including Lady Wray's Piece Of Me album and tracks for Mary J Blige's fourteenth studio album, Good Morning Gorgeous.

Listen to "That Girl" below.