Common lightens up with new "Summer" album (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Common's upcoming album is shapingup to be an electro-tinged departure from the Chicago rapper'sprevious lyric-driven releases.

"I created this music for the summer time, it's aboutfeeling good," Common told during a recentpreview of tracks appearing on "Invincible Summer." "This isthe type of music I felt was missing from my body of work."

"Invincible Summer," Common's eighth album, is tentativelyscheduled for a mid-July release. The high-energy track"Universal Mind Control (U.M.C.)" is likely be the firstsingle, due by the end of May.

The Neptunes and Outkast producer Mr. DJ produced thealbum. Kanye West, who helmed the production on Common's lastLP, 2007's "Finding Forever," did not contribute any tracksthis time around. (That album has sold 549,000 units to date,according to Nielsen SoundScan).

"Kanye was focusing on his 'Glow in the Dark' show, so hehasn't been able to make it to the studio to weigh in," Commonsaid. "But it worked out well, organically. The Neptunes & Mr.DJ came up with a fresh sound for me."

"Invincible Summer" features techno-inspired drums on"Universal Mind Control (U.M.C.)," spongy futuristic chords on"Make My Day" featuring Cee-Lo, and fuzzy kazoos on "PunchLove."

Common, currently in theaters with the Keanu Reeves copdrama "Street Kings," co-stars with Angelina Jolie and JamesMcAvoy in the summer thriller "Wanted."

Reuters/Billboard