Hear Lenny Kravitz's Euphoric New Song, "Road to Freedom"

Lenny Kravitz has new music out. On the heels of dropping the scorching "TK421," the first single off his March-anticipated Blue Electric Light LP, the 59-year-old musician and four-time Grammy winner has also now dropped an original song for the Netflix film Rustin (in theaters now; on Netflix November 17). The soulful track, called "Road to Freedom," is a fitting soundscape for the inspirational story.

Directed by George C. Wolfe, the film follows Bayard Rustin (Colman Domingo), a gay man who helped organize the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, in 1963. Rustin worked as an advisor to Martin Luther King Jr., dedicating his life to, as the synopsis writes, "the quest for racial equality, human rights, and worldwide democracy." But his personal life—then very much a scandal—has all but erased him from the records of the civil rights movement.

In an interview with Variety, Wolfe revealed how the cut came together—and why Kravitz was the man for the gig. "I first met Lenny very early in both of our careers…and the first time I heard him sing was a capella, and I remember the sound quite vividly, and there was something about the quality of his voice that seemed visceral perfect for the end of the film," he said. "The one note I gave him was the song needed to help deliver us as an audience, from feeling to action. And trombones. I begged for trombones." (Give "Road to Freedom" a listen and you’ll find that Wolfe’s wish was granted.)

Wolfe said the idea for the horns arrangement stemmed from a conversation with composer Branford Marsalis, whom he also worked with on his 2020 film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. "Ever since Branford introduced me to a recording of the holy trombone choir from the United House of Prayer, I’ve been mesmerized," Wolfe explained. "Lenny took my request to the next level and brought on board the legendary Trombone Shorty. 'Road to Freedom,' captures both 1963 and 2023; a bold celebration, as Lenny’s voice sermonizes and soars."

Watch Rustin on Netflix

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