New/Sealed
 
Sony/Legacy present a 20th anniversary edition of Maxwell's Embrya, newly remastered by the artist and Stuart Matthewman, who he's worked with for over 20 years and who mixed and co-produced the original album in 1998. Additionally, the 2LP-set has been resequenced, moving the original opening track to the end, and also includes a 12-page booklet featuring unseen photos from the original Embrya photoshoot shot by Mario Sorrenti. Embrya remains an integral chapter in Maxwell's career canon. He switched up from the jazzier leanings of Urban Hang Suite to stronger basslines, lush strings, electronic beats and more pulsating beats and grooves versus melodies – with Hawaiian guitar riffs and Latin accents thrown in for good measure. And whereas the retro-souled Suite's concept revolved around romance, Embrya takes the musical discussion to the next level: the gestation of love and spirituality. Embrya reached No. 2 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum. It also garnered Maxwell a Grammy Award nomination for best R&B album.