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[Lazarus]

In an interview with BET, Moses reflects on the 20th anniversary of 'Complex Simplicity' and how her new EP, 'Complex Simplicity (Reimagined),' featuring Estelle and Dawn Richard, celebrates growth, womanhood, and the timelessness of her sound.

When Teedra Moses released Complex Simplicity in 2004, she carved her name into R&B history with an album that felt both intimate and eternal. Songs like "Be Your Girl" and "You'll Never Find (A Better Woman)" weren't just hits—they became cult classics for women who loved R&B with honesty, attitude, and vulnerability. Two decades later, the project still sounds fresh, its influence echoing through today's alternative soul and neo-R&B movements. Now, Moses is honoring that legacy with Complex Simplicity (Reimagined), a reflective yet forward-looking project that proves timeless music—and real growth—never go out of style.

"Now I'm a grown woman, and I'm much more smooth," Teedra Moses tells BET.com.

She's speaking both generally and specifically—about where she is in life, and about the silkier new version of "Doin' You" from Complex Simplicity (Reimagined), out Nov. 12. Fans of her 2004 debut Complex Simplicity—widely regarded as one of the best R&B albums of its era—will notice that the updated "Doin' You" feels more stripped down, more sensual, and yes, more grown. The original leaned into hip-hop's bounce and edge; the new version glides with confidence, even featuring sharp bars from Moses' longtime friend Estelle.

"We're real friends," Moses says. "She's not somebody I know from making music—we have real grown-woman conversations. I knew that what we were talking about on this song is exactly the space she's in. I just love the place we're both in right now, and I asked her to rap on it."

"Doin' You" serves as the lead single from Complex Simplicity (Reimagined), an EP that revisits some of Moses' most beloved tracks from her first project. The new version finds her riffing on themes of longing, lust, and self-assured sensuality, delivered in the playful, Caribbean-tinged coo that's become her signature. Moses says the track reflects her personal and creative evolution over the past 20 years and describes recording it as effortless fun.

"The original—I wrote it from a very specific place back then. There was a lot of aggression, it was a little rough," she explains. "When I started to reimagine it, I heard all the sensual, sexy parts of it. I thought, 'What can bring out the sensuality in women while keeping that sense of power?'"

Enter Estelle, whom Moses first met during the early days of promoting Complex Simplicity two decades ago. Their collaboration came together naturally, with Estelle contributing verses that mirrored their shared growth. "Where we landed was something more rhythmic and sweeter," Moses says.

She didn't even ask to hear Estelle's verse before recording. "I had complete trust," Moses recalls. "She sat there vibing for a while—wrote it right there in the studio—and knocked it out in about an hour and a half. She's just top-tier caliber. I was so impressed because I'm not like that; I have to go off by myself to write."

The recording session, held in one of Dr. Dre's Los Angeles studios, was laid-back and full of laughter. "It was real turned down," Moses says, smiling. "We were joking around. I was probably more pounds than I wanted to be because when you're in the studio a lot, you eat a lot—and I smoke a lot of weed. Estelle was like, 'Maybe they can AI makeup on us?' and I was like, 'Girl, I don't care! I post pics looking crazy all the time. Whatever!' Because in person, I'm absolutely gorgeous," she laughs.

The EP also features reimagined versions of "Complex Simplicity," featuring Durand Bernarr, and "Outta My Head" with fellow New Orleans native Dawn Richard. But one thing Moses refuses to change is her lyrics. "I would never take apart those songs in a way that makes people question if it's still the same essence," she says. "I'm just rearranging pieces."

Moses and Estelle are planning a show in Washington, D.C. around Christmas, and afterward, she plans to move forward with new material. "This project is putting a button on the anniversary and celebration of my first album," Moses says. "I thought that was really cool, but now I'm ready to put out new music. I have so many other things to say."

Two decades later, Teedra Moses continues to remind listeners that R&B can be timeless without being nostalgic. With Complex Simplicity (Reimagined), she's not just revisiting her past—she's reframing it through the lens of maturity, joy, and confidence. The result is an evolution that feels both familiar and fresh, proving that when the art is honest, it never fades.

[RobLeeMusic88]

One of my favorite albums from back then, that I always thought deserved more love. Happy she gets to do this.

[Gilgamesh.]

I love this resurgence she's had in the past few years. Especially since she was never one of the main R&B girls , even back then.

[ReVonIsMine]

This is one of those albums I am so mad at myself about.

I literally did not get into her or this album until it played by accident while I was listening to someone else on YouTube back in 2020 during COVID.

Such a dope record and artist!

    

[L0NZ.]

Is that Dawn on Outta My Head?