Georgia’s Proud of You, Too, Cee-Lo Green

“Crazy” probably bought Cee-Lo Green a new house or four, but it also veered him off his natural trajectory. Before Gnarls Barkley, he was an indie-funk hero who had solidified his post–Goodie Mob solo credentials with Cee-Lo Green … Is the Soul Machine; after, he was a (rich and famous) jolly belter in funny costumes. So is the cult audience still there? He’ll find out when he drops The Lady Killer, his first solo album since Soul Machine … but first up is “Georgia,” the retro-leaning first single that was released this week. It’s a pretty fantastic first step: In the classiest fashion possible, Cee-Lo both reps his home state super hard and makes Broken Bells, his ex-partner’s new project with the Shins’ James Mercer, seem just that much drowsier. Okay, shout it out now: Geooooorgiiaaaaa!!!!