Distracted [CD]

"Six years after his last LP, Thundercat releases his fifth studio album, "Distracted", on Brainfeeder. The album, due out in 2026, features A$AP Rocky, WILLOW, Tame Impala, Channel Tres and a previously unreleased collaboration with the late Mac Miller.

"Distracted" was created in close collaboration with a new creative partner of Thundercat, super producer, Greg Kurstin, known for his work with some of the biggest names in pop music such as Adele, Paul McCartney, Sia, Beyoncé, Beck and many others - as well as further productions by Flying Lotus, Kenny Beats (Kenneth Blume) and The Lemon Twigs. The new album falls somewhere between "Drunk's" frenetic look at modern life and "It Is What It Is"' solemn heartbreak, and is Thundercat's attempt to find a comfortable place for himself in today's world. Rather than condemning the present, the album sifts through it and addresses how distraction can be both a hindrance and a form of healing.

The downsides of distraction are obvious in today's attention economy (with attention deficit), but a true oddball like Thundercat can recognize how to use it to his advantage. After all, you can't spell "daydreams" without "dreams". Ultimately, what he wants listeners to take away from "Distracted" is captivatingly simple: "Just enjoy it, have fun and be aware that the struggle is real and changing, but just keep going." At a time when constant commentary is in demand, Thundercat offers something calmer and, in its own way, more radical. He gives us permission to be confused. To be tired. Well, to be distracted - and still make something beautiful out of the noise.