The 5th studio album from Thundercat, Distracted, boasts an all-star cast of features, including a beloved figure who was a close friend and collaborator — “She Knows Too Much (feat. Mac Miller)” is released today. Chosen as BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record, the single also comes with a video directed by Léa Esmaili and produced by Blinkink.
While working on Distracted, Thundercat felt it could be a great fit for the album and received permission from the Mac Miller Estate to complete work on the song, which he did with producer Greg Kurstin, adding final touches to the production so fans may now hear the ultimate vision of it.
Sure to be a bittersweet release, “She Knows Too Much” is the sound of two dear friends in their element. Mac sounds just as carefree and assured as he always did, while Thunder’s sturdy bass and wispy falsetto form the song’s laidback scene.
“I’m grateful to have spent my time on this planet with Mac,” Thundercat shares. “What an artist, what a spirit, what a joy to have experienced.”
The director of the animated video, Léa Esmaili, shared her thoughts behind it: “First of all, making this music video is a huge honor, as I grew up with these two artists and have admired their universe since I was a teenager. I wanted to create, within a single video, a fun animated moment by mixing styles either it’s 2D animation or 3D. Beyond that, I wanted to build a burlesque narrative around two friends who spend a completely crazy day together, tied to their friendship and to anime of this kind.“
Six years to the day of Thunder’s monumental It Is What It Is, Distracted has already got folks excited for his grand return. “I Did This To Myself” drew praise from many outlets including Under the Radar, Vibe, Okayplayer, and Vice, who called the single “one of the most relatable records in years, deliriously groovy and hilariously cynical about the state of romance.” These cheeky yet insightful observations exemplify Thundercat’s songwriting and artistry, works that elicit laughs as much as they tickle the psyche.
Distracted vividly captures the tension between overstimulation and introspection. Thundercat is deeply skeptical of technological “progress,” especially the way it’s narrowed our collective imagination instead of expanding it. He jokes about Star Trek and childhood dreams of space travel, then pivots to the anticlimax of reality: drones without lasers, phones that only upgrade cameras, innovation reduced to spying and access. The disappointment isn’t just about gadgets; it’s about what we were promised versus what we got.
The drawbacks of distraction are evident in today’s attention (deficit) economy, but a true idiosyncratic like Thundercat can identify the ways in which it can be used to one’s advantage. You can’t spell ‘daydreams’ without ‘dreams,’ after all.
“Sometimes you need to be distracted to focus in a different way,” Thundercat declares.
Distracted illustrates that, clearly, plenty of other artistically-minded folks feel the same way as Thundercat. WILLOW floats alongside him on “ThunderWave,” while Channel Tres keeps up the pace with the upbeat bass on “This Thing We Call Love.” A$AP Rocky, who also recently invited Thunder to his Saturday Night Live performance, lends his starpower to the grandiose “Funny Friends.” Things are getting bigger for Thundercat, and that’s evident behind the scenes on Distracted, too. The artwork for the record was handled by Grammy-nominated photographer Neil Krug (Lana Del Rey, Tame Impala, Djo).
What he ultimately wants listeners to take from Distracted is disarmingly simple: “Just enjoy it and have fun and just know that the struggle is real and changes shape, but just to keep pushing forward.” In an era that demands constant commentary, Thundercat offers something quieter and, in its own way, more radical. He gives permission to be confused. To be tired. To be, well, distracted — and still make something beautiful out of the noise.
In the years since his last album, much has happened for Thundercat. For one thing, that album’s title, It Is What It Is, became something of a catchphrase for the world when it came to a halt for 2020. That same album took home Best Progressive R&B Album at the 63rd Grammys. As his star has risen, so has Thundercat’s resume. During these years, collaborations with A$AP Rocky, Tame Impala, Gorillaz, Silk Sonic, Kaytranada, and Justice maintained his presence in the music realm, while the bassist has also branched out into acting with roles in Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett. Continuing his foray into the realm of television, the bassist joined Yo Gabba Gabba for a special performance at NPR’s Tiny Desk and appeared as a featured musical guest on the rebooted Yo Gabba Gabbaland for Apple TV+.
He’s stuck in your head, he’s on your TV, he’s onstage with A$AP Rocky and Spinal Tap — Thundercat’s warm, playful presence is never too far away, and life’s all the more enlivened by it.
Distracted comes out on April 3rd via Brainfeeder Records.
Preorder/save Distracted HERE
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By: Bass Magazine