Brainfeeder Records
Producers: Greg Kurstin, Flying Lotus, Kenneth Blume
Any album that leans into intergalactic detours and Star Wars nods is bound to be both nerdy and cool as hell. Distracted, Thundercat’s fifth album, fully commits, unfolding as a dreamy expanse of futuro-jazz-funk threaded with a constant undercurrent of soul—and it might be the most geek-chic record to land in recent years. The features land with real weight and personality: a Tame Impala collaboration that feels effortlessly innate, a playful and irresistible Lil Yachty moment, and a poignant posthumous appearance from Mac Miller all play their part gloriously. At its core, Distracted captures a season of loneliness, balancing humor, heartbreak, and sonic exploration in a way only he can.
