- Kaytranada delivers his most exciting, upbeat record yet, a sexy dance odyssey at the intersection of R&B, hip-hop, pop and soul.
- The last time we saw Canadian producer-artist-all-round-R&B-superstar Kaytranada, he was lounging poolside on the cover of Kaytraminé, his collaborative album with rapper Aminé. On that album, Kaytranada did what he does best: pump up his signature electro funk sound with inspiration from other genres—namely, old-school hip-hop and a smattering of feel-good pop. As a producer, he loves revealing the aces up his sleeve by flexing his deep knowledge of Black music. Often, you get the impression of listening to a producer twice his age, one who may have spent their youth poring over dusty crates, excavating the rarest hidden gems of R&B, soul and funk. Yet, he's always able to connect the past to the present—and prefers approachability over obscurity—which gives his music a vital nowness. With his new album, TIMELESS, he makes a lateral move from the hotel patio to the nightclub, crafting a slew of tracks that fit as comfortably in the summer of 2024 as they would on the dance floor of Paradise Garage in 1982.
Timeless is sequenced like a heady, boozy, sexy night out. It's not just that it's dancier than his previous records; it builds upon his discography by creating an atmosphere—a vibe that he's always hinted at but never quite realised. Using lush synth harmonies, thumping percussion and loin-vibrating basslines, he's able to conjure the freedom and exuberance that lies at the core of all exciting dance music. You can almost feel the sweat on the nape of your neck. He calls on a real who's who of R&B, pop and hip-hop to provide guest vocals, and he's careful to give each featured artist the breadth to flex their own particular style. An early highlight is "Call U Up," which features Kaytranada's own brother, the rapper Lou Phelps. He raps of braggadocious love amid house-y piano stabs and rolling congas, his slightly neurotic flow jabbing at right angles through the track's mid-tempo sway.
Kaytranada knows when to pump the brakes and deliver something more meditative. On "Still," he pulls a soulful performance out of fellow Canadian Charlotte Day Wilson, maintaining her stoic minimalism while giving her just the slightest '90s neo-soul diva sheen. Along with turns from heavy-hitters like Anderson .Paak, Childish Gambino and Thundercat, most of the features are as crowd-pleasingly curated as a core Spotify playlist to compliment Kaytranada's genre-hopping.
Less is more has never been a part of Kaytranada's creative ethos, and while there are many ear-catching tidbits on Timeless, the LP also has its fair share of moments that get lost in the shuffle. Instrumental tracks like "Dance Dance Dance" feel more like interludes than fully fledged songs, especially sandwiched between some of the standouts. Although Dawn Richards brings a sultry edge to "Hold On," this one lacks punch, meandering through repetitive, looping lyrics and instrumentation. But even with these misses, the album never fully slides into outright dullness—there's always a big idea or complex breakdown right around the corner.
One of the home run swings is "Snap My Fingers," featuring PinkPantheress, which is one of the four songs tacked onto the end of the album as mysterious "bonus tracks." For someone who's established a trademark sound so early in her career, it's a pure delight to hear her deviate from drum & bass bedroom pop while still keeping so much of her scintillating flair intact. "Snap My Fingers," with its extra-sultry groove and nod to Wham!'s "Everything She Wants," will have the listener pondering, "should PinkPanthress start making music like this?" And that's the magic of Kaytranada, a musical alchemist who knows exactly where and when to let his talent, and the talent of others, shine.
Tracklist01. Pressure
02. Spit It Out feat. Rochelle Jordan
03. Call U Up feat. Lou Phelps
04. Weird feat. Durand Bernarr
05. Dance Dance Dance Dance
06. Feel A Way feat. Don Toliver
07. Still feat. Charlotte Day Wilson
08. Video feat. Ravyn Lenae
09. Seemingly
10. Drip Sweat feat. Channel Tres
11. Hold On feat. Dawn Richard
12. Please Babe
13. Stepped On
14. More Than A Little Bit feat. Tinashe
15. Do 2 Me feat. Anderson .Paak & SiR
16. Witchy (feat. Childish Gambino
17. Lover/Friend feat. Rochelle Jordan
Bonus Tracks
01. Wasted Words feat. Thundercat
02. Snap My Finger feat. PinkPantheress
03. Stuntin feat. Channel Tres
04. Out Of Luck feat. Mariah The Scientist