Hyperspace (album)

Hyperspace
Studio album by
Beck
ReleasedNovember 22, 2019
Genre
Length39:16
LabelFonograf Records/Capitol
Producer
Beck chronology
Paisley Park Sessions
(2019) 		Hyperspace
(2019)
Singles from Hyperspace
  1. "Saw Lightning"
    Released: April 15, 2019[1]
  2. "Uneventful Days"
    Released: October 17, 2019[2]
  3. "Dark Places"
    Released: November 7, 2019
  4. "Everlasting Nothing"
    Released: November 14, 2019

Hyperspace is the fourteenth studio album by American musician Beck. It was released through Fonograf Records & a licensing deal with Capitol Records on November 22, 2019.[3] It followed Beck's divorce from his wife Marissa Ribisi in February 2019.[4] The album is a collaborative project with high-profile producer Pharrell Williams, who is credited for production and features on several songs.[5] Recording for the album started in late 2018.[5]

Music journalists describe the album as synth-pop and vaporwave aesthetic-inspired, though Beck draws from several genres.[6][7] The album art reflects this style, featuring Beck in front of a A60 Toyota Celica, with the album's title in blocky Japanese script.[8] Thematically, Hyperspace explores heartbreak, sincerity, solitude and Beck's relation to them.[9] Guest vocalists for the album include Chris Martin, Sky Ferreira, Pharrell Williams, Terrell Hines, Alex Lilly and Roger Joseph Manning Jr.[10]

Four singles were released prior to the release of the Hyperspace. Following its release Beck did a series of interviews, mainly focused on the album itself, Pharrell's contribution to the record, and Beck's creative process.[11][5][4] In August 2020 Beck released an accompanying visual album titled Hyperspace: A.I. Exploration in collaboration with NASA JPL, featuring artificial intelligence generated space imagery and two new songs.[12][13]

Hyperspace received generally positive reviews from critics, though some commented that the album is occasionally superficial and lacked the complexity of Beck's previous projects.[14][7] Hyperspace received two nominations at the 2021 Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. Beck won the latter.[15]

  1. ^ Kreps, Daniel (April 15, 2019). "Hear Beck's New Single 'Saw Lightning,' Co-Written By Pharrell Williams". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  2. ^ "Beck Shares 'Uneventful Days' Video". JamBase. October 23, 2019.
  3. ^ Minsker, Evan (April 15, 2019). "Beck Announces New Album Hyperspace, Shares Song With Pharrell: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Petrusich, Amanda. "Beck Is Home". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  5. ^ a b c Gwee, Karen (October 17, 2019). "Beck tells us about his new album, 'Hyperspace', working with "master minimalist" Pharrell and more". NME. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference RS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b "Beck: Hyperspace". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2021-05-15.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference JHU was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Draper, Jason (2020-11-20). "Hyperspace: Beck Takes To The Stratosphere With Pharrell Williams | uDiscover". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference AM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Current was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference AIE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Space was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference MC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "Beck". GRAMMY.com. 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-05-31.