Thundercat is a one-off talent and pretty much the only artist in today’s music industry single-handedly keeping the funk genre alive and well. He does this of course with his own spin on the genre, but also bridges multiple generations and other genres together to create straight-up masterpieces.
With the announcement of It is What it is, the follow up to his 2017 album Drunk, releasing on April 3rd, he decided to bless fans with a new single off of the upcoming project. “Black Qualls” sounds like it time-traveled straight out of the 70’s or 80’s with its overtly funk and even psychedelic vibe. The dense bass strums bring a specific groove to the single as other synths and harmonies bring the track to a whole new dimension. It starts out relatively quickly before slowing down, seemingly bridging the different paces together as the song picks up once again. Both Steve Lacy and Steve Arrington have opposing pitches, one being more tenor and the other more of a bass, but they accent each other through their differences immaculately. It’s also incredible to see new school and classic funk come together in one place, and even though the various styles are distinct, they complement each other extraordinarily.
Considering it’s been a couple years since a full-length Thundercat album, I couldn’t be more eager. Not only will it undoubtedly be electrifying, it will also bring together a wide range of artists such as Ty Dolla $ign, Lil B, Zack Fox, BadBadNotGood, and more. Plus, the album version of this song is supposed to contain Childish Gambino, so that is just going to elevate this single to new heights. April 3rd couldn’t come soon enough, but when it does, it’s going to be insane. While you’re waiting for that special day or even for another single to drop before we arrive there, make sure to give “Black Qualls” a listen.
Words by Danny Adams