KEVIN ABSTRACT RELEASES NEW ALBUM BLANKET

photo credit: Pilot Lee

OUT VIA VIDEO STORE / RCA RECORDS

“Abstract is looking to straddle genres in his solo projects, making for a unique and varied body of work.” – American Songwriter“

“What Should I Do?” shimmers with light and affection, a powerful sign of what else might be coming.” – Billboard

“[“Blanket”] finds him going in a loud-quiet-loud, ’90s alt-rock direction” – Brooklyn Vegan

““Blanket” demonstrates a marked development in his sound” – HYPEBEAST“

“What Should I Do?” is gorgeous, subdued and infectious.” – Paste Magazine

Kevin Abstract releases his third studio album, Blanket, via Video Store/RCA Records. Recorded over three months in early 2023, Blanket is Abstract’s first solo work since 2019 and the break-up of his self-proclaimed boy band BROCKHAMPTON last year.

The 13-song album offers an intimate window into Kevin Abstract’s journey of navigating the uncertainty of new beginnings by embracing the comfort of his earliest memories. The album charts new sonic terrain, which he has cited as being influenced by the likes of Sunny Day Real Estate, Nirvana, and Modest Mouse while maintaining the honest and vulnerable songwriting that Kevin established across his first two solo full-lengths. In a way that complements the soundscape, Blanket‘s visual presentation is imbued with a sense of childlike wonder, a theme evident in the videos for “SLEEPOVER,” which he released as a teaser for the album, as well as the accompanying visuals “GUM,” “SLIP N SLIDE,” “MR. EDWARDS,” and “OTTERPOP” for the album’s previously released singles.

Production was handled by his long-time collaborator Romil Hemnani, multi-instrumentalist Jonah Abraham (Playboi Carti’s Whole Lotta Red), Tyler Johnson (Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran), and Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus), John Carroll Kirby, and emerging talent Julian Ali. The album includes additional contributions from Kara Jackson, MJ Lenderman, Pilot, and American Boyfriend collaborator Roy Blair. The recording sessions took place in Spike Jonze’s brother Sam i’s Los Angeles studio and at Rick Rubin’s Malibu studio Shangri-La, at which, during this creative process, Kevin delved into his earliest memories, revisiting a time when the future was a mere concept and limitless possibilities abounded. He reminisces, “Everything is more magical back then. Going to Disney and sleepovers, the imagination, hearing certain songs for the first time—all that stuff just feels epic.”

Surrounded mostly by rich white kids in the South, he felt alienated but took to the wave of indie rock in vogue alongside the music of rappers like Kid Cudi and Kanye West. He transformed his melting pot of influences into his first songs, performing at small local underground shows before finding a rabid online audience for his acclaimed 2014 debut MTV1987. His 2016 follow-up, American Boyfriend, is one of the quintessential records about young, queer love seen from the perspective of a Black kid in the South. His most recent release was 2019’s ARIZONA BABY, which discusses former friendships and insecurity and included breakout single “Peach” featuring Dominic Fike on background vocals. Although his sound has evolved considerably throughout his decade of boundary-pushing output, Kevin has remained focused on his pursuit of finding truth through love.

Listen to Blanket above now, and see album details below.

Kevin Abstract
Blanket
November 3, 2023
Video Store/RCA Records

1. When The Rope Post 2 Break
2. Blanket
3. Running Out
4. The Greys
5. Voyager
6. Madonna
7. Today I Gave Up
8. What Should I Do?
9. Mr. Edwards
10. Scream
11. Real 2 Me
12. Heights, Spiders, and the Dark
13. My Friend