When KAYTRANADA left the 2021 Grammys with two awards (Best Dance/Electronic Album for 2019’s BUBBA and Best Dance Recording for “10%”) he made history as the first Black and first openly gay artist to win the former category. The industry recognition was long overdue for the producer who had been building a devout following for nearly a decade. “In my mind I was finally a true artist,” he tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. After relocating to Los Angeles, he channeled that confidence into making his third solo album, TIMELESS: “It felt more serious—more legit. I was still having fun making TIMELESS, but making BUBBA was another type of fun where I didn’t really take it seriously.” Like its predecessor, TIMELESS is a collection of club grooves for catching a vibe. It’s packed with guests who effortlessly acclimate to KAYTRANADA’s singular sound while imprinting their own touch. Ravyn Lenae offers breathy seductions on the hard-edged R&B of “Video,” and Thundercat delivers comical disses in soothing falsetto on the jazzy hip-hop of “Wasted Words.” Back-to-back tracks “Do 2 Me” (featuring Anderson .Paak and SiR) and “Witchy” (featuring Childish Gambino) hit an energy peak, their tales of late-night infatuation framed by sultry, body-enveloping production.
