Entergalactic (album)

Did You Know?

• The album includes production from Dot da Genius, Plain Pat, Gazzo, Hot Sugar, Jean-Baptiste, Skrillex, Steve Aoki, WondaGurl, and Take a Daytrip, among others.
• By December 2022, the album had sold 124,000 units.
• The track "Livin' My Truth" contains an interpolation of Al Green's "Simply Beautiful".

Background

Kid Cudi's debut studio album Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009) included a song titled "Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part I)", a track inspired by an experience where Cudi and a female friend ate psilocybin mushrooms and listened to music by The Postal Service. In late 2009, Cudi performed a sequel song, "Deep Sleep (Love Connection Part II)", but it was never officially released. In July 2019, Cudi announced a full-length project called Entergalactic, which would soundtrack an upcoming Netflix adult-focused animated music series co-created by Cudi and Kenya Barris.

In a September 2019 Complex cover story, Cudi explained that the album would narrate the first season of the show, with songs written from the perspective of the character rather than from his own viewpoint. He noted that many songs deal with love and relationships, written from his imagination while writing as the character. This approach renewed his excitement for making music, as he had considered taking a five-year break. Cudi stated that he wanted to introduce new sounds and push the envelope sonically while maintaining the elements fans love about his music, but told from a different perspective.

Recording and production

Entergalactic is an alternative R&B album recorded in 2019. In July 2019, drummer Travis Barker revealed he had produced a track for Cudi that includes a Nirvana sample. In November 2019, Kenya Barris stated that Dot da Genius, Ty Dolla Sign, and Gucci Mane would appear on the album. In a December 2020 interview, Cudi detailed his shift from working on Entergalactic and The Scotts to focusing on the final installment of his Man on the Moon trilogy.

In September 2021, Cudi thanked the team that helped bring the project to life, including Kenya Barris, Mike Moon, and Elizabeth Porter. On January 24, 2022, Cudi called Entergalactic the greatest piece of art he had ever made and confirmed the album would be released the same day as the show. He revealed that the first single, "Do What I Want", was the first song he created with production duo Take a Daytrip, prior to his number-one single "The Scotts".

In an August 2022 interview, Cudi said he recorded the music first—a suite of songs about the beauty of being freed by love—and then worked backward to storyboard the narrative before hiring a writing team. The project began with three songs, and the developing film elements shaped later songs and vice versa.

Release and promotion

In April 2020, Cudi previewed the song "Do What I Want" during an Instagram Live session with Rashida Jones and Kenya Barris. The album was originally set for a 2020 release but was pushed back because Cudi released Man on the Moon III: The Chosen instead. In January 2021, Cudi confirmed the 2022 release date on Netflix. On May 17, 2021, he tweeted that the album and show would arrive at the end of summer 2022.

On May 20, he previewed a snippet of a song tentatively titled "Wild". In September 2021, a short trailer revealed that the music would be produced by Dot da Genius and Plain Pat. On September 11, Cudi hosted an event called Entergalactic during New York Fashion Week, with guests including Travis Scott, ASAP Rocky, Chance the Rapper, French Montana, Joey Badass, Kehlani, and Vic Mensa. During his 2021 Rolling Loud performance, Cudi stated he planned to release two full-length projects in 2022, with an album before Entergalactic, and teased a song dubbed "Freshie". The songs "Wild" and "Freshie" were seemingly intended for that unreleased album.

Critical reception

Entergalactic received generally positive reviews from music critics. On Metacritic, the album scored 75 out of 100 based on four reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews. Neil Yeung of AllMusic gave it a 4 out of 5, praising it as one of Cudi's most engaging listens with a blend of hedonist club anthems, ethereal instrumentals, and lovelorn yearnings. Mark Braboy of Rolling Stone noted that the album continues in the same sonic vein as Man on the Moon III: The Chosen, with dreamy production, but replaces the sad tone with focused lyrics about falling in love.

Joshua Robinson of HotNewHipHop concluded that Entergalactic stands on its own as an LP, with most of its best songs being unassisted solo tracks. Jaelani Williams of Complex highlighted that guests like Ty Dolla Sign enhance the album's affectionate nature, while solo tracks such as "New Mode", "Do What I Want", and "Ignite the Love" show Cudi at his most energetic and spacey.