Mr. Beck Hansen, otherwise known to pop music fans as just Beck, dropped a brand new single yesterday called "Wow." Following last year's one-off single from the artist, "Dreams," the track offers a brief glimpse as to what Beck fans can expect in his upcoming tenth major studio album. Listen below!
Beck came to fame in the '90s era of alternative rock and gangsta rap, climbing the charts with his early hits like "Loser" and "Devils Haircut." The culture-permeating albums that contained those cuts, 1994's Mellow Gold and 1996's Odelay, both achieved platinum-record status and cemented Beck as one of that decade's most endearing hit-makers.
Speaking to Pitchfork of those halcyon days, Beck recalled that he was the least-likely of any of his musical contemporaries at the time in landing a major label deal and capturing worldwide fame:
"[I]t was a complete surprise. I was so thoroughly unprepared. If you were around the scene in Los Angeles at that time, I was the least likely tipped for success. Every band I knew or played with had flyers and properly-recorded demos and contacts; I couldn't even get a gig. Even when 'Loser' came out, I would try to talk bookers into letting me play 20 minutes on a Thursday night, and they still wouldn't go for it."
Beck's most recent album, 2014's subdued Morning Phase, won the artist the coveted Album of the Year award at last year's 57th Annual Grammy Awards. That ceremony made headlines when rapper Kanye West, as he is wont to do, made a splash by rushing the stage as Beck accepted the award and declaring he "respect artistry" by deferring the prize to Beyoncé.
Beck, as with Taylor Swift before him, handled the interruption like a consummate professional. As reported by Us Weekly, he took the intrusion in stride and was happy for the break in decorum:
"I was just so excited he was coming up. He deserves to be on stage as much as anybody," Beck said when asked how he felt about West crashing the stage. "How many great records has he put out in the last five years, right?"
Hear Beck's brand new single, "Wow":
