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Kid Cudi performs live on stage during Rock en Seine music festival at Domaine National de Saint-Cloud
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Key Takeaways:
- “Once” is Kid Cudi’s final solo release before his break from music
- The track was co-produced with SebastiAn and released exclusively on SoundCloud
- Cudi will focus on directing, acting, painting, and fashion during his hiatus
Kid Cudi is stepping away from music, but not without giving fans one last song before his hiatus. On Sunday night (Sept. 28), the rapper surprise-released “Once,” which he described as a “goodbye for now” song.
“It was produced by myself with my homie SebastiAn addin’ extra sauce here and there,” Cudi explained of the record, which dropped exclusively on SoundCloud. “[I’m] taking a break but wanted to leave [you with] something special and from the heart.” The “Pursuit of Happiness” artist then clarified that while fans won’t be getting new solo projects from him for the time being, he will still be “featured on my friends’ albums.”
“As far as me, I gotta step into the shadows and focus on my other dreams. I’ma miss y’all,” Cudi added. “But hopefully this song fills [you] up [with] joy, and motivates [you] to keep going. Love y’all.” Take a listen to “Once” below.
“Once” is technically Cudi’s first release as a newly independent artist. In August, he dropped his final album under Republic Records, Free. The 13-song effort went in a more pop direction and included records like “Neverland,” “Mr. Miracle,” and “Grave.” The last-mentioned song received an accompanying visual directed in collaboration with A Nightmare on Elm Street director Samuel Bayer.
As for what Cudi plans to focus on during his break from music, he gave fans a hint earlier this month. While announcing his new chapter, he revealed he’ll be dedicating more time to “directing, more acting, painting, and fashion.”
“It’s gonna be a while ‘til y’all hear another album from me, but I promise when I do come again, it won’t be boring,” Cudi tweeted at the time. He also revealed that “Mr. Miracle” was being adapted into a short film. It premiered on Sept. 19 and starred LaKeith Stanfield, Stephen Midgett, and many others.
