Thundercat has shared a vibey new single titled ‘Satellite’, landing as part of the soundtrack to season five of HBO’s Insecure.

The psychedelic track makes striking use of a minimal soundscape, simmering along with hazy synths and a dry, casually paced drum beat. The mix is accented by Thundercat’s signature warm, rounded bass tones. Louis Cole adds his funk-centric flair to the song’s instrumental, too, while Genevieve Artadi provides guest vocals; her spotlit harmonies soar overhead with spellbinding aplomb, bright and drenched in reverb.

Check out the visualiser for ‘Satellite’ below:

‘Satellite’ marks Thundercat’s first original song for 2021, following guest spots on tracks by Haim (‘3 AM’), Silk Sonic (‘After Last Night’), Ace Hashimoto (‘Vaporwaves’), Flying Lotus (‘Black Gold’) and Kaytranada (‘Be Careful’). The genre-bending artist released his fourth studio album, ‘It Is What It Is’, last April via Brainfeeder. 

In a four-star review of ‘It Is What It Is’, NME’s Sam Moore said that “for all of the album’s heavy rumination on life, death and healing, Thundercat can still kick back when required”.

Last August, Thundercat said he’d recorded a full album with his late friend and frequent collaborator Mac Miller. The news put fans into a frenzy on Twitter, though Thundercat tried to quell demand for the album’s release by saying, “Everything isn’t meant to be put out like that.”

November saw Thundercat perform a star-studded show in Los Angeles, featuring appearances from Haim, Flying Lotus, Ty Dolla $ign and more. He also released a deluxe edition of his debut album, ‘The Golden Age Of Apocalypse’, in celebration of its tenth anniversary.

Thundercat fans in the UK and Europe will able to catch him play live in 2022, with an eight-date tour locked in for the last week of March and first two of April. He’ll also perform at the second edition of Wilco’s festival Sky Blue Sky, set to go down in Mexico come January.

Insecure is currently airing its fifth and final season on HBO. Other artists appearing in the show’s final soundtrack include Saweetie and Duckwrth.