Key Takeaways:

• “Grave” marks a bold sonic shift for Kid Cudi, previewing what is in store on his forthcoming album, FREE.
• Cudi promises a no-skip album with no features, calling it one of his proudest works to date.

Fans can expect the unexpected from Kid Cudi when he releases his forthcoming album, FREE. The genre-melding artist has initiated the rollout for the project he described as “the Cudi version of pop” with a teaser for the upcoming single “Grave” on Thursday (July 3).

In a moody Instagram teaser, he sings “I’ll stop running to the grave, oh, baby/ Just do little ‘nother day, no maybe/ ‘Cause I’ve got everything to lose, I’m staying.” The Samuel Bayer-directed video shows him performing in a desolate landscape under stormy skies. “Grave” officially drops July 11. A follower’s reaction read, “[I’m] super pumped for this one! This [has] that OG Cudi feel but [is] new at the same time. This one’s about to go crazy.” Cudi shares the same sentiment about the entire project.

“I was listening to the album last night, and it’s the perfect album to just put on [and] listen straight through,” he tweeted. “No skips. All winners. I’m so f**king proud of myself, man. I really feel like this is gonna be one of them ones,” he continued. “Grave” adds to the new music anticipation ignited by “Neverland” in May. The song was a companion to his short film of the same name. His last studio LP was 2024’s INSANO. With FREE, he is leaping into the unknown without guest features and tuning out critics.

The “Day ‘N’ Nite” rapper asserted, “I hate doing the same thing over and over, and that’s what most artists do. Damn near everyone. W[ith] the exception of a few. I take chances and take big swings, and that makes me one of the coldest true artists making music today. I want y’all to know I don’t care what anyone thinks or says. I know what I do, and it's making f**king epic s**t. We'll let them talk, while we’re on tour singing our hearts out.”

Fans haven't gotten a peek at the track list yet, but Cudi is already prepping listeners for a vulnerable offering. He told them, “The final song on the album brings everything together. I have a special moment in the song that’s just a connection from me to the fans. I’ve cried many times to it over the last year, and it’s really f**king powerful. If you’ve been following me since the early days to now and know what I’ve been through, you’ll feel it too.”

Kid Cudi is ushering in a new era, and it can’t get here soon enough.