"Hyperspace" is the fourteenth studio album by American musician Beck, released on November 22, 2019, through Fonograf Records and a licensing deal with Capitol Records. The album followed Beck’s divorce from his wife Marissa Ribisi in February 2019. Hyperspace is a collaborative project with high-profile producer Pharrell Williams, who co-produced and features on several tracks. The album’s recording began in late 2018.
Musically, Hyperspace has been described as a blend of synth-pop, R&B, dream pop, new wave, and vaporwave aesthetics. Beck drew from multiple genres but aimed for a more stripped-back sound. He described wanting the songs to be simple and allow them to breathe, which he credits to Williams, who he describes as a "master minimalist." Compared to his previous album Colors, Hyperspace features slower, moodier tracks. Thematically, it explores concepts such as heartbreak, solitude, and finding peace in difficult times, without directly referencing his recent divorce. Beck has said that detachment from personal experiences leads to better music, and critics noted the album's focus on disconnection and loneliness, especially in tracks like "Chemical" and "Dark Places."
The album’s title and artwork are inspired by the 1980s video game Asteroids, with the “hyperspace” button in the game allowing players to escape danger. Beck explained that each song represents different ways people navigate life, connecting to the album’s title. The cover features Beck in front of a Toyota Celica, with the album title written in katakana. The vaporwave aesthetic is evident in the album’s imagery, including vintage cars, arcade games, and Japanese consumer electronics.
In August 2020, Beck released a visual album titled Hyperspace: A.I. Exploration in collaboration with NASA JPL. The project pairs the songs from Hyperspace with artificial intelligence-generated visuals and space imagery from NASA’s archives. Beck also announced a deluxe reissue of Hyperspace that includes new songs, mixes, and a 24-page booklet with AI-generated imagery. The album received generally positive reviews, though some critics felt it lacked the complexity of Beck's previous works. It received two Grammy nominations in 2021, winning for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
