Credit: Julian Klincewicz

Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker hits back at commercial claims of new album ‘Deadbeat’

Thu 16 October 2025 17:42, UK

Tame Impala has a response for critics and fans who might think the new album, Deadbeat, is a turn towards commercial territory.

Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker recently chatted to Zane Lowe about his fifth studio album. During the discussion, he admitted to facing challenging questions as of late. “In an interview, someone asked me what I thought about the idea that fans think that I’ve turned my focus to commercial – or whatever is gonna sell,” he shared.

Parker continued, “If I didn’t care about the music anymore and I just wanted to make money and sell albums, the way you would know that is if I just did the same thing again.”

Deadbeat is set for release on October 17th, which marks the follow-up to 2020’s The Slow Rush. The album has enjoyed the release of three singles, titled ‘Dracula’, ‘End of Summer’, and ‘Loser’.

If he were to have turned fully commercial, Parker told Lowe, “I would know exactly what’s gonna happen. I’d know what radio stations are gonna play it, I’d know how it’s gonna perform, who’s gonna like it, what demographics or whatever – it would all be so planned out for me.”

For example, he said, “making a bunch of ‘Elephant’ re-dos would’ve got me on every car commercial in America”.

Far Out have covered the comeback singles closely, writing, “‘End of Summer’ was another left-turn in Parker’s sound, where he fully embraced acid house and EDM influences over the course of a warping seven-minute beast. His latest single, ‘Loser’, plods along with its hands in its pockets, too afraid to take a similar risk and dazzle fans with something that feels like it’s pushing boundaries. It’s by no means a bad song, but the squelching synth-funk unfortunately doesn’t have quite the same impact.”

Tame Impala will undertake dozens of live dates in 2026, hitting the UK and Europe in April and May.