Beck Has Love on the Brain in New Song “Thinking About You”

Without much warning, Beck released a surprise new single Thursday night (Feb. 9), something not necessarily out of character for the anti-folk hero.

The acoustic tune, titled “Thinking About You,” takes a step back, away from the pop sensibilities he has layered into much of his recent work. The song is stripped bare to reveal Beck’s roots as the mellow, moody songsmith that made listeners fall in love with him in the 1990s.

Now, he has love on the brain in “Thinking of You.” I pull the curtain and lay in bed / I’ve got fifteen movies of you / Playing in my head / Chasing the moonlight, plays the sweetly plucked tune. Watching the ocean turn blue / Just thinking about you / Thinking about you.

Give the song a listen below.

It is not yet known whether the new tune means a new album, the follow-up to his 2019 release, Hyperspace. “Thinking About You” is the singer/songwriter’s first release since his equally unexpected cover of Neil Young’s 1972 hit, “Old Man,” which aired as an NFL promo for Sunday Night Football in 2022.

Last year also saw the artist participate in a number of star-studded collaborations, notably guesting on multiple Gorillaz tracks and joining Dave Grohl for his annual Hanukkah Sessions. Beck also bowed out as an opener for Arcade Fire’s North American tour last year amid sexual misconduct allegations against the headlining band’s frontman Win Butler.

However, Beck will soon hit the road again. He is set to embark on a joint tour with French new-wave rockers Phoenix. Billed as the Summer Odyssey Tour, their co-headlining extravaganza across North America will kick off on August 1 in Seattle, Washington, coming close on Sept. 10 in Columbia, Maryland. The 20-date trek will see support from acts like Weyes Blood, Japanese Breakfast, Jenny Lewis, and Sir Chloe along the way.

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation