Kevin Parker has unveiled another glimpse into the next era of Tame Impala with the release of his brand-new single Dracula. The track arrives today (26 September), just three weeks before the launch of Parker’s fifth full-length album Deadbeat, due out 17 October through Columbia Records.
First teased during a chat with Zane Lowe, Dracula has been described by Parker as one of the record’s defining moments. The song’s pulsing beat and moody textures are soaked in trademark Tame Impala psychedelia, yet its darker edge signals a bold new direction. Fans caught an early taste via an Instagram teaser, which quickly set social media alight with anticipation.
In conversation with Lowe, Parker revealed that the new material is “wilder, rawer, and built to feel things deeply.” He spoke about leaning into discomfort as a way of fuelling creativity and suggested that every single released so far forms part of a broader sonic journey that will culminate with Deadbeat.
Dracula follows on from Loser and End of Summer, two singles that have each highlighted Parker’s shifting soundscape. End of Summer tapped into the free-spirited energy of late-80s acid house and the DIY rave movement, while Loser pushed deeper into hypnotic grooves and percussive textures. Together, they’ve built the foundation for Dracula’s dark, immersive energy.
Due out on 17 October, Deadbeat is Parker’s most adventurous work yet. Written and recorded between his hometown Fremantle and his Wave House studio in Injidup, the 12-track record draws heavily on Western Australia’s bush doof and rave culture. Parker has referred to the project as a “future primitive rave act,” blending hypnotic minimalism with euphoric communal energy.
The sound of Deadbeat is at once crisp and spontaneous, a shift for the famously meticulous Parker. Vocally, he explores a broader range than ever before, experimenting with playful tones and textures that complement the record’s club-infused psychedelia. Thematically, Deadbeat trades the wide-lens explorations of The Slow Rush (2020) for a closer look at daily cycles of emotion. Parker inhabits the persona of a self-aware “loser” stuck in repetition, using the dance floor as both an escape and a mirror for self-reflection.
The visual side of this new chapter has been just as striking as the music. Loser arrived with a surreal video directed by long-time collaborator Kristofski and featuring Stranger Things star Joe Keery. Meanwhile, End of Summer came with a sprawling visual piece by artist Julian Klincewicz, capturing the transcendent atmosphere of Parker’s acid house inspirations.
These creative partnerships underscore Parker’s vision of Tame Impala not just as a musical act, but as an evolving multimedia experience.
Since Tame Impala’s debut InnerSpeaker in 2010, Parker has continually reshaped the boundaries of rock, pop and electronic music. Lonerism (2012) earned a Grammy nomination and catapulted him onto the global stage. Currents (2015) pivoted towards a pop-electronic fusion, delivering the era-defining hit The Less I Know The Better, which has now passed two billion streams worldwide. The Slow Rush followed in 2020, topping charts in Australia and placing in the top 10 across 14 countries.
Along the way, Parker has picked up 13 ARIA Awards, a BRIT Award for Best International Band, four Grammy nominations (including a 2024 win for his collaboration with Justice on Neverender), and nods from the Billboard and American Music Awards.
Beyond Tame Impala, Parker remains an in-demand collaborator. His fingerprints can be found across records by Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, SZA, Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, Mark Ronson, Gorillaz, Rihanna, and more. Yet with Dracula and Deadbeat, Parker reasserts his singular vision as an artist constantly pushing into new sonic territories.
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