We heard a new Lil Yachty at 'Austin City Limits' taping. More rock, less rap.

Lil Yachty began his Austin City Limits taping by introducing a completely new song to the crowd, one he has never performed in front of an audience. A couple of seconds later though, he waved it off. Another attempt went by, and the artist shook his head.

“Keys off bro,” Yachty said.

One more time. No dice, and the rapper and his band went back to try to fix the tech issue. 40 minutes later, Yachty opted to skip the song altogether.

So instead, let’s start here.

His band broke into the first song off his new album, “Let’s Start Here” (get it) with “the BLACK seminole,” as guitars riffed and percussion rifled across the Moody Theater. Fans who were expecting high hats, a booming bass and Yachty’s iconic mumble rap were introduced to a new artist, one that had swerved from his past as a SoundCloud rapper in favor of a new psychedelic rock-based style.

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Yachty played through the entire album, most of which seemed foreign to a confused crowd that may have been expecting some of his iconic hits such as “Broccoli” or “iSpy.” This was a completely different energy from the artist who first became known for a viral You Tube skit that featured his song, “One Night,” and who had once beefed with old-school hip-hop artists over so-called “serious music” vs. his freestyle rap that they believed made a mockery of the art.

Yet, it was obvious from the very first lyric that left Yachty’s mouth that this was not something he was simply doing for kicks. Having collaborated with Mac DeMarco, members of MGMT, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Chairlift for the album, it was clear that the 25 year old had a vision for his new phase.

It’s not like he hasn’t released other albums over the year. Having started his career with the debut album “Lil Boat” in 2016, Yachty has released seven other projects since then, all variations of the style of rap that made him famous. However, like rappers before him, he looked to break through the identity that he’d crafted over his career with this new work.

“I did what I wanted to do, which was create a body of work that reflected me,” Yachty explained in a Billboard cover feature. “My idea was for this album to be a journey: Press play and fall into the void.”

And into the void he and his band did fall. Often, it felt like they were in a completely different space than the audience. They swayed on songs like “drive ME crazy!,” one of the funkiest bops of the night, infecting the mellow crowd with a melody so groovy that they couldn't help but dance.

Another highlight came right afterward, with “IVE OFFICIALLY LOST ViSion!!!!” Yachty's dreads swung back and forth as he headbanged to one of the more rock-inspired songs of the night.

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Yachty was conversational and casual with the audience. Never too high, never too low - he had a humble sort of vibe throughout the night, seemingly content to let his fantastic all-black, all-female band take the spotlight whenever it was appropriate. There were also a couple of standout features. Teezo Touchdown delivered the only rap verse of the night, while Justine Skye and Fousheé’s vocals made appearances on several songs.

At one point on “the BLACK seminole,” Yachty pulled up a stool and sat to the side, letting his guitarist steal the show with an incredible solo.

“These black women are so talented and so f***** amazing...100% more talented than me,” Yachty said.

He finished with a flourish on “REACH THE SUNSHINE.” Yachty's vocalists sang in harmony, soulfully fading into the distance as synth tickled in the background. He didn’t overstay his welcome or return for an encore. As soon as Yachty left the void, he was out of it.

It wasn't the perfect night for the artist. The crowd never fully embraced Yachty's new style, and the debut of his new song had to be put on hold. However, it's only the starting point for the Georgia native and his new era.

“If you’ve never failed, you never know how great it is to truly succeed in something,” Yachty said.

The taping will air on PBS this fall as part of Austin City Limits' upcoming Season 49. Yachty will also return to Austin for his slot in 2023’s ACL Festival.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Review: Lil Yachty performs new album at 'Austin City Limits' taping