Kid Cudi’s New Album Is 80 Percent Done, But He’s Taking Next Year Off to Make Movies

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Kid Cudi attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Sony Pictures' "The Book of Clarence" at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.  - Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Kid Cudi attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Sony Pictures' "The Book of Clarence" at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on January 05, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. - Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Music and movies will take turns being Kid Cudi’s main creative priority. The musician announced on Friday that his next studio album is nearly complete, but he isn’t looking to release it until 2026. His latest release, the long-delayed Insano, arrived last month, which makes 2025 a movie year in his alternating schedule.

“My next album is already about 80% done, and it’ll be out in 2026. As always, we’re takin it someplace new,” Cudi wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Just wanted to let yall know, expect an album from me every other year 😤 next year is all about filmin. Got a bunch of stuff I need to get done. Film and tv. So I take a year off of music to do it all.”

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Last year, Cudi appeared in a voice acting role in the animated series Young Love starring Issa Rae and appeared in the films Silent Night, Trolls Band Together, Crater, and Parachute. He is currently attached to multiple projects in varying stages of production including, A24’s MaXXXine and an adaptation of Brandon Taylor’s novel Real Life.

Insano marked Cudi’s final album with Republic Records. It was towards the end of his recording contract that the rapper started toying around with alternative paths.

“Everything is possible,” Cudi told Rolling Stone in 2022. “And I think people, they have an idea about me. They feel that they’ve seen it all, like music. And they know I’m a musician, and they give me the acting thing, but it’s like, okay, you can only be good at two things. But here’s the thing. I’m going to be good at five things. I’m going to be good at six things. I’m going to be good at seven things. I am trying to tap into the full ability of my soul and make anything I ever dreamed of.”

He added: “So that’s where I see myself over the next 10 years and until I’m old and gray. I think I might slow down on the music and get more into designing and more into writing movies and TV shows, stuff like that. I’ve always wanted to get more into acting and do more of that because it’s very fulfilling for me. And it’s something I haven’t had that many opportunities to do. So I still feel like I’m very new in that world. There’s a lot more I want to do in that space.”

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