Kid Cudi, in his WZRD duo with longtime producer Dot Da Genius, is a rapper making rock music, but that doesn’t mean his new music has much if anything in common with new Young Money signees Limp Bizkit. It won’t necessarily stop fans from begging Cudi to return to rap, though, either. On Conan last night, Cudi’s WZRD made their TV debut, performing romantic ballad “Teleport 2 Me,” from the group’s freshly released self-titled album, and Mr. Rager was looking more like Mr. Smoothie.
Which, to be sure, wasn’t really a bad look. With thick, square-rimmed glasses, ripped jeans, and a blazer, Cudi shimmied slightly, a smile on his face, as he sang sweet nothings like “I want you, girl” and “I need your body.” The duo actually performed as a four-piece, with not just guitar but keyboards and live drums. The song’s na-na-na hook is catchy enough for the radio, and the verses offer some nicely contemporary details: “I’m too busy texting you on my phone,” Cudi admits at one point.
All in all, though, the performance will likely go down as something of a mixed bag. For starters, Cudi’s quavering, monotone singing shouldn’t impress anyone who criticized Lana Del Rey’s widely panned Saturday Night Live performance, and might in fact make another argument for Auto-Tune. Hey, if it’s still good enough for Sufjan Stevens…
