This Isn't Happening: Radiohead's 'Kid A' and the Beginning of the 21st Century

In 1999, as the close of the old century approached, five musicians entered a recording studio in Paris unburdened by any deadline. Their band, Radiohead, was widely acknowledged as the finest and most innovative in rock, a privileged position granting them the time, resources, and space to craft a masterpiece. However, Radiohead's ambition wasn't to create another rock album. Instead, they embarked on a journey to define the sound of the future.

For over a year, they grappled with writer's block, internal disagreements, and debilitating self-doubt. Yet, the culmination of this arduous process was an album that not only represented a complete departure from their previous guitar-driven rock sound but also captured the sonic landscape of a new era, embodying the widespread shifts catalysed by emerging technologies just beginning to grip the culture. The result of their efforts was Kid A.

Upon its release, Radiohead's fourth album sharply divided critics. Some lauded it as an instant classic; others, including the UK music magazine Melody Maker, dismissed it as "tubby, ostentatious, self-congratulatory... whiny old rubbish." However, two decades later, Kid A resonates as nothing less than an overture for the chaos and confusion of the 21st century.

Acclaimed rock critic Steven Hyden delves deep into the songs, history, legacy, and mystique of Kid A, outlining the album's pervasive influence and cultural impact in time for its 20th anniversary in 2020. Employing a blend of critical analysis, journalistic investigation, and personal reflection, Hyden skilfully revisits this enigmatic and alluring LP, exploring the myriad ways in which Kid A shaped and foreshadowed the world we now inhabit.