Watch Moses Sumney Perform "Cut Me" on Colbert

Introducing Endless Mode: A New Games & Anime Site from Paste

Read our announcement | See the 10 Best Games of 2025 (So Far)

Tuesday night, Moses Sumney’s falsetto graced The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Performing “Cut Me” from his forthcoming double album græ, he channeled the raw loneliness, detachment and pleasure in a stellar live performance. Backed by a horn section, violinist and drummer, Sumney wanders to a piano during the song’s climactic third verse, tickling the keys as he moves from his deepest register to his most songbird-like high.

Dressed like a gothy Prince with platforms, high-waisted flares and matching gold accessories, Sumney towers above his backing band, elegant and staunchly in control of his voice. There’s a romance to the track—the piano’s adorned with white roses—but the track is mostly about Sumney himself, a reflection on his flaws, triumphs and euphoria that arises from self-destruction. As Sumney’s stated, the album is a “conceptual patchwork about grayness.” “Cut Me,” then, represents that state in-between, where the colors muddle and blend into one.

Sumney’s appearance on Colbert was his first U.S. late-night performance. græ will be released in two parts—the first part drops a little over a week from now on Feb. 21. If his Colbert appearance is any indication, Sumney has great plans for this era of his career, with a solid aesthetic and a powerful, binding gel that unites his empyrean neo-soul. You can check his performance out below.

Watch Moses Sumney Perform “Cut Me” on Colbert