Domi and JD Beck announced the release of Not Tight in June 2022 shortly after signing to Anderson .Paak's label Apeshit Inc.[3] The album's release was preceded by four singles, including "Take a Chance", which featured Paak and was accompanied by a music video directed by Paak.[4]
In August 2022, Domi and JD Beck performed a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR, featuring four tracks from the album. It was their first time performing the song "U Don't Have to Rob Me" in front of a live audience, which features both artists on vocals.[5]
Not Tight was met with critical acclaim. At Metacritic, the album received an aggregate score of 82 based on 5 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[6]
Writing for Pitchfork, writer Kieran Press-Reynolds praised Domi and JD Beck's technical virtuosity, calling the album "a smooth but frenetic set aimed at bringing jazz fusion to a new hyper-brained generation."[1] In a positive review for PopMatters, contributor Brandon Miller complimented the duo's "jaw-dropping" musicianship and chemistry, noting the album's "incredible time feel, unconventional beats, not to mention neo-soul and gospel-stretching harmonies."[9] Other critics praised the album's "youthful charm",[10] "stacked lineup" of featured artists,[8] and rapid-fire breakbeats and chord changes over complex time signatures.[11]
NPR's Bobby Carter called the album "ironically titled."[5] Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Matt Collar wrote that, "DOMi & JD BECK often favor the overall vibe of a given track over, say, soloing in a traditional jazz sense. Consequently, it can be easy to ignore just how technically gifted Louna and Beck are in pure jazz terms."[7]
