Whitecaps was released on 1 September 2014 as a promotional pre‑order download for Plectrumelectrum, arriving four weeks ahead of the album’s release. The track debuted publicly only hours earlier through Vibe.com, after which it became available both as part of the album pre‑order and as an individual digital purchase. Its release coincided with U Know, which was issued the same day to promote Art Official Age, creating a coordinated preview of both albums. The song features