After his 2018 album Astroworld, Travis Scott reached a business steeple that allowed him to promote candles and McDonalds meals and Forgiatto rims and anything he wished to select up and wail, “It’s lit!” with. He carried that eye for consumerism into his Utopia rollout to middling impact. Even after his deliberate efficiency on the Giza Pyramid was canceled (the mere chance of a present there was hanging because it was unclear whether or not he’d be insured to carry out once more anyplace after the Astroworld live performance tragedy), Utopia remains to be going to go Quantity One subsequent week off fandom alone, scoring a victory for rap within the Billboard wars.
To Scott’s credit score, if any trendy album have been to vault an artist to “model whisperer” territory, Astroworld, a well-crafted dose of Houston rap and interstellar lure, managed to do this whereas nonetheless being an inventive breakthrough. However let’s get it out: Utopia doesn’t attain that mark. Not one of the hip-hop-leaning tracks are as instantly immersive as “Sicko Mode” or “Stargazing.” Regardless of the presence of Beyoncé, Bon Iver, Dangerous Bunny, and the Weeknd, there isn’t an apparent pop entry within the song-of-the-summer dialog. “Okay-Pop,” that includes the latter two artists, seems like a attain for streams from Dangerous Bunny’s rabid fanbase. That mentioned, an artist not matching their opus isn’t the automated mark of a miss.
The sonics alone make Utopia price a pay attention. “Trendy Jam” seems like an ode to Eighties hip-hop that’s adequately subtle to not really feel gimmicky. The haunting vocal harmonizing on “God’s Nation” evokes a horror film about possessed kids who lurk on the outskirts of sunset cities. “Fein” is the sort of beat that’s ok for Playboi Carti to repeat himself 182 instances over. “Misplaced Ceaselessly” is a whirling mesh of synth blips and tom drums that switches right into a cavernous abyss ripe for Westside Gunn to go off on high of.
Westside Gunn is an artist who, like Scott, charges excessive up on the rap-curator rankings. He’s beforehand mentioned that he crafts albums particularly so options can kill him, likening himself to a terrific level guard. If Scott is subscribing to the “wash me” mindset right here, then he deserves a Grammy for execution, as a result of practically all of his options outdo him. That’s to not say he doesn’t attempt. “God’s Nation” and “Telekinesis” are stable verses. On “Hyaena” and “Looove,” he fervently chains collectively finish rhymes with a number of syllables and raps in attention-grabbing cadences. There’s simply not sufficient substance, although. That’s not a brand new knock on Scott. However the expectation of subpar lyricism doesn’t absolve him from criticism; if he didn’t wish to be known as out for bland bars, he might merely produce compilation albums like Metro Boomin or DJ Khaled.
One instantly needs to listen to Rob49 once more after Scott follows up his quick verse on “Topia Twins.” When Future laments on “Telekinesis” that he’s “takin’ extra medication on their own in a mansion/Walkin’ round tweakin’ with the yop in my palms,” you’re feeling like somebody’s lastly depicting what rich-nigga nihilism is meant to sound like. “I Know?” is the compulsory “a couple of lady in my harem” track, however there are 5 artists on the album (Drake, Future, 21 Savage, Younger Thug, even the Weeknd) who might’ve carried out greater than Scott along with his solo second.
Scott exhibits initiative with a number of third verses and beat switches, together with the most effective loops of the 12 months on the final a part of “Skitzo,” which sounds prefer it’s from a netherworld the place Biggie and Tupac squashed their beef with a track. However sadly, Scott merely leaves you wanting for the inevitable freestyles we’ll quickly be listening to over the beat, mailing it in and letting us know he’s “bought Ye over Biden.” On “Sirens,” he rhymes “element” with “de-vail,” “he-ail, “pee-pail” and “festie-vee-ail,” which he follows up with the (extra refined?) “festie-vee-awl.” It is likely to be million-dollar manufacturing, nevertheless it’s not million-dollar rap.
Utopia has drawn a boatload of Yeezus comparisons on social media (which meandered into love for underground cult hero Blackie). Scott spent his formative music years round Kanye and was concerned within the conception of Yeezus — one might truly marvel how a lot evaluating Utopia to Yeezus is simply evaluating Scott to his previous work. Kanye’s creative remnants are obvious on Utopia. “Misplaced Ceaselessly” sounds suspiciously like a reference observe for Kanye. The album’s meticulous sonic texturing is the apparent parallel. However rapper-producers and music followers are flawed in the event that they suppose channeling Kanye’s genius is solely a couple of wall of sound and beat switches. For all of the justified criticisms of Ye in 2023, at his finest, he was at all times a compelling rhymer, whether or not he was bragging, calling himself an insecure, materialistic hypocrite, or chronicling a dysfunctional relationship. He was imbuing songs with glimpses of bleached assholes and Vogue social gathering orgies and indignant croissant instructions. On Yeezus’ “New Slaves,” Kanye incisively known as out 2013’s Illuminati hysteria by noting that personal prisons and “the brand new Jim Crow” are public horrors; Travis counters his spherical of satanic panic by merely rhyming, “They suppose I’m satanic, I maintain me a reverend.” There’s no comparability.
Aestheticism will at all times draw individuals into a chunk of artwork, nevertheless it’s the quantity of coronary heart that determines who sticks round. Utopia is an appropriate #occasion for youthful followers who merely need new Scott to scream whereas they mosh (carrying his merch and his sneakers), however there are different listeners who anticipate rappers to have one thing distinctive about them. That’s to not say they should be lyrical demons or overly introspective, however they are often in your face like Rob49, confounding like a Younger Thug, crass like Future, and even merely have an attention-grabbing supply like Playboi Carti. Scott’s music too usually seems like a duo the place you marvel why the producer retains giving this man these bangers.
Manufacturing-wise, Utopia is operatic. It’s akin to Kanye’s huge extravaganzas and Metro Boomin’s Heroes and Villains. One might quibble in regards to the variety of options and co-producers on the album, but when we will watch award exhibits and ogle the movie star fishbowl hoping we get a meme, we shouldn’t complain once they all huddle collectively and do their precise job. It’s no marvel he has relationships with LeBron James and Kevin Durant; Scott is aware of his method round a studio board like they do an NBA protection. However the actuality is that whereas Scott is a masterful curator, he’s simply an OK rapper. These two realities are discordant for too many moments on Utopia.
