Genre: Hip-Hop, Trap
Travis Scott returns with his fourth studio album following 2018’s Astroworld.
Whilst the aforementioned album had its highlights (Sick Mode, Can’t Say and Houstonfornication to name a few), it doesn’t quite leave a lasting impression come five years later. Whereas Scott’s 2015 studio debut Rodeo made incredible waves in the Hip-Hop Trap scene and gave birth and boasted influence to many newly rising and current artists and truly transformed the shape of the music industry. With all this background on his accomplishments sonically, it’s also important to mention the disaster that occurred at his Astroworld Festival in November of 2021, where there were 10 deaths and 25 hospitalisations. This would be the last time we really hear from Travis Scott, even taking a back seat in doing as many features. So, does Utopia stand out in his discography? I think it has the potential to be recognised as one of his better projects. Loud drumbeats, melancholic symths with his signature psychedelic vibe and aesthetic, Utopia has some of the more laid back but creatively interesting beat selections in his discography, unfortunately what holds back the record is Travis himself. The Houston rapper has never been known for his lyrical prowess, but mainly for his producing and beat making abilities, which really comes into light on this record where Scott doesn’t really seem interested in saying anything new or grandiose.
Overall, it’s not that impressive of a record. All the highlights come in the instrumentals comes from Travis himself, which will be interesting to see in a few years if Utopia crumbles with the same replay value as Astroworld or if it will be able to stand on its own two feet.
6/10
