Travis Scott: Utopia Album Review

I grew up on hip-hop and to this day it is still by far my most heavily played genre. And whenever I think about which rappers I would rank as my top-5 there is one person that never leaves that list: Travis fucking Scott. There’s just something about yelling “IT’S LIT” over a melodic beat and distorted vocals that brings people together. Take for example when my boy and I cried on Facetime together when Travis, Ye, and Lil Uzi Vert released “Watch.” Or better yet when Astroworld dropped and I wound up drunk outside of Nikki Beach bumping “SICKO MODE” in a daybed full of complete strangers. That moment will live in memory forever and it was nearly five years ago; a TON has happened since then.

In the half decade since, Travis had another baby with Kylie Jenner, had another breakup with Kylie, and had his reputation tarnished by the infamous Astroworld festival which left ten people dead. Naturally, the stakes have never been higher for my boy Jacques. “Utopia” couldn’t afford to be anything other than a significant advancement in sound. And boy did he deliver. Let’s break it down.

This is Travis Scott’s Yeezus

Let me start by saying this album is NOT for the casual Travis Scott listener. Throughout the album you aren’t getting many safe sounds – the closest to an easy hit would be “TOPIA TWINS.” Instead, the tracks are longer, more drawn out compositions that take some time for you to sink your teeth into. Scott is credited as the sole producer on three songs here – “SIRENS,” “FE!N,” and “DELRESTO (ECHOES)” – a clear indication of his musical versatility and desire to push himself to the limit creatively.

That being said, the album is incredibly reminiscent of his long time mentor, Ye. Travis, along with Future, The Weeknd, and Kid Cudi (all of whom were prominently featured on the album) are part of the 808s &Heartbreak generation, when rappers began to rely heavily on autotune, crooning over synthesizers and meshing the EDM and hip-hop genres into one. Scott was also notably a key collaborator on Yeezus, being listed as a co-producer on three songs. Now, ten years after Kanye’s culture-altering renegade of an album, we see to the full extent the influence he has had on his protege.

At the surface level, Utopia exudes Yeezus vibes with industrial, bombastic drum patterns scattered throughout. However, the influence is actually is much deeper. “MODERN JAM” is a carbon-copy of the original (demo) beat for Yeezus’ “I Am A God” which Scott produced for Ye with Daft Punk and Mike Dean. The thunderous drums in “CIRCUS MAXIMUS” mirror the drum pattern from West’s “Black Skinhead,” and the cadence in which he raps is yet another nod to his former de-facto-brother-in-law. “LOOOVE” feels incredibly Yeezus inspired as well, with sinister, decaying synths reminiscent of “New Slaves” and Scott’s nimble rapping over bombastic drums.

Utopia gave us the perfect mix of that throwback, early 2010s experimental Kanye West sound and Travis' Owl Pharoah/Days Before Rodeo vibe while adding his own modernized touch and flare into it.

Features

The track list and sequencing for Astroworld was designed to engage with the audience and make listeners feel as though they were at an amusement park. Utopia is different in that it seems this album was more for Travis himself. He challenged himself, taking a dive into coke rap on "LOST FOREVER" with the Alchemist and Westside Gunn, and enlisted frequent Frank Ocean collaborator Buddy Ross on a much softer melody in "PARASAIL."

The greatest thing about this album however is the features. This was an all-star cast to say the least with contributions from Beyonce, SZA, Daft Punk, Bon Iver, and the Weeknd to name a few. What I really enjoyed was the experimentation not only from Scott but from his collaborators as well. Hearing artists like Playboi Carti and the Weeknd (on "CIRCUM MAXIMUS") switch up their flow and try out new sounds was so refreshing. Almost intentionally, Scott takes the backseat and lets his fellow collaborators shine brighter than him at times. And it worked incredibly well.

Another thing that stuck out apart from the star-studded lineup was the attention Scott gave to up-and-comers on Utopia. Teezo Touchdown absolutely stole the show on “MODERN JAM,” solidifying the track's house music influence and KayCyy mudered the hook on “THANK GOD." All around, the features are undeniably a huge part of the Album's success.

My Favorite 5 Tracks

“MELTDOWN”

In May, Travis made headlines when pictures of a Utopia briefcase began popping up around the world. It was first seen handcuffed to his bodyguard’s wrist. Then it was spotted outside SZA’s dressing room in London. When Drake finally posted a photo of it deserted at a strip club, I initially thought we would be getting a “SICKO MODE” part two. That could not have been further from reality. And I must say I was pleasantly surprised.

There is nothing I hate more than predictability in music. And while the beat and tempo switch midway through “MELTDOWN” had me creaming my pants, the real kicker came in Drake’s verse. Rapping in an ultra-menacing ASMR type of way, Drizzy delivered some ruthless bars. He went after Pharrel HARD, attacking the N.E.R.D singer’s newly appointed position as the men’s creative director for Louis Vuitton:

“I melt down the chains that I bought from yo' boss/Give a fuck about all of that heritage shit/Since V not around, the members done hung up the Louis, they not even wearing that shit.” WOW.

And it just gets better from there. After Drake fired off shot after shot, Travis comes in flexing about money and women, calls for Thugger to be freed, and invokes both Tupac and Nas in the same bar. He takes it one step deeper though and goes in on Timothee Chalamet for his rumored new relationship with Kylie:

“Chocolate AP and chocolate the Vs, got the Willy Wonka factory/Burn an athlete like its calories, find another flame hot as me, bitch.” While it may seem like innocuous wordplay, Chalamet happens to be playing Willy Wonka in the upcoming Wonka spin-off. “Burn an athlete” is likely a reference to Chalamet’s pickup game with Adam Sandler last week, seeing as how “MELTDOWN” was recorded last second before the album's release. Either way, absolute BANGER of a song.

FE!N

My neck literally snapped back so hard I got whiplash when I heard Carti's "FIEND FIEND FIEND FIEND" to open the song. He seemingly unlocked a new, deeper voice that contrasts his typical baby voice that he's known for rapping in. I can't wait to hear how hard this song goes in concerts and festivals,

Apart from the Carti verse the production (solely by Scott himself) was top-tier, giving me go-to track whenever I want to rage. It sounded almost like a video game and the chemistry between Carti and Travis was undeniable.

MODERN JAM

I have never done molly so I don't know what it's like to had a bad trip. But I imagine it sounds just like this track. Putting his own touch onto Kanye's decade old experimental masterpiece “I Am a God,” Travis delivered one of his most exciting songs in recent years. The beat is relentless and the psychedelic way that he dubs himself the “roof shaker” and “annihilator” of the dance floor gives me chills up my spine. Teezo Touchdown also delivered the best verse of his career, sounding almost identical to André 3000. That's no easy feat.

SKITZO

SKITZO showcases Travis' ability to take listeners through multiple phases of a song while continuously keeping the track refreshing. It plays basically like a 3-in-1 that caters to every type of vibe whether that's in a club, at a festival, or bumping in the whip. I enjoyed every part of this song from the catchy hook to the tempo switch to the way Young Thug's verse was seamlessly transitioned to.

The last verse seemed like classic Travis Scott vibes and he rapped better than he has in a long time on this verse. That "I'm loyal bitch I got Ye over Biden" line hit me so hard for reasons unknown but with immaculate production, solid verses, and the beat switch, I couldn't help but put list this as a favorite.

TIL FURTHER NOTICE

The outro to Utopia is one of the strongest tracks in my opinion and it isn't just because of James Blake's melancholic crooning, although I am most definitely a sucker for his collabs with Travis. I mean come on, "Mile High" and "Stop Tryna Be God" are all round masterpieces. With the help of 21 Savage, they once again gave me another track to gush over.

All of the artists shared verses on this song, what I really liked was how they really took their time and were patient setting the tone, leading us into the track. I still don't know whether I like this or "LOST FOREVER" because they are both incredibly strong songs. The latter had a snippet related prior to the album dropping and it already sounded top tier. The James Blake background vocals opened the song before immediately getting straight into the Travis verse. The Alchemist assisted in the incredible beat switch during the Westside Gunn feature and now there's ANOTHER Travis verse added that improved the already amazing track. In both songs, all three artists meshed together incredibly well.