{"id":713,"date":"2023-08-13T20:43:25","date_gmt":"2023-08-13T20:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/2023\/08\/travis-scott-utopia-review\/"},"modified":"2023-08-13T20:43:25","modified_gmt":"2023-08-13T20:43:25","slug":"travis-scott-utopia-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/2023\/08\/travis-scott-utopia-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Travis Scott, \u2018Utopia\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Houston native\u2019s fourth album affirms Scott as a sweeping sonic conductor, granting the imposing blockbuster listeners expected.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a meandering five years for Travis Scott. Since the release of his last album, Astroworld<\/a><\/em>, he became a father of two, a brand powerhouse, a successful labelhead and festival headliner. The last of those turned sour in 2021 when a devastating crowd crush occurred at the third Astroworld Festival, leading to reclusion, both for legal and remorseful reasons, and the inevitable delay of the much-anticipated Utopia. <\/em>Scott\u2019s waited for the right time to come back to the limelight. Brown briefcases, billboards and complimentary films signalled the start of the Utopia<\/em> era\u2014where would the five-year hype take the artist, album, and fans?<\/p>\n

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Kristina Nagel<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a five-year wait, Utopia<\/em> guarantees a blockbuster experience. Over 19 tracks, Travis Scott grants yet another out-worldly soundscape, loaded with surprise guest appearances, slick beat switches, and some of the most daring rap songs of the year. It\u2019s the chaotic lovechild of Donda<\/em> and Yeezus<\/em>, a full-circle moment for Scott\u2019s early production days (back when he had the dollar sign in his name\u2014remember that?). Scott\u2019s rapping also takes centre-stage, throwing the flows back to his early cult mixtapes (a few songs in particular were recorded in the same era). He\u2019s still not quite there lyrically, but the dexterity shown in his performances have to be credited nonetheless.<\/p>\n

Rodeo<\/em> was the experimental introduction. Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight<\/em> was the commercial sophomore. Astroworld<\/em> was the psychedelic world-builder. So what\u2019s Utopia<\/em>? Sonically, it subverts expectations of what \u2018utopia\u2019 should sound like. Instead of a blissful, heavenly experience, Utopia<\/em> is a dim land of chaos. This makes Utopia<\/em> lack a running thread throughout the album, especially when it jumps from trap and industrial hip hop to dance and reggaeton. The skit at the end of \u201cSIRENS\u201d puts it all into perspective, paired with the \u201cUtopia is wherever you are<\/em>\u201d tagline attached to promotional material for the album.<\/p>\n

For a 19-track album, there are plenty highlights, and nothing worthy of a skip. Opening track \u201cHYAENA\u201d is his most combusting intro to date; \u201cTHANK GOD\u201d is flooded in darkness; \u201cI KNOW ?\u201d is a Rodeo<\/em> remnant; \u201cTOPIA TWINS\u201d is the \u201cYosemite\u201d of the album, far from the most artistic joint but is an indisputable banger. Teezo Touchdown steals the show on the polarising \u201cMODERN JAM\u201d, offering the weirdest moments of the album. \u201cFE!N\u201d was birthed, nurtured and granted immortality in the moshpits, featuring a nonsensical performance from Playboi Carti that becomes more normal the more you hear it.<\/p>\n

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@rayscorruptedmind<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Scott\u2019s ambitions for expansive songs don\u2019t stop there. \u201cSKITZO\u201d with Young Thug is a six-minute thriller with four phases, signing off with one of the best beats on the album. \u201cTELEKINESIS\u201d captures the blissful expectations of \u2018utopia\u2019, offering the project\u2019s best features in Future and SZA. \u201cPARASAIL\u201d grants the same bliss with its nimble guitar and soft vocals by Scott and Yung Lean. \u201cLOOOVE\u201d is a nine-year old track lifted from the Days Before Rodeo<\/em> sessions, a danceable powerhouse tune with a ghoulish touch. You think the track is ending until it surprises with a late Kid Cudi feature, a perfect match to the style of song.<\/p>\n

The best song on Utopia<\/em> comes with \u201cMY EYES\u201d, a gorgeous cut drenched in electronica topped off with vocals from Sampha and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. Its peak arrives at the beat switch where Travis delivers a rap verse to rival his very best efforts. It\u2019s also the only moment on the album where he references the AstroFest disaster\u2014a necessary touch from an artist who\u2019s critiqued for showing a lack of emotion in his songs (\u201cI replay them nights, and right by my side, all I see is a sea of people that ride with me \/ If they just knew what Scotty would do to jump off the stage and save him a child\u201d).<\/p>\n

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