Travis Scott’s long awaited album ASTROWORLD has seventeen tracks, and a majority of them carry the same psychedelic theme that we’re used to hearing from Travis. A lot of these tracks don’t necessarily have big bass, or trap instruments. Rather, as the title, suggests, the songs have a feeling one would associate with the sounds of space or being at an amusement park. Each song is its own ride.
To fit this theme, Scott prepares us for blastoff in each song by stalling his lyrics until the 30 second mark. The psychedelic sounds that the instruments create make the listener feel like they’re entering a new section of space in those thirty seconds.
The album isn’t very lyrically based like a Kendrick Lamar or J. Cole album. Though Scott does have songs with great lyrical content, like “HOUSTONFORNIFICATION,” the tracks are really tailored to the sounds of the beats and the feeling they create.
When compared to Scott’s best commercial album, Rodeo, ASTROWORLD feels more personal because he talked more about his private life. He mentions his baby, Stormi, who was recently born, as well as his hometown, Houston, throughout the album. Scott brought his fans on a personal journey instead of just a musical one.
While listening to the album, it’s noticeable that it does have a slow rhythm and lyrical start with songs like “STARGAZING” and “CAROUSEL,” until the middle of the album where everything starts to pick up steam. This further fits the theme; for a 17-track album with a theme of entering “Astroworld,” it makes sense that the that entrance into the land of wonder will take some time.
Towards the middle, the songs start to pick up a little bit more with features from artists. “SICKOMODE,” which featured Drake, had three different beat switches in one song.
In “R.I.P SCREW,” featuring Swae Lee, Scott and Lee payed homage to the Houston legend who created the slurred chopped and screwed music style.
Another notable feature was The Weeknd’s performance on “WAKE UP.” He sang a very soulful chorus throughout the song, which complemented the track and Scott’s verse well.
As these features are introduced throughout the album, the overall rapping becomes a little more entertaining, and this theme park/space world theme really takes off.
This album has a lot going on for it instrumentally. It’s very technical in its delivery; each instrument and sound seems to be placed at a specific point to invoke a certain feeling out of the listener. It’s very attention grabbing, so entertaining that you wouldn’t want to stop listening to the songs because you don’t know what you might hear next.
There are beats and sounds on this album that are different from what we’re used to hearing, a sound of music that hasn’t yet been attained by other artists.
Lyrically, there’s not much complexity to Travis Scott, and this album might be underappreciated and underrated because of that. But if the album was truly listened with each song, each beat, each vocal, each sound, each instrument, and each sample used, then it would be an instant classic.
