ASTROWORLD is the third solo album from Houston native, Kanye West protegée, and rapper-producer Travis Scott. Having released the now 4x platinum track BUTTERFLY EFFECT as the album’s lead single in May of 2017, hype surrounding the album had reached fever pitch by the time it was released in August of 2018. These enormous expectations were, in part, due to the extensive marketing campaign conducted by Travis and Epic Records prior to the LP’s release, which included the dissemination of enormous statues of Travis’ head (as depicted on the album cover) in six cities across the globe. Despite these towering expectations, the record did not disappoint, topping the US album charts for 3 consecutive weeks, allowing Travis to embark on a sold-out global stadium tour. This level of worldwide appeal raises the question: is this album truly the masterpiece that its die-hard fans claim it is, or simply more of the derivative melodic trap that dominated the airwaves of the late 2010s?
Scott gives the listener a flavour of what they should come to expect in the next 58 minutes by setting the tone for the album from its very outset. On STARGAZING, the listener is immediately transported to Travis’ new world via his patented auto-crooning and pitched-up adlibs, combined with the track’s dark and sinister production, all of which help to cultivate an air eery suspense. This suspense is shattered by the beat switch that Travis utilises to divide the track in half, employing booming 808s to pair with a rapid and punchy delivery on the back end of the track. This intro synthesises the psychedelic production that Travis had been refining across his first two solo albums with his underutilised ability to deliver hard-hitting flows over more a traditional trap instrumental.
First-time listeners of Travis might be surprised to see a dearth of listed features on the record given his tendency to make guest appearances on other mainstream rap records. However, this illusion is once again shattered upon reaching the second track, CAROUSEL, where the listener is treated to an unforgettable Frank Ocean guest verse and refrain. Given the near-mythical status of Frank in the music industry which is, in part, fuelled by the rarity of his musical appearances, the feature is made all the more sweeter. Travis doesn’t stop there though, following up on this success with the third track, SICKO MODE, the chart-topping collaboration with Toronto superstar, Drake. This track sees Drake and Travis trading verses over three different instrumentals, with a melodic Swae Lee interlude introducing the final beat switch, courtesy of Tay Keith. The track encapsulates the boundary-pushing nature of the album’s production, as well as Travis’ willingness to play the role of the curator, allowing his collaborators to shine on instrumentals that they are best suited to.
From here, Scott shows his willingness to expand into a more melodic RnB direction with cuts such as R.I.P. SCREW, STOP TRYING TO BE GOD, SKELETONS, and WAKE UP. On R.I.P. SCREW, Travis tastefully pays homage to the late DJ Screw, a fellow Houston native who helped to pioneer the early sounds of melodic rap. SKELETONS contains arguably the most majestic production on the entire record, thanks to Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, who’s fingerprints are all over the track’s soundscape. Combined with guest vocals from the Weeknd, (which Travis utilises once again on WAKE UP) the listener is treated to some of the most elegant and delicate melodies on a mainstream record in recent years. Travis’ talent for finding these uplifiting melodic grooves hits its mark once again on STOP TRYING TO BE GOD, which combines the angelic guest vocals of British electronic artist James Blake with Stevie Wonder’s expert harmonica performance to curate an otherworldly crescendo that leaves the listener awe-inspired.
These softer, more melodic cuts do not come at the cost of the energy and mosh pit-enducing tracks that have by now become the standard for Travis’ legendary live performances. On NO BYSTANDERS, the anthemic refrain of “Fuck the club up” pairs with energetic adlibs to cultivate a feverish energy, all delivered by label-mate Sheck Wes. The guest feature from the late Juice Wrld and rapid delivery from Travis are simply the icing on top. This energy is continued on tracks like WHO? WHAT?, which sees Travis trading bars with Atlanta hip-hop trio, Migos, all whilst haunting echoes and screams continue in the background. Travis matches this energy once again on NC-17 but a slightly out-of-place 21 Savage feature, flattens the energy on the latter half of the track, preventing it from being a true banger.
Unfortunately, NC-17 is not a one off in this sense, the album hits a very slight slump in quality towards the middle of the record. Whilst tracks like 5% TINT and YOSEMITE (featuring Gunna and NAV) are good in their own right, they fail to stack up when compared to the quality of the rest of the album. These more classic trap tracks feel a tad ordinary and un-entertaining when compared to the revolutionary production featured elsewhere on the record.
However, Travis immediately immediately picks up the slack on the back end of the record. ASTROTHUNDER showcases Travis’ knack for otherworldly production, once again transporting the listener to the theme park world which is the record’s namesake. The introduction of label-mate Don Toliver on CAN’T SAY is absolutely spectacular, with Don seizing the spotlight by continuing Travis’ flow and improving upon it, delivering one of the most beautiful hooks on an already ridiculously catchy record. The final true banger of the record is the lead single, BUTTERFLY EFFECT, where Travis proves his ability to capture the listener’s attention on a solo track once again, bringing an infectious hook and strong flows on the verses to fill the spacy and atmospheric production.
Unlike the rest of the record up to this point, the final two tracks see Travis getting unusually introspective. This welcome change brings the album to its natural close by allowing the listener insight into the Houston rapper’s battle with the struggles of fame, as well as thoughts on his very public relationship with reality star turned beauty mogul Kylie Jenner. On COFFEE BEAN, the record’s outro, Travis’ relaxed delivery synergises perfectly with a soft string section to allow Travis to communicate with his audience. Whilst Scott is certainly not a generational lyricist, tracks like this allow the audience to connect with the man behind the music, adding a personal touch to the record that was certainly missing on his sophomore effort, Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight.
On ASTROWORLD, Travis’ sound matures in the most spectacular way. The true genius of the record is the way in which Travis takes a backseat, (vocally, at least) allowing his star-studded list of featured artist to shine in their respective niches. By moving towards the Kanye-esque role of musical curator as opposed to one-man act, Travis brings the absolute best out of his collaborators. This shines through most strongly on the melodic cuts, where Travis excels in transporting the listener to a psychedelic world of his own design. Despite this, Travis doesn’t neglect to flex his rapping abilities here on a range of tracks, from introspective and down-to-earth cuts like COFFEE BEAN to more vibrant tracks like WHO? WHAT? and BUTTERFLY EFFECT.
ASTROWORLD cements Travis’ well-deserved reputation as a pioneer of mainstream hip-hop through his unique blend of psychedelic, RnB, and trap sounds. Despite a couple of slightly sub-par tracks, this record sets a strong standard throughout and deserves all of the praise and commercial success that has come its way.
This album is excellent, 8.5/10.
Theo Aveline 