Travis Scott's 6th album is his most experimental in terms of sound, concept, and flow.
When the word Utopia first entered the human zeitgeist, it originated from the ancient Greek words "ou" and "topos.” No place. In fact, when Sir Thomas More translated these Greek texts for his Latin "Utopia," he mentioned that utopia is, in fact, any place when mentioned in great enough detail, and thus, it is no place.
Travis understands that a real utopia cannot exist, and in fact utopia are usually moments, fleeting until they are gone forever. Constant motifs of blinking eyes and not missing a moment are key on Utopia, alluding to the idea of Travis' Utopia being time oriented, not space. Drakes interlude even alludes to this idea of utopia as a feeling, as a place not occupied by people, but by thoughts, emotions, and souls. Any moment can be utopic, but opposing Thomas Moore, humans have the tendency to overanalyze these moments, and the deeper they go, the great enough the detail, the more they will realize that this is no such utopia.
Mike Dean is heard through this entire album from the first note to the final. Utopia has moments almost eerily similar to YEEZUS (drums on SIRENS and Circus) which revokes some of this authentic experimentation that Travis is come to be known for. Dean just completed Donda within the last year, but it’s clear some of that inspiration has bled off onto Travis, with a higher percentage of lyrics referencing higher powers, knowledge, and understanding. People will say they hear Kanye’s influence, but it is really Mike Dean- the deep synths, the beat switches (2nd most on any Travis project), and the crushing reverbed drums. And while it is familiar, it is still new. Something about Travis’s edition of these mike dean produced albums carry a little extra. Maybe extra rage, maybe extra juice, maybe just extra energy. I did like to see an old bouncy hip hop influence in this album in songs like Modern Jam and Love.
Certain tracks, like "My Eyes," showcase subtlety reminiscent of Frank Ocean's magnum opus, "Blonde," with voice filters and pitch effects. The album as a whole feels grungy, yet it contains softer moments that allow Travis to float, thanks to the James Blake effect. Mike Dean and James Blake shaped this album as the two pillars of sound - one crashing and one somber, with Travis blending these styles in a cohesive and loving way. He takes inspiration from his idols and creates a familiar yet surprising sound, with lead production credits on most tracks. Boi-1da's boom bap influence is also evident on the more "rappy" parts of the project.
No song really sounds the same as itself, as they almost all contain beat switches, which keep the album unbelievably cohesive and easy to play and listen through all the way through.
Where will you go now, now that you are done with me? Travis poses numerous deep rhetorical questions on this album, but the closing sentiment reflects the fleeting nature of a utopia, nonexistent, until we find it from within. A pleasant ending, and a courtesy to the harshness in the middle to end of a soft, almost lullaby tone.
Also, even the act of reviewing this album is counterintuitive to the core message of Utopia, which is to live simply, find joy, and don’t overthink. Also though, fuck shit up and ball out.
A few words on a few special songs…
Parasail
The idea of having an artist make a tiny cameo is nothing new- Kendrick provided a stunning intro for the Dreamville “Revenge of the Dreamers” tape in 2020?. Yachty ad-libbed his way all over “Her “Loss” last year. On Utopia, and on Parasail, Yung Lean provides 2 lines, that’s it, but they really do benefit the song, especially if someone is familiar with Lean. Even on “My Eyes” Sampha sings two lines which do nothing but improve the song. People will say “we want a full verse,” or “why are they teasing us?” To me, this sort of collaboration seems authentic and not self-serving. There musicians’ voices are an extra source of instrumentation; the most unique kind.
Skitzo
The last beat on this song made me happy. I love Travis rapping on these kinds of melodic beats (see: end of My Eyes). It feels pure, like how he got started- by rapping. Also, Travis and Thug collaborating brings the kind of joy only a lover of the song “Skyfall” can really grasp. These two used to be THE collaborators.
Lost Forever
It is hard to deny the Griselda influence on the culture of rap post 2020. Conway has become a seriously contender for lyricist of the year every year, Benny is a full-blown star, and Westside is the best curator in the game. If you are reading this, you probably know what I think about Griselda. This song was premiered at the Dior Spring Fashion show in Paris and had snippets surface constantly. Westside doesn’t really help or fit on this project; I literally think that it’s too hard to resist having a Griselda presence on any major project recently. Also, the feature list turns up another dial adding the Buffalo front man.
PS: Thank you to Travis for allowing 21 to have a couple verses. He is so hot right now that’s it’s a shame not to hear him over every single beat released. Nobody is having a better 2023 than 21 except for Ransom. That’s another story, though.
So far, this is a top 3 album of a WEAK 2023 in terms of rap albums.
8.5 and rising.