One of the most successful rappers and entertainers of his generation,
Travis Scott
changes gears on fourth studio album
UTOPIA
. The psychedelic trap sound that brought
Scott
chart domination on his 2018 album,
Astroworld
, gets smoothed out into new forms of tense, atmospheric rap with big-screen production aided by a guest list made up of some of the biggest names in music.
is in full-on
Kanye
mode throughout
. The pulsing percussion and thick bass of "Circus Maximus" feel like a direct callback to
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
, the burning synths of "Modern Jam" or shattered, distorted beats of songs like "Sirens" reference
Yeezus
, and other subtle nods to various moments of
West
's influence are peppered throughout.
himself lends production to parts of the album and is just one of many on
's staggering list of world-famous contributors.
Drake
adds a seething verse to "Meltdown,"
Beyonce
sings over the majority of doomy house-influenced track "Delresto (Echoes),"
The Weeknd
and
21 Savage
are both on multiple tracks, and there are also appearances by
Bad Bunny
,
SZA
Young Thug
Kid Cudi
Bon Iver
's
Justin Vernon
Dave Chappelle
, and many others.
feels like a concerted effort on
's part to both expand his artistic range and turn in a timeless statement similar to the
albums he's clearly inspired by. While the album might ultimately not be as fully realized as it would need to be to rank among history's best,
's fearless exploration of new sounds and styles is what keeps
interesting. There are experiments with ambience, risky beat switches, theatrical and hook-free pop, and orchestration that
has never attempted before. The multi-platinum guest features might set the album up for global conquest, but the most exciting moments come when it sounds like
is discovering a new way to push his craft forward. ~ TiVo Staff