- Travis Scott released his fourth studio album, "Utopia," on Friday.
- The album sounds like a rehash of Kanye West's 2013 album "Yeezus."
- While its features are a high point, the album contains no discernible hit, unlike Scott's others.
After Kanye West, now known as Ye, dropped his soundscape-bending sixth studio album, "Yeezus," in 2013, he told "The Breakfast Club" that he felt he was "10 years ahead" but "trapped" in the present day.
At the time, Ye's assertion may have sounded farcical and arrogant, but fast-forward a decade to the release of Travis Scott's "Utopia," and he's not wrong.
Released on Friday, "Utopia," Scott's fourth studio album, was supposed to be the defining work of his career, an experimental, genre-defying record that he said would embody how people can "create energy that spews out magical things."
Instead, what Scott delivers is a poorly-paced, mostly unimaginative "Yeezus" rehash that feels stuck 10 years in the past.
The similarities to 'Yeezus' are shockingly clear
It's not surprising that "Utopia" has a heavy Ye influence given that he is a longtime musical mentor of Scott's, and has previously been described by the "Sicko Mode" rapper as his "big bro."
Scott is also signed to Ye's GOOD Music record label under its production arm, Very Good Beats, and the pair have worked together on a number of projects over the years, including "Utopia." On this record, Ye serves as a cowriter on three songs: "Thank God," "God's Country," and "Telekinesis."
What is surprising, however, is just how deep the influences of Ye, and more specifically "Yeezus," run on "Utopia."
The album's third track, "Modern Jam," shares striking similarities to the opening track from "Yeezus," "On Sight." While generally less aggressive, "Modern Jam" features similar synths and vocal breaks to "On Sight," while Scott's cadence is also nearly identical to Ye's.
Track 12, "Circus Maximus," featuring The Weeknd, is a near-carbon copy of "Black Skinhead." Again, Scott's flow matches Ye's perfectly over an all-too-familiar drum beat.
"Modern Jam" and "Circus Maximus" are the two songs most obviously influenced by "Yeezus," but other similarities are littered throughout "Utopia."
Scott screams like Ye does on "Yeezus," and relies heavily on the use of grainy, low-resolution synthesizers like Ye did. Justin Vernon, better known as the lead singer of Bon Iver, also features on "Utopia," just as he did on "Yeezus," featuring on both "My Eyes" and "Delresto (Echoes)."
Where Ye delivered, however, Scott misses
While "Yeezus" was by no means universally acclaimed upon its release, the album drew praise for its drastic departure from Ye's previous efforts and its experimental sound design, which incorporated elements of punk, trap, and electronic music.
Ye was also praised for the album's lyrical content, which addressed everything from how the fashion industry views Black people ("New Slaves"), to the civil rights movement, and his own mental health ("Black Skinhead").
But while "Utopia" bears resemblances to "Yeezus," it misses the mark in terms of both sound and lyricism.
Where "Yeezus" sounded wild and unique, "Utopia" sounds tame and familiar. Where Ye used "Yeezus" to address real-world issues and offer fans a glimpse into his personal life ("Bound 2"), Scott uses "Utopia" to rap about, as he has done on all of his previous projects, partying and his affinity for sleeping with numerous women. It lacks the substance that "Yeezus" had in abundance.
"Yeezus" comparisons aside, on "Utopia," Scott also fails to deliver what he does best — making club-ready, room-shaking anthems.
The erratic album, which switches between tempos and moods at every turn, features no discernible smash hit, unlike 2015's "Rodeo" ("Antidote"), 2016's "Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight" ("Goosebumps"), and 2018's "Astroworld" ("Sicko Mode").
There are some highlights, however, which come in the form of features.
Beyoncé's angelic tones shine through on "Delresto (Echoes)," complimenting the track's stripped-back sound and Scott's own short verse.
Bad Bunny provides some Puerto Rican pizzazz on "K-pop," while "Looove," featuring Kid Cudi — whom Scott has teamed up with before to great results — stands out as "Utopia's" best song.
All in all, however, Scott's fourth studio album, for all its promise of offering something new, does anything but.
"I thought we were going to utopia?" an unidentified woman asks Scott at the end of "Sirens." Me too.
