Travis Scott "Utopia" Review

Travis Scott set a destination when he released Astroworld after a two-year wait. A body of work inspired by a now-defunct Six Flags location, Scott wanted to create a body of work that encapsulated the euphoria of his childhood; a continuation of what he started with his debut album, Rodeo. However, with Utopia, there’s very little of a destination of mind, despite the ambitious title.

Per the Oxford Dictionary, utopia is “an imagined or hypothetical place, system, or state of existence in which everything is perfect.” Where projects like Rodeo and Astroworld showcased the imaginative universe that Scott fleshed out through sonic structures, hypnotic melodies, and playful wordplay, Utopia fails to establish the same caliber of execution. On Utopia, Travis Scott takes us on a journey without a set location. Without watching the accompanying film Circus Maximus, it’s a conceptually aimless album. It's particularly disappointing for an artist that set out on such an aspirational mission.

Employing a similar strategy to Astroworld, the 19-song tracklist initially included several hidden features. Part of the allure allowed fans to uncover different voices across the hour-plus run-time. This method captures the essence of the project – the collaborators do much of the heavy lifting. Across Utopia, artists like Drake and The Weeknd sprinkle their magic into the equation. At the same time, newcomers like Rob49 and Teezo Touchdown highlight their talents on “TOPIA TWINS” and “THANK GOD,” respectively.

Scott’s own efforts outside of production fail to yield undeniable results. Even with a stacked lineup of artists, it feels as though Scott simply allowed some of them to appear on the tracklist to boost streams rather than helping him realize his own vision. 21 Savage stands as the most improved rapper to emerge out of the "mumble rap" era. However, his verse doesn’t necessarily add anything exciting to "TOPIA TWINS." The same could be said for Playboi Carti. His verse on “FE!N” provides us with a glimpse into his next vocal transformation in his post-Whole Lotta Red era. Still, the song itself isn’t as memorable as the credits would otherwise suggest.

Utopia’s Familiarity

Travis Scott intended Utopia to serve as a forward-thinking body of work after a five-year wait. Still, the numerous reference points to Kanye West, specifically Yeezus, an album Travis Scott heavily contributed to, blurs the line between paying homage, calling back to the early phases of his career, and recycling ideas. “MODERN JAM” repurposes a beat initially used for “I Am A God." Meanwhile, Scott directly calls back to Ye’s flow and drum patterns from “Black Skinhead” on “CIRCUS MAXIMUS.”

Yeezus cut through the rising sound of EDM trap and dubstep that became prevalent in the early 2010s, calling back to Chicago’s deep house and tracing it to the inception of drill music. Similarly, Utopia taps into the textures of house music that popped off in 2022. “DELRESTO (Echoes)” finds Travis diving into Beyoncé’s Renaissance era. He weaves in the grim, apocalyptic sounds from his early career for a song that feels like it would be more fitting for the afterparty rather than the main event.

“LOOOVE” ft. Kid Cudi does the opposite. Scott, alongside Buddy and Pharrell, delivers a maniacal anthem that’s intended to elevate the “rage” beyond grinding synths and quaking 808s. At a time when house music’s resurgence permeated mainstream consciousness, Travis Scott found his own pocket to build on. It’s not necessarily a common thread found throughout each song. Still, the small efforts on the aforementioned records feel like an attempt to cover his bases on trending sounds, similar to what he did with the Latin-influenced (and underwhelming) “K-Pop” ft Bad Bunny and The Weeknd.

But perhaps the most significant aspect of these comparisons is their similar influences on the overall focus on drums. Kanye once described Yeezus as an exercise of drums. In many ways, outside of the obvious Ye references, Travis Scott employs a similar M.O. The drums on “SIRENS” breaks seemingly take inspiration from South India’s percussion-heavy Kuthu music. Mixed with the muddled strings, it feels like a psychedelic and exhilarating ride through the interstate at 100 MPH.

Travis Scott Lacks Cohesion

It’s not that anyone really expects Travis Scott to deliver groundbreaking metaphors and similes. Travis shows no signs of growth or maturity as a lyricist on Utopia. In fact, he hardly shows that he has a personality. On “THANK GOD,” he raps, “Sh*t I speak is what they need” – a statement that feels out of touch with reality, considering that he doesn’t really say anything profound. With the exception of a handful of mentions of relevant topics, such as fatherhood and his brief reflection on the Astroworld Festival tragedy, Travis is stagnant as a rapper. The opulent flexes and morning-after reflections don’t necessarily tread new ground, and Scott’s thoughts aren’t fleshed out.

However, some moments showcase his tenacity as an MC, like in “MY EYES.” He beasts through with poetic realizations that actually showcase a glimpse of humanity surrounding the Astroworld Festival tragedy. “I replay them nights, and right by my side, all I see is a sea of people that ride wit' me," he raps. "If they just knew what Scotty would do to jump off the stage and save him a child." These moments of self-awareness are few and far between. If anything, this bar serves as an acknowledgment of his overtly dedicated fanbase that continues to line up his pockets.

Sequencing & Production Brilliance

As previously mentioned, Scott’s production is the highlight point of the project. He could’ve released Utopia as an instrumental body of work, and it would’ve been just as effective. Travis pulled from the foundation of hip-hop across the project but also enlisted a slew of producers to bridge his vision together. Wondagurl and BNYX are undoubtedly the MVPs on Utopia, contributing their futuristic and moody production to flesh out the overarching sound of the project.

Then, you have the unexpected contributions from The Alchemist. The legendary producer serves as the connective tissue between the contrasting worlds of Travis Scott and Westside Gunn. As evidenced by The Alchemist’s contributions, there’s a focus on highlighting the use of samples, specifically vocals. “GOD’S COUNTRY,” for example, brings slinky child-like vocal samples through knocking bass. It’s eerie yet playful and carries across the project. The use of vocal samples is a motif that extends to songs like “SKITZO” ft. Young Thug and, more obviously, the hypnotizing production on “LOST FOREVER” ft. Westside Gunn, who has one of the best verses on the project. Of course, Metro Boomin's production is essential to any Travis Scott album. Metro's shared production credits with James Blake on the 21 Savage-assisted outro, "TIL FURTHER NOTICE" is a chilling closer that ties the project together perfectly.

So, What Is Utopia?

It remains unclear what Travis Scott’s idea of utopia is on his latest album. Although Circus Maximus suggests its within the meditative state of Rick Rubin, it’s hard to feel as though Travis has created a world within his art that even aims to find a solution for whatever issues he thinks are pervasive in society.

At a time when he continues to fight the allegations surrounding the Astroworld Festival tragedy, Utopia was likely intended to be the “comeback project” from an artist who lost public favor. Think My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. But instead, Travis Scott’s latest body of work is a polarizing project that hardly showcases any depth to his character outside of perceived jabs towards Timothée Chalamet. Sure, the project does get better the further along the tracklist you go, but that’s primarily due to the fact that Travis Scott takes a backseat to the plethora of guests on the back half of the project. Utopia doesn’t prove to be a groundbreaking hoorah in the face of bad PR. What it does do is showcase that Travis Scott’s true talents lie in his ear for production, not in his pen.