On July 28th, Jacques Webster, better known as Travis Scott, made his long-awaited return. At 11:59 pm, fans were bubbling with excitement. Utopia was first teased 3 years ago in an Instagram post commemorating his 2018 album Astroworld. The post says, “Let's keep the ride going, see you in Utopia.” 3 years later, the album finally had an official release date. 

Fans everywhere, myself included, were beyond excited for the album. I’ve been a Travis Scott fan since I was ten years old. Astroworld was easily my favorite album of recent years—possibly even my favorite ever. The bar was set high. I could not wait any longer. 

The first track of the album, titled “Hyaena,” opens with an unsettling, foreign sample featuring a distorted voice that warbles, “The situation… we are in, at this time… neither a good one… nor is it so unblessed.” The beat drops and Travis makes his return. He raps about his excitement to return to the music scene. I loved how fast-paced this first song was, specifically how it seemed to throw the listener right in. The beat’s unique drum pattern had me hooked, and Travis’s vocals accompanied the rhythm perfectly. This song got me excited for what was coming in the rest of the album.  

The fourth track of the album is titled “My Eyes.” The song begins with a slow, relaxing beat. On first listen, many were thrown off by this changeup, as the songs prior were loud and high energy. But At 2:27, the best hip-hop moment of 2023 occurs. The song beautifully transitions into a second section—Electric pianos are replaced with pulsing synth strings, 808s, and hi-hats. Here, Travis Scott delivers one of the best rap performances of his career. He addresses the events of the Astroworld festival, claiming, “I replay them nights, and right by my side all I see is a sea of people that ride with me, if they just knew what Scotty would do to jump off the stage and save him a child.” He closes the song with the line, “If I gave you a day in my life, in my eyes, don’t blink.” The beginning of the song underwhelmed me at first, but the ending may be one of the best pieces of music I’ve ever heard. 

The thirteenth track, “Parasail,” features a cameo from comedian Dave Chappelle. He intros the song with very few words that have much more meaning than one would think: “I stand tall. I fall. I get up. I fall. I get up. I fall. I get up. I stand tall. I stand tall.” This is a reference to Travis Scott’s career, as prior to the events of Astroworld Fest, he released two of the greatest albums of our generation—2018’s Astroworld, and 2015’s Rodeo. Despite his setbacks, he continues to get back up and do better. I loved how Travis addressed his past mistakes. The song slows to a close and is followed by 6 high-tempo, drum-heavy, songs. I liked the change of pace this song creates in the album. Mid-way through the tracklist, this song is a chance for the listener to take a breather and relax. 

One thing I did not like about this album is that it fails to tell a good story. Other artists, for example, Kendrick Lamar, are praised for their ability to tell a narrative through an album. While Travis produces great tracks, they lack a story. Lyrics are filled with boasts of success and money when they could have been much more meaningful. Especially after the events of the Astroworld festival, Travis had the perfect opportunity to dive into meaningful and personal lyrics. 

Utopia was a wonderful album for Travis Scott musically. The songs on the album were catchy, ear-grabbing, and full of energy. What this album lacks,  however, that Astroworld has, is a signature sound. Astroworld was a psychedelic trap album with a clear, unique sound. Vintage synthesizers and reverbed vocals were a staple in its production. Utopia fails to establish a similar unique sound. While Travis creates unique tracks with wonderful production, they lack the same iconic feeling that’s present in Astroworld. Even though it was not Travis’s best, I am still a fan of this album. However, with the amount of time Travis took to create it, I think everyone expected much better. While it’s hard to admit after waiting so long for Utopia to release, I can say that my expectations for the album were not met.