Featuring his first album in five years since the Astroworld festival incident, “Utopia,” Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus tour comes to Oakland Arena on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
Growing up in Houston, Travis Scott began his music career during his teenage years as an aspiring rapper. He rose as a music legend among Gen Z with the release of his 2018 album “Astroworld.” Throughout Scott’s work in the hard rap genre, he established his place as a global superstar with more than 61 million listeners every month. His most popular song is “Sicko Mode,” which debuted in the “Astroworld” album and charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for an entire year.
However, Scott’s music goes beyond the purpose of being popular hard rap – a subgenre of hip hop music marked with aggression and harsh beats. The “Astroworld” album is meant to be a homage to his hometown, Houston.
The Astroworld music festival took place in Houston, Texas on Nov. 5, 2021. As thousands of fans roared in applause upon Scott’s entrance, the intense moshing resulted in trampling in the crowd, with 10 attendees killed.
Scott was cleared of all charges pertaining to the concert, and “Utopia” is his first album since the incident. “Utopia” features 19 songs with various artists including Drake, SZA, The Weeknd, 21 Savage, Future and others.
In an interview regarding the title of his newly-dropped album, Scott discusses how he’s “trying to show people experiences where utopian things can exist and [where] you can enjoy yourself and have a good time.”
Within the first week of its release, “Utopia” was streamed 650 million times globally and sold almost 500,000 album-equivalent units, making it Scott’s third consecutive chart-topping album while being a solo artist.
The album’s popularity is a direct result of Scott’s unique style, which has often been described as a mix of traditional hip-hop and lo-fi.
Many of the songs have been made well-known on Gen Z platforms. “Utopia” includes “I Know?” which has become a popular TikTok audio since its release. The song is about feeling fed up with the judgment of others for being on drugs. Along with the subject of intoxication, it appreciates the struggles of finding one’s place in the world. For example, in the first verse, Scott sings, “She been losin’ herself and I get, oh, girl, yeah, I get it / Yeah, yeah, you’ve been fightin’ for your shot / And you’ve been searchin’ for your spot.” This appeals to many teenagers, as during these years, we have social pressures, forcing us to search for our own roles in relationships.
Another fan-favorite from the album, with more than 170 million plays on Spotify, is “Meltdown” which features Drake. The two artists rap about their musical superiority in the entertainment industry. However, in recent Tweets, many listeners have theorized that “Meltdown” is Scott’s way of dissing Timothée Chalamet who is Kylie Jenner’s new boyfriend after her breakup with Scott. The celebrity gossip that surrounds the tracks appeals to an even larger part of Gen Z.
With the piano riff backing the vocals throughout the track, inspiration from a variety of genres including hip-hop, rap, an alternative and his collaborations with other popular artists, Scott has established his new album as a truly utopic experience for teenage listeners. However, in addition to the music and features itself, Scott’s introspective lyrics are a homage to teen culture, reflecting the emotional heights that we experience.
Listen to Travis Scott’s “Utopia” on Spotify:
