Misc. Day – The Circus Arrives

This was inevitable, there was going to be one of the biggest hip-hop releases of the year featured on Matt’s Music Mine one way or another. As much as it seems that I tend to avoid the mainstream, that is not entirely true. I try to use Matt’s Music Mine to highlight all areas of artistic creation and solid representation of different voices within a musical background. That’s why I don’t post rap beef and music news along the lines of gossip and other “he said she said” forms of speech. It does not progress anything, It doesn’t teach anything. That being said, ASTROWORLD by Travis Scott deserves the number one spot for music.

While it is simply not my personal favorite release (The list is coming after Christmas as it should), the record is a cultural and astronomical delivery that changed the emotional sadness that struck in times of grief. Travis Scott’s wild and rampaging ride of fast, abrasive sounds to the slow, midnight creeps through the empty city are equally placed on a scale. He uses his charisma and impressive ideology to conquer the globe with rollercoasters and Farris wheels that create as much interest as they do hype.

But ASTROWORLD is something that can be lead onto living up to the surrounding hype and mystery of this carnival of sound. From the single of “Sicko Mode” which quickly captured parties and clubs alike, to the subtly of hearing the unlisted features of Frank Ocean, Gunna, or even the hidden Sheck Wes’ iconic “Bitch” being thrown into the mix. It is entirely different than what is being placed on the table, but feels familiar. The record strikes that childlike wonder that once instilled the hearts of young adolescents piling into a car to hit the local amusement park. It places the highs and lows of riding on the Steel Phantom, hitting the outstanding and monumental icon of Scott’s face that is placed as a golden idol to the greatest attraction Houston has ever been able to offer since The AstroWheel or The Bamboo Shoot.

There are moments here on ASTROWORLD that can directly create a mosh pit within the empty living rooms of a single person. Hearing the opening lines of “NO BYSTANDERS” where the vocals performed by Juice WRLD describe “The party never ends, in a motel laying with my sins. I’m tryna get revenge, you’ll be all out of love in the end.” To then having Scott jump into an opportunity with verses that punch through and feel more like a speeding bullet as he describes “Bicentennial Man, put that city on slam. She get trippy off Xans, lost 21 grams and she did it on cam, wasn’t no video dance. Make my own rules, I really don’t pick, I just choose. I don’t set picks, I just shoot. Chop and get screwed, I told her it’s B.Y.O.B. that mean buy your own boobs.” This transfers into the chorus that acts more as a Tilt-A-Whirl that throws the listener into this world that flies by at rapid speed without the there being any break within the action.

Then Scott instead takes command to work on a seguing track of “SKELETONS” which takes his burnt butterfly wings to the skies where the production and instrumentation is floating, and incredibly weightless. He rides the momentum like a pale horse that comes down and allows ASTROWORLD to display some real depth behind the movements.

Throughout ASTROWORLD, the record acts more as an amusement park ride than Scott’s previous releases. He is still an enraged animal that acts within the confides of a now A-List musician with a number one record and song, but there are moments of tame acts that takes a step back from the chaos to showcase the beauty of human engineering once again. He shows how entertaining it is to go at the speed of light, but also how perfect it can be with a solid balance as a support.

Listen To ASTROWORLD Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes