2 out of 5 stars
Playboi Carti was supplying my friend group anthems throughout middle and high school. In the car, we’d blast tracks like “Location,” “No. 9” and “Yah Mean.” We all even went to his concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre after his album “Whole Lotta Red” dropped. That’s why, after listening to his new album, “MUSIC,” I was underwhelmed after having to wait five years.
“MUSIC” holds 30 tracks to its name but is only an hour and seven minutes long, averaging just above two minutes per track. With previous albums from Playboi Carti, it is not uncommon for fans to obtain these short songs, but I can’t seem to shake the thought that this album only promotes the new wave of “instant gratification” music in the rap industry.
Playboi Carti gives the fans what they think they want with tracks such as “K-POP,” “RADAR,” “FINE SHIT,” “TWIN TRIM” and “LIKE WEEZY,” but these tracks are simply filler. They are less than two minutes long and repeat the chorus over and over again until it is hard to bear. This provides satisfaction for low attention spans and promotes music that lacks substance, “instant gratification” music.
Throughout this record, we get features such as Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, Jhené Aiko, Skepta, Young Thug, Ty Dolla $ign and a glorious return of Playboi Carti’s iconic duo with Lil Uzi Vert. Unfortunately, we only get to hear them for a short amount of time. Playboi Carti delivered more than a handful of tracks for his audience, but they lacked enough substance to be sustainable.
Since “Whole Lotta Red.” we’ve heard Playboi Carti switch up his tone of voice to the point where we don’t even know if it’s him singing. This theme was overly repetitive throughout these 30 tracks. I had to do research on if it was potentially Lil Yachty or even Future rapping.
For example, when listening to “K-POP,” I had to do a double take 30 seconds in when I realized I had no idea who I was listening to. Playboi Carti’s voice sounded so much like Lil Yachty’s that I had to rewind a couple times before I could confirm who it was.
The fifth song on the record, “MOJO JOJO,” was impossible to process, although being a huge Kendrick Lamar fan, hearing his adlibs in the background was a blissful moment. Once again, the track only provided the audience with adlibs, another move to make the listener yearn for more.
Three tracks worth listening to are “CHARGE DEM HOES A FEE” featuring Future and Travis Scott, “JUMPIN” featuring Lil Uzi Vert and “GOOD CREDIT” featuring Kendrick Lamar. Lamar flows well with Playboi Carti on a beat that seems like repetitive slamming of synthesized keys. It honestly works better than it should considering the beat.
Other than these tracks, all seem to fall short of anything special. The album leans into what rap culture seems to be focusing on: short tracks and iconic features. As more rap albums come out, more fans seem to be satisfied for way too short of time. “MUSIC” is the best example of this wave of “instant gratification” music.
Photo courtesy of Genius.