By Jamil Oakford/ editor-in-chief
Houston hip-hop artist Travis Scott drops a substantial, feature-heavy album. While it may punctuate his individual sound, it has nagging problems too.
Fourteen songs long, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight is a sizable sophomore effort. Scott, known for dramatic lines in his bars, doesn’t waste a moment delivering his best melodramatic rhymes. In “Through the Late Night,” he says, in all seriousness, “Relieve my heart of malice.” This is a serious bar in his somewhat subdued ode to late nights. But, he doesn’t seem to elaborate as to what that line means in relation to a song that proclaims sleeping all day and playing “all through the night.”
Probably the least likable part of this entire album is that there’s a feature on nearly every track. Of the 14 songs that comprise his album, only one is a solo effort.
While this isn’t a new offense as many artists suffer from this same issue, it’s just another album to join in the noise of several other artists crammed into a track. And if this is the first time listening to Scott, it’s easy to forget what his voice sounds like and confuse him for some of the lesser-known guests.
In only a few songs, the feature work perfectly: “the ends” with Andre 3000, “through the night” with Kid Cudi who really lightened up that tone nicely and “wonderful” that features The Weeknd. These three artists’ contributions are invaluable as they bring something incredibly unique to the table.
The one song Scott has alone, “Sweet Sweet,” is a somewhat interesting track on the album. Musically and lyrically, he stretches out a bit and gets incredibly dramatic. He sings and raps about a girl who wants him but only for sex. That’s worthy of some dramatic reflection.
This album has plenty of good too. Scott pens experiences that seem really authentic. For example, “Lose” talks about Scott looking at all his new things, realizing he’s got more to lose than ever before and how he’s willing to separate himself from others who don’t help him reach his career goals. This song is strangely relatable and in some ways an intimate look into a life that’s often made to seem easy and glamorous.
The album highlights — “Lose,” “Wonderful,” “Outside,” and “Way Back” — showcase the best of what the album has to offer. It may not be a homerun for Scott, but it’s enough to keep him on the top charts for now.
