As of March 14th, Playboi Carti has released his latest album which consists of mainly trap genre. The project entitled MUSIC is his fourth studio album containing thirty tracks with guest appearances from Travis Scott, the Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Jhené Aiko, Skepta, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Ty Dolla Sign, and Young Thug. The album garnered nearly 400 million streams in the first week being number one on the charts.
Playboi Carti’s latest album was one of the most anticipated drops of the year, unfortunately it feels rushed like an unfinished project. While Carti usually shines through his unique rapping style, this time around his signature chaotic energy comes across as unfocused instead of innovative.
The production, which is usually one of Carti’s strong suits, lacks the sharp, refined quality of his previous work. Instead, it’s a mix of distorted beats that feel overwhelming for no reason other than to be loud. The song Rather Lie featuring The Weeknd being one of the only replayable songs with The Weeknd mostly making the song entertainable with the song feeling as if getting the most work out of all the other songs. This album feels hollow and empty, it’s as if Carti is leaning too hard into his mumble rapping aesthetic without considering whether the songs themselves have any replay value.
Even his delivery, usually full of energy and charisma, feels forced in several songs, the album feels like an exaggerated parody of his previous work, without the innovation that made other albums like Die Lit or Whole Lotta Red stand out. Overall, this feels like a mistake, an album that prioritizes aesthetic over actual musical quality. While some people may still appreciate the chaos of it all, others will likely find it tiring and uninspired. Carti has proven he can reinvent himself in the past, but this time, it didn’t land.
