Imagine a dark basement party, flashing lights all around at 2 a.m., bodies move like shadows to glitchy beats, bass so heavy you can feel the rattles in your head. That’s what listening to Playboi Carti’s newest album “MUSIC” feels like: less of an album and more of an experience you survive. Carti has always thrived in the unexpected, but this time, he pushes even his most loyal fans to the edge. With 30 tracks and a runtime of over 76 minutes, “MUSIC” is chaotic and bends genres, yet somehow it’s unmistakably Carti. It’s not just about listening, but about submitting to the world he builds, track by track, scream by scream.
There is no doubt Carti knows how to create a vibe. But somewhere between “Whole Lotta Red” and “MUSIC”, he traded innovation for imitation and mostly of himself. The album leans hard into trap and hyperpop; however, instead of feeling experimental, it ends up feeling exhausting. The beats blur into one another, the flows never evolve and the energy just feels forced. And when talking about the ad libs, specifically “SWAMP IZZO,” it is everywhere. Not strategically placed. Just… there. On multiple songs. Over and over. And just when you think it is over…”SWAMP IZZO!”
Carti has never been about lyricism, and we know this. His appeal lies in the raw delivery, the unfiltered chaos, the way he can turn noise into a feeling. But on “MUSIC”, even that magic feels watered down. The vocal performances blur into one another with no real standout moment or shift in tone. It’s not wild anymore, it’s predictable. Instead of using his voice as an instrument, Carti leans on the same tricks again and again. You wait for the drop that never lands. You wait for a change that never comes.
Even the high-profile features like Travis Scott, The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar feel like missed opportunities. Travis does what he does best, floating through any track, but it feels like he’s rapping on autopilot. Kendrick brings sharpness and edge, but it clashes with Carti’s one-note delivery so much that it feels like they recorded in different universes. And The Weeknd? He’s there and he sounds good as always, but his presence just reminds you how lifeless most of this album feels by comparison.
Let’s be honest, 30 tracks is a lot, especially when they all feel like variations of the same loop. It’s like Carti took a few unfinished ideas, slapped on different names and hoped the aesthetic would carry it. Well, it doesn’t. The few moments that show promise get buried under layers of copy-paste production and empty adlibs. The album isn’t a journey, it’s a treadmill. Carti’s fanbase might ride for him regardless, but even diehards are going to struggle defending this one.
Final Take
“MUSIC” had the potential to be another genre-pushing statement from one of hip hop’s most unconventional stars. Instead, it was unfortunately disappointing. The energy is flat, the ad libs are unbearable and by the halfway mark, you’re not vibing, you’re checking the tracklist to see how many more songs you have to endure. If Carti wants to keep reinventing himself, he needs to stop playing it so safely inside his own formula. Sometimes, screaming into the void isn’t edgy, it’s just loud. “SWAMP IZZO!”
