Travis Scott’s psychedelic music captures fans

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Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons

The album cover shows a giant gold statue of Travis Scott’s head as the entrance to an amusement park with children and parents in front of the entrance.

By Kathy Hu, Advertising & Subscritions Manager

Travis Scott has quickly become a household name for anyone who knows music. Scott’s third album “Astroworld” came out shortly before the school year started, but its popularity continues to grow, especially with the announcement of his second nationwide tour in less than three months.

His first tour was the “Astroworld Tour” during the end of 2018. The tour spanned from his Nov. 8 show in Baltimore, Md. to his Dec. 19 show in Los Angeles, Ca. His second tour begins Jan. 25 in Vancouver, BC and ends May 26 in Boston, Mass. Tickets sold out for his concerts almost immediately, which was in part due to the popularity of his album, Astroworld.

Astroworld includes 17 songs, and is introduced by the three singles “Butterfly Effect,” “Sicko Mode” and “Yosemite.” The name of this album was introduced in 2016 and was named after the theme park Six Flags Astroworld in Houston, Texas. In a 2017 interview with GQ Magazine, Scott explained the name, saying that it would sound like taking an amusement park away from kids. He described Astroworld as a “coming home” album.

The album is a mainly hip-hop, but contains elements of rap and psychedelic music.

The album cover shows a giant gold statue of Scott’s head as the entrance to an amusement park with children and parents in front of the entrance. Another album cover features the same amusement park entrance, but instead of children and parents shown, it shows adult-themed content.

“Stargazing” is the first song in the album and one of the more psychedelic songs. The repetition of “got me stargazing” and “got me goin’ crazy” emphasizes the idea that Scott is taking a psychedelic trip through outer space, or what his imagination believes to be outer space. The hard-hitting drums and keyboard combine to bring the listener into outer space as well.

“Sicko Mode” debuted at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song opens with a slower guitar beat and the lyrics “Sun is down, freezin’ cold / That’s how we already know winter’s here.” The song mostly focuses on his love life with lyrics like “She’s in love with who I am” and “Stacey Dash, most of these girls ain’t got a clue.” Sicko Mode is the “main attraction” in the Astroworld Amusement Park. The song starts off slow but speeds up with the perfect partnering of guitar and drums.

“Butterfly Effect” is the idea that one small choice can have large effects on an individual or the world. Scott uses the lyrics “For this life, I cannot change” as irony to show that he believes no matter his actions, his life cannot change, which goes against the butterfly effect. The beat is a perfect blend of drums and guitar that helps Scott get his message across.

Scott’s “Stop Trying to be God” is sending a message that he needs to stop needing to be loved and worshipped all the time. The repetition of the lyrics “Stop trying to be God / That’s not who you are / That’s just not your job” serve as a reminder to Scott that he is not God and never will be.

The album ends with the song “Coffee Bean” which is the most chill of the songs and serves as an example of what men go through in relationships, with the lines “Your family told you I’m a bad move” and “Don’t worry I’ll be back for you.” The steady drums and guitar illuminate Scott’s feelings and provide a great close to the album. The album was a huge hit and is still climbing charts even almost six months after it was first released.

With the upcoming 61st Grammy Awards in February, Astroworld has been nominated for Best Rap Album and “Sicko Mode” has been nominated for Best Rap Performance as well as Best Rap Song. Astroworld has been at the top of numerous charts, including Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Albums of 2018, Highsnobiety’s 25 Best Albums of 2018, AllMusic’s Best of 2018 and Billboard’s 50 Best Albums of 2018.