Although Texas rapper Travis Scott may have grown a reputation in recent times for his more mediocre features, Watch, the first single off his hotly anticipated release ‘Astroworld’, brings the same chilled vibe and monumental beat that put him on the map.
Serving as a fruity, colourful canvas for Kanye West, Lil Uzi Vert and Travis to project on, Pi’erre Bourne’s beat is a beautifully erratic cacophony that encapsulates the fairground imagery that Astroworld is based around; it’s busy and vibrant, and once paired with the opening sample, provides is thematically perfect. Lil Uzi Vert tackles the first verse, with his trademark melodic autotuned tinged vocals, and while lyrically he appears to take the title very literally, it’s enjoyable and energetic. Travis also has a powerful performance, benefiting significantly from having a gaudy beat that compliments his usual dry flow, and although it’s nothing we haven’t seen before, it’s compelling and done to a high quality.
Despite being the mastermind who introduced Travis to the world, Kanye’s verse feels amateurish and rushed, with references to his recent antics confirming that his addition can’t have been recorded more than a few weeks ago. His nasally flow and and awkward breaths fail to synergise at all with Uzi and Travis trading autotuned bars, and the flat delivery comes across as a weak grab at capitalising on the controversy he’s recently created.
Cactus Jack’s first single from Astroworld is incredibly promising, with a dense beat and above average delivery, even if Kanye’s contribution hinders more than it helps.
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