Cover art for Travis Scott’s ‘Utopia’ album
Travis Scott Drops His Fourth Studio Album 'UTOPIA'
Travis Scott’s long-anticipated album UTOPIA hit streaming platforms today (July 28). Released via Cactus Jack and Epic Records, the project marks the rapper’s first LP five years after his chart-topping Astroworld.
Following in the footsteps of his previous full-length releases, the 19-track body of work found the Houston native experimenting with his sound. It’s preceded by “K-POP” featuring The Weeknd and Bad Bunny, which debuted last week.
Guest appearances on the album are nothing short of impressive. Beyoncé graced the track “DELRESTO (ECHOES),” while Drake lent his words to “MELTDOWN.” Elsewhere, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Sampha combined their talents on “MY EYES,” and Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo co-produced “MODERN JAM.” Other notable appearances included SZA and Future on “TELEKINESIS,” Kid Cudi on “LOOOVE,” and The Weeknd and Swae Lee on “CIRCUS MAXIMUS.”
Listen to UTOPIA below.
Regrettably, the initial plan to launch the LP with a livestreamed concert at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza encountered a snag. As announced by Live Nation, the event faced a hiccup involving “complex production issues” that subsequently led to the cancellation on Wednesday (July 26), only a week after Scott quashed previous cancellation rumors.
While the album arrived on the heels of a turbulent period for the “SICKO MODE” rapper, the grand jury’s decision not to indict him over the “mass casualty incident” at Astroworld 2021 did not impede its release. Even amid ongoing lawsuits and the aforementioned gig being shut down, the musician maintained his focus by pushing forward with his latest project.
UTOPIA also held the unique distinction of being launched simultaneously with the rapper’s new film, Circus Maximus. Brought to life by A24 and Scott himself, the movie was teased years prior and even previewed during his Rolling Loud Miami set.
Meanwhile, the musician unveiled five album covers on his Instagram earlier this week, courtesy of photographers Pieter Hugo and Kristina Nagel.