Playboi Carti Releases New Album ‘Music’ With Features From Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, the Weeknd and More

Playboi Carti Unleashes Music: A Bold New Chapter in Experimental Hip-Hop

In the ever-shifting landscape of modern hip-hop, few artists have courted as much fascination and controversy as Playboi Carti. Known for his unconventional sound, gothic aesthetic, and elusive public persona, Carti has transformed himself into a mythic figure in rap culture. With the surprise release of his new album titled Music, Carti has once again redefined his boundaries—this time enlisting a pantheon of top-tier collaborators, including Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and The Weeknd, among others. The result is an ambitious, 30-track odyssey through chaos, beauty, rage, and serenity.

As much as Whole Lotta Red (2020) divided critics and fans alike, it ultimately reshaped the aesthetic blueprint of underground hip-hop. Now, with Music, Carti raises the stakes—melding multiple genres, vocal experimentation, and high-concept production into a dense sonic experience. Whether you love it or hate it, Music demands to be noticed.

A Sonic Collision Course: Style, Substance, and Sound Design

From the very first track, Music makes it clear that this is not just another Carti project—it is an event. The opener, “Heartstopper,” begins with an eerie choral arrangement before descending into distorted 808s and Carti’s trademark baby-voiced delivery. The song builds tension and then fractures into noise, setting the tone for what follows: a journey through a hyper-distorted version of reality.

Much like Whole Lotta Red, Music leans into punk and industrial influences, but this time with more polish and precision. Carti’s voice morphs constantly—from whispery falsettos to guttural growls and manipulated robotic textures. The production, handled by longtime collaborators like Pi’erre Bourne and newer experimental figures like WondaGurl, Yeat, and F1LTHY, is vast and layered. Sonic chaos is structured into operatic movements; bass drops feel like tectonic shifts; ambient moments whisper secrets before being shattered by digital shrieks.

Star-Studded Features: Legends, Icons, and Unexpected Chemistry

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Music is its guest list—an all-star assembly that few could have predicted on a Playboi Carti album.

Kendrick Lamar on “Backd00r”

On the standout track “Backd00r,” Carti trades verses with Kendrick Lamar in a fusion of introspection and paranoia. Over a haunting, minimalist beat, Kendrick delivers a verse that is both poetic and biting, dissecting fame, surveillance, and personal freedom. Jhené Aiko provides a dreamlike hook, adding emotional depth that grounds the track’s chaos.

Travis Scott on “Plasma Sword”

“Plasma Sword” sees Carti and Travis Scott diving into an intergalactic trap banger. The production feels like a sci-fi odyssey, complete with synth arpeggios and warped vocal layering. Travis’s Auto-Tuned croons blend seamlessly with Carti’s breathless delivery. It’s a thrilling, high-octane standout.

The Weeknd on “Fade2Black”

The Weeknd brings a dark elegance to “Fade2Black,” a melancholic, synth-heavy ballad about addiction, temptation, and redemption. Abel’s haunting voice soars over Carti’s minimalist bars. Their chemistry is unexpected but surprisingly cohesive—highlighting Carti’s flexibility as a collaborator.

Other features include:

• Tyler, The Creator on “Goth Baby” – a fusion of horrorcore and campy braggadocio.
• Doja Cat on “Venus Trap” – a playful, chaotic banger full of tempo switches.
• Lil Uzi Vert on “2nd Comin’” – a spiritual sequel to “Shoota,” overflowing with anarchic energy.
• Yeat on “In My Bag 333” – a rager’s anthem that pays homage to rage music.

Themes: Alienation, Obsession, and Hyper-Reality

Beneath the sonic experimentation lies a rich thematic core. Music is not just an album—it’s a psychological profile. Carti explores the burden of celebrity, identity dissolution, addiction, and nihilism. He doesn’t romanticize these themes; instead, he drags them into the daylight.

In “Bite My Skin,” Carti raps about dissociation, likening himself to a machine trapped in flesh. “MirrorWorld” tackles digital personas and the loss of authenticity in an era ruled by clout. In “No1 Can Hear,” Carti’s voice is barely audible beneath layers of static and distortion—suggesting that despite his fame, he feels silenced and misunderstood.

Reception: Divisive Genius or Overindulgent Noise?

As with Carti’s past releases, Music has triggered polarized reactions.

Pitchfork called it “a genre-bending masterpiece… proof that Carti has ascended from rapper to sonic architect.” They praised the album’s willingness to take risks and reject traditional hip-hop formulas.

The Atlantic wrote a piece titled “A Rapper for the Ketamine Era,” describing Carti’s music as “designed for a generation overstimulated and dissociated.” The article viewed Music as both a reflection of and reaction to the overstimulation of modern life.

However, not all reviews were glowing. The Washington Post questioned the album’s length and lack of cohesion: “Carti seems more interested in chaos than composition. Thirty tracks with no central narrative leaves listeners dazed rather than dazzled.”

Social media, as expected, erupted in debate. Some fans dubbed it an instant classic, while others derided it as “unlistenable,” comparing it to “AI-generated noisecore.”

But if Carti’s intent was to provoke, confuse, and challenge—he has succeeded. As Kanye West once said, “You don’t have the answers.” Carti embraces this uncertainty.

Cultural Impact and Influence: The Carti Effect

Whether you love or loathe him, Playboi Carti is impossible to ignore. With Music, he continues to influence a new wave of artists—those who value mood over message, sound over structure. His fingerprints are evident in rising stars like Destroy Lonely, Ken Carson, and even non-hip-hop acts in electronic and punk circles.

He has also redefined what it means to be a performer. His live shows are notorious for their chaotic energy, mosh pits, and near-religious devotion from fans. The Music tour, slated to begin this fall, promises an immersive, multi-sensory experience. Visual collaborators like Rick Owens and Demna (of Balenciaga fame) are rumored to be involved.

Conclusion: Playboi Carti’s Art of Controlled Chaos

Playboi Carti’s Music is less a conventional album and more an audacious art installation. It’s an abrasive, beautiful, baffling body of work that may frustrate as many people as it fascinates. But in an era when many artists play it safe, Carti doubles down on his singular vision.

By fusing elite-level features, boundary-pushing production, and themes of alienation and transcendence, Carti has created a work that feels more like a dystopian opera than a rap album. Whether or not Music will stand the test of time remains to be seen. But one thing is certain—it will be talked about for years to come.

As Carti raps on “Swan Dive”:
“Don’t follow me, I’m already lost.”