Music has always been about progression in one way or another. As a genre or ‘sound’ of a decade/generation gets tired, many artists begin experimenting with their songs: Jazz artists turned to bebop to test their chops, progressive rock bands expanded their songs through complex instrumental passages, etc. One genre, however, that hadn’t seen such a change for some time was rap/r&b. Sure, it went through minor sonic transitions such as with the bling era and boom bap 90s style, but structure wise it had generally been the very same for very long. With just a catchy hook and 2 or 3 formidable verses, most rap songs bled together with similarities. The coming of the trap era into popularity in 2010 only emphasized this problem with extremely formulaic songs and basic drum sets. But this was all about to change with Travis Scott.
In 2015, Travis released his debut album Rodeo to commercial success and critical acclaim. What people loved most about this project was its originality; it had the same trap flavorings of his contemporaries, but with a much more polished and airy sound. Heavy bangers seamlessly transitioned into angelic ballads, such as with “Oh My Dis Side”, and every track had extreme depth in its production, having the most talented producers behind each beat: Wondagurl, Sonny Digital, and Mike Dean among other big names. Where each mixer kept the listener curious with complex instrumentals, the feature list delivered exceptionally. Keeping the feel of Atlanta strong, artists Quavo,Young Thug, Future, and 2 Chainz among others fired guest verses on “3500” and “Maria I’m Drunk” that invigorated the listener with tastes of the rough underground. But above all, the shining star of this album was the orchestrator himself, Travis Scott. Travis invited the listener into his experiences from H-Town on cuts like “Pornography” and “90210” with tales of his come up from the streets to working with Kanye West. His flow and lyricism had improved from his last projects, and it was clear that he was putting an emphasis on storytelling while holding his own on “Impossible” and “I Can Tell”. Travis made the album with enough hits to keep him a mainstay at festivals while also avoiding ‘filler’, instead creating a captivating rap storybook. Where many other trap artists had been criticized for not making consistent LP’s, the Houston native had struck gold with a solid debut that pushed the boundaries of the genre to new lengths.
Just as many music varieties in the past had developed with age, it was time for a change with trap. Travis Scott pursued this adaptation with his progressive instrumentals and vocal style that transformed trap into a symphonic experience. Since his debut Rodeo, Travis has had continued success on Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight and Astroworld, both following in his first project’s layout. But other artists have started to catch on, too: Frank Ocean and Tyler, the Creator have triumphed in recent years with their respective projects Blonde and Flower Boy that have clear influences from the Kanye prodigy in their ethereal atmosphere. ASAP Rocky, too, who was once known for his hard-hitting flows has switched it up on this year’s Testing project with a more spacey sedating feel. Will more rappers in the future continue in developing their music with grand instrumentals? Are producers soon to become the big names behind each new release? For now, it’s hard to tell, but it sure is an exciting time for musicians and their fans.
Thank you so much for your in-depth analysis of Travis Scott’s music! I’m always on the lookout for new music/musical genres, so maybe I’ll dip my toes in trap next.