bbnews
Page: 196
Four key marketing executives are elevated at Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA), the Universal Music Group-division headquartered at Santa Monica, CA.
Among those enjoying promotions, announced today (Aug. 1), are Ramon Alvarez-Smikle, who rises to executive vice president/head digital marketing; Laura Carter, who is named as executive vice president/head of urban marketing; Chris Mortimer, who is upped to executive vice president/head of digital marketing; and Daniel Sena, promoted to executive vice president/head of strategic marketing at the label.
Each of these executives “has built teams that create consistent opportunities for our artists to build and nurture their fan bases,” comments Steve Berman, vice chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M, in a statement. The promotions, he continues, “reflect how important their work is as we continue to build upon our platform to move culture through music.”
Alvarez-Smikle, who most recently served as SVP, head of urban digital marketing at Interscope, will continue to oversee digital marketing efforts across all of Interscope’s hip-hop and R&B artist roster.
Carter, who is promoted from SVP, head of urban marketing at Interscope Records, will continue to oversee marketing across Interscope’s roster of hip-hop and R&B artists.
Meanwhile, Mortimer will continue to oversee digital marketing campaigns for Interscope’s pop and rock roster of artists. Most recently, he served as SVP, head of digital marketing at Interscope.
And Sena, who most recently served as SVP, head of strategic marketing at Interscope, will continue to oversee brand partnerships across Interscope’s artist roster.
The umbrella label group was unified in 1999 and is a powerhouse in rock, pop, hip-hop and alternative. IGA finished 2020 as the Top Label on Billboard’s year-end charts for the first time since 2013. At the same time, Interscope reigned as the top Billboard Hot 100 Label, and IGA was named as the top Billboard 200 Label.
This marks the second round of promotions in as many weeks, after four of IGA’s top-level executives were promoted into new roles in late July.
As Barbiemania sweeps the nation, Billie Eilish’s lowkey Barbie cut “What Was I Made For?” (via Interscope) is challenging for the U.K.’s chart crown.
Eilish’s latest hit sits at No. 2 on the midweek chart, having trailed the leader, Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (Live Yours/Neighbourhood), by just 1,500 combined units with the publication of this week’s earliest chart blast.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Sprinter” has been unbeatable in its chart run, clocking eight consecutive weeks at No. 1.
Travis Scott could be living his best life with Utopia (via Epic), which is well placed in the national albums chart race. The followup to 2018’s Astroworld, Utopia could yield three top 10 singles, led on the midweek chart by “Meltdown” (No. 7), “Fein” (No. 9) and “Hyaena” (No. 10). Scott has already notched four top 10 appearances.
Further down the list is Calvin Harris and Sam Smith’s latest collaboration “Desire” (Columbia), poised for a No. 17 bow. If it holds its position, it would mark Harris’ 41st top 40 single and Smith’s 22nd. The pair previously teamed up on 2018’s “Promises,” which led the national chart for six weeks.
Meanwhile, Sinead O’Connor’s tragic death on July 26, aged 56, is fueling interest in the Irish singer’s biggest hit, “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Chrysalis). The Prince-penned classic from the early ‘90s bounces to No. 19 on the Official Singles Chart Update, dipping from No. 12 on the First Look chart, which ranks tracks based on sales and streaming activity from the first 48 hours. Powered by its emotionally-charged music video, the single led the chart for four weeks following its release in 1990.
Finally, the legendary leftfield electronic music producer Aphex Twin is tuning-up for his highest-ever peak in the U.K. with “Blackbox Life Recorder 21F” (Warp). It’s new at No. 29 on the midweek chart, and could mark the artist’s (real name: Richard David James) first appearance on the singles chart since 1999’s “Windowlicker,” which achieved his career-best peak of No. 16.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published late Friday, Aug. 4.
It’s tight at the top of the midweek U.K. chart, as Anne-Marie and Travis Scott tussle for the crown.
Based on data published by the Official Charts Company, Anne-Marie’s third studio album Unhealthy (via Atlantic) has the edge – a wafer-thin one, of less than 100 chart units.
If it stays on target, Unhealthy will give the English artist her third top 10, and first leader. Anne-Marie’s previous albums both impacted the top 3 — 2018’s Speak Your Mind (No. 3) and 2021’s Therapy (No. 2).
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Meanwhile, Scott’s Utopia opens at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update, with three tracks from it (the maximum allowed under the U.K.’s chart criteria) are on track to appear in the singles chart top 10. Utopia is the followup to Scott’s Astroworld (Epic), which peaked at No. 3 on the national survey in 2018. Like Anne-Marie, the Houston, TX rapper has never landed a U.K. No. 1.
Completing an all-new podium on the chart blast is Austin (Island), the fifth studio album from Post Malone. Austin is set to start at No. 3, for Posty’s fifth top 10, a career collection that includes two No. 1s.
Meanwhile, veteran English pop-rock group Dexys (formerly Dexys Midnight Runners) are on track for their highest-charting LP since 1982 with The Feminine Divine (100 Percent Records), their sixth studio album. It’s new No. 4 on the midweek tally. The last time Kevin Rowland and Co. soared in the top 5 on the U.K. chart was back in 1982, with sophomore effort Too-Rye-Ay, which featured the enduring No. 1 hit “Come On Eileen.” Too-Rye-Ay peakedat No. 2 and enjoyed a 40-year anniversary reissue in 2022.
Last week’s leader, Blur’s The Ballad of Darren (Parlophone), looks set to tumble 1-5.
Finally, folk legend Joni Mitchell could bag her highest chart appearance since the ‘70s with At Newport (Rhino). Recorded in 2022 during a surprise performance at Newport Folk Festival, her first major outing since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015, Mitchell’s latest release sits at No. 11 on the midweek survey and appears set to become her highest charting U.K. LP since 1976’s Hejira, which also peaked at No. 11.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published Friday, Aug. 4.
Paul McCartney has his sights set on a return to Australia, for his first tour there in six years.
The evergreen octogenarian had promised “news coming soon” on his socials, and he delivers with the announcement of a new, Australian swing to his Got Back Tour, which will play two markets for the first time – the satellite cities of Newcastle (north of Sydney) and Gold Coast (south of Brisbane).
The Beatles great’s trek is produced by Frontier Touring, the Melbourne-based concerts giant, part of the Mushroom Group, which secured his previous tour of these parts in 2017. That visit was McCartney’s first Down Under in almost a quarter century.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
In an era when major arena and stadium tours are regularly announced a year ahead of showtime, McCartney’s jaunt, set for this October and November, is tighter than most. McCartney is no ordinary artist.
The two-time Rock And Roll Hall of Famer will embark on his run with an “intimate” date at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Oct. 18, the only arena show on the itinerary. When McCartney and the Beatles played the South Australia capital in 1964, at the very peak of their powers, an estimated 350,000 people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the Fab Four. That’s roughly one-third the city’s current population.
The six-city stretch includes outdoor dates in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Perth misses out.
“I’ve got so many amazing memories of my time in Australia over the years,” McCartney comments in a statement, confirming the Australia leg. “Our last trip was so much fun. We had such an incredible time. Each show was a party so we know this is going to be incredibly special. Australia we are going to rock! I can’t wait to see you.”
Those memories and parties coalesced into a tour for the ages. Macca’s five-city One On One Tour won the Helpmann for best international contemporary concert in 2018, awarded by Live Performance Australia, and was declared a career highlight by legendary promoter Michael Gudinski, the late founder of Frontier Touring.
Joining McCartney on the road is his longtime band, Paul “Wix” Wickens (keyboards), Brian Ray (bass/guitar), Rusty Anderson (guitar) and Abe Laboriel Jr (drums).
Following the release of Peter Jackson’s three-part 2021 documentary series The Beatles: Get Back, McCartney embarked on a 16-date U.S. run on his Got Back Tour, which last year nudged his total career gross north of the $1 billion mark, making him one of just 11 artists to surpass the 10-digit mark in Boxscore’s 30-year-plus history.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 11 via frontiertouring.com/paulmccartney, with the Frontier members presale starting earlier, on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
Paul McCartney – 2023 Got Back Tour of Australia:Oct .18 — Adelaide Entertainment CentreOct. 21 — Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, VICOct. 24 — McDonald Jones Stadium, NewcastleOct. 27 — Allianz Stadium, SydneyNov. 1 — Suncorp Stadium, BrisbaneNov. 4 — Heritage Bank Stadium, Gold Coast
It’s official: Barbie is slaying at the box office, and she’s also smashing the music charts.
Barbie: The Album (via Atlantic) leads the U.K.’s compilations chart and three tracks from it climb into the national singles chart top 5 — Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” (up 10-3 on a 71% week-on-week gain in chart sales, via Interscope), Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night” (up 15-4 on a 86% lift in chart sales, via Warner Records) and Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua‘s “Barbie World” (up 20-5 with a 115% boost in chart sales, via Atlantic/Capitol/Republic).
Until now, no film soundtrack has simultaneously landed three top 5 singles in the U.K.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The first film soundtrack to bag three simultaneous U.K. top 10s was 1978’s Saturday Night Fever (“Night Fever,” “If I Can’t Have You,” “More Than A Woman”), and the Grease soundtrack from the same year launched three top 10 hits (“Summer Nights,” “Grease,” “Hopelessly Devoted To You”).
Disney’s Encanto from 2022 became the first animated film soundtrack to claim three simultaneous top 10s (“We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” “Surface Pressure” and “The Family Madrigal”).
It’s a good week for Aqua, with not one but two top 40 appearances. Powered by the popular Margot Robbie-starring film, “Barbie World,” which interpolates Aqua’s one-time U.K. No. 1 “Barbie Girl,” gives the Norwegian pop outfit their first U.K. top 5 spot in 25 years, since 1998’s “Turn Back Time,” the Official Charts Company reports. It’s Aqua’s sixth U.K. top 10 appearance, Minaj’s 15th and Ice Spice’s first.
“Barbie Girl,” meanwhile, reenters the top 40 for the first time in 25 years, at No. 40, with a 91% week-on-week uplift in combined sales, according to the OCC. The kitsch classic from 1997 is a member of the U.K.’s million-seller club, coming in at No. 16 on the all-time list.
Barbie playtime doesn’t end there; a total of six entries from the soundtrack appear in the U.K. top 40, published Friday, July 28, including cuts by Charli XCX, “Ken” actor Ryan Gosling, and Lizzo.
Barbie: The Album is the current No. 1 in Australia, where it becomes the first soundtrack since Encanto to lead the ARIA Chart.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Greta Gerwig-directed Barbie movie has raked in $774.5 million at the global box office in just 12 days.
At the top of the singles chart mountain in the U.K. is Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (Live Yours/Neighbourhood), which wins the chart race for an eighth consecutive week, ahead of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” (Geffen), which holds at No. 2.
Blur is back on top in the U.K. as The Ballad of Darren arrives at No. 1, for the Britpop legends’ seventh leader.
The Ballad of Darren (via Parlophone) opens with 44,000 chart units, the Official Charts Company reports, with physical formats proving popular. Almost 90% of those first-week units were sold as physical copies.
That Blur would crown the chart on Friday, July 28 was virtually assured when, at the midweek point, the album was reported to be outselling the rest of the top 10 combined.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The foursome, which also includes guitarist Graham Coxon, bass player Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree, also hit No. 1 with Parklife (1994), The Great Escape (1995), Blur (1997), 13 (1999), and Think Tank (2003) and The Magic Whip (2015), while their first two albums, 1991’s Leisure and 1993’s Modern Life is Rubbish, reached No. 7 and No. 15, respectively.
With seven albums chart crowns, Blur joins the likes of Elton John, George Michael, Paul McCartney and Barbra Streisand, and they’re just one title short of the eight leaders accumulated by Oasis, Blur’s ‘90s nemesis. Oasis’ string of leaders does, however, including a greatest hits collection, 2010’s Time Flies – 1994-2009.
For frontman Damon Albarn, a second No. 1 of the year after his other band, Gorillaz, reigned over the Official U.K. Albums Chart in March with Cracker Island, a feat that places him in rare company. The likes of ABBA, Taylor Swift, The Beatles, Diana Ross and Robbie Williams have also landed two chart-toppers in a calendar year.
Meanwhile, American rockers Greta Van Fleet snag a second top 10 album with Starcatcher (EMI), new at No. 8. That’s an equal career high, matching the No. 8 best for 2021’s The Battle at Garden’s Gate, and beating the No. 12 peak for their 2018 debut Anthem of a Peaceful Army.
Finally, As December Falls enjoys its first appearance on the U.K. chart with Join The Club (ADF), new at No. 11, while K-pop girl group NewJeans land at No. 15 with their second EP Get Up.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. It’s Friday and we’ve got a ton of new music this week. Travis Scott’s new album includes a collab with Beyoncé, […]
Staind returns to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart for the first time in over a decade with “Lowest in Me,” which rises to the top spot on the Aug. 5-dated ranking.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The song is the Aaron Lewis-fronted band’s first ruler since “Not Again,” which led for seven weeks in 2011.
Staind now boasts five No. 1s, beginning with “It’s Been Awhile,” the second-longest-leading hit in the chart’s history, at 20 weeks in 2001. (3 Doors Down‘s “Loser” is the record winner: 21 weeks at No. 1 in 2000-01.) Staind also led with “So Far Away” in 2003 and “Right Here” in 2005.
In between “Not Again” and “Lowest in Me,” Staind hit Mainstream Rock Airplay with three titles, paced by the No. 5-peaking “Eyes Wide Open” in 2012. Lewis has also charted songs solo on both Mainstream Rock Airplay and Country Airplay between 2000 and 2021.
Concurrently, “Lowest in Me” bullets at its No. 4 best on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay survey with 4.1 million audience impressions, up 3%, July 21-27, according to Luminate. It’s tied for the band’s top-charting song on the ranking, which began in 2009, equaling the peak of “Not Again.”
In addition to its mainstream rock radio airplay, “Lowest in Me” has so far appeared on the Alternative Airplay survey for a week at No. 40 (July 29).
The most recently published multi-metric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart (dated July 29) found “Lowest in Me” at a new No. 13 high; in addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 422,000 official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads in the July 14-20 tracking week.
“Lowest in Me” is the lead single from Confessions of the Fallen, Staind’s eighth studio album and first since 2011’s self-titled effort. It’s due Sept. 15.
All Aug. 5-dated Billboard airplay charts will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Even while Hip-hop’s 50th birthday has brought classic rap knowledge back to the forefront of everyone’s brains, Travis Scott’s Utopia has stood tall as one of the most highly anticipated releases of the 2020s. Five years ago, Astroworld’s trippy and psychedelic landscape transported listeners to a new planet, creating a hallucinatory world where John Mayer and Tame Impala could co-exist alongside Nav, Big Moe and Uncle Luke’s “I Wanna Rock (Doo Doo Brown).”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
By the time Scott cryptically announced Utopia in 2020, his rabid fandom was already at a fever pitch, led by his pack of die-hard followers who dutifully explored Astroworld’s otherworldly dimension while trapped inside during lockdown. But after the tragedy at Scott’s Astroworld music festival the following November, Utopia came crashing down to earth, and its future remained uncertain as the Houston rapper dealt with the seemingly never-ending fallout.
But after endless teasers, Utopia finally began its descent onto the world on Friday (July 28), led by the sleek summery groove of “K-Pop” that dropped last week. While a mix consisting of Bad Bunny and The Weeknd will undoubtedly dominate pop radio, the single was distinctly light considering the dark cloud that hangs over Utopia’s atmosphere. The album is at its most potent when at its most dismal, and while Scott’s detailed backdrops are some of the most impressive of his career, some tracks hit with more emotional force than others. Here are Billboard’s thoughts on every song that appears on Travis Scott’s Utopia.
19. “FE!N,” (feat. Playboi Carti & Sheck Wes)
[embedded content]
The surprising truth is that Playboi Carti’s marble-mouthed flow feels slightly out of place on Utopia, and the shallow drug-fueled subject matter of “Fe!n” in turn comes off like a Whole Lotta Red B-side and not like something pertaining to Travis Scott’s dystopian vision. “Fe!n” can’t help but come off like a track included solely for Carti’s equally-as-rabid fanbase.
18. “TOPIA TWINS” (feat. 21 Savage & Rob49)
[embedded content]
By Utopia’s 11th track, Travis has reflected on his mortality alongside Bon Iver and Sampha (“MY EYES”) and spoken about paranoia with Beyoncé (“DELRESTO”). To go from that to rapping about “Twin b–hes on a jetski” feels abrupt and misplaced. While “Topia Twins” advocates for summertime fun, Trav and 21 Savage never say anything they haven’t said already. The saving grace here is Rob49, who enters the arena wide-eyed and eager to please as he raps playfully: “Travis, what if they twins and they Siamese but they wanna f–k us both?”
17. “MELTDOWN,” feat. Drake
[embedded content]
“Sicko Mode” was a moment unto itself when it was unleashed in 2018. Packing four vastly distinctive producers into its five-minute runtime, the song’s breakneck beat switches gave each producer the space to breathe, all while Drizzy and Trav dodged the potholes with their slick rhymes. On “Meltdown,” Coleman, BNYX, Boi1da, Vinylz, Tay Keith and Skeleton Cartier all enter the fold, but the result instead are sedated beats that trudge through the mud at a similar pace. Drake’s braggadocious verbiage also slows to a crawl, as he offers up some hollow flexes (“Famous hoes lame but they stay on my d–k”) and cheap digs at Pharrell and longtime nemesis Pusha T. While “Sicko Mode” found joy in pushing some limits, “MELTDOWN” feels surprisingly and disappointingly one-dimensional.
16. “GOD’S COUNTRY”
[embedded content]
Driven by a disorienting loop of haunting children’s voices courtesy of Kanye West, “GOD’S COUNTRY” has all the eerie makings of a great Travis Scott song, but it’s just too brief to leave an impact. While the term “GOD’S COUNTRY” could take on many different meanings, Travis chooses to party instead, (“Wakin’ up, I see the light, I been drunk and it’s all right”) which is slightly disappointing.
15. “I KNOW?”
[embedded content]
“I KNOW?” offers a welcomed change of pace following Beyoncé’s emotional catharsis on “DELRESTOS (ECHOES),” and serves as the connective tissue to Utopia’s latter half. Operating almost as an interlude, “I KNOW?” feels like an invitation to his day one fans to just vibe with him for a moment, as if to remind them that the polished autotuned crooning they came to know and love is still very much alive.
14. “THANK GOD” (feat. KayCyy & Teezo Touchdown)
[embedded content]
Coming on the heels of the disorienting opener “HYAENA,” “THANK GOD” finds Travis Scott fully navigating his comfort zone. Thanks to KayCyy’s tightly wound trap beat, Scott seems to almost elevate the rhythmic drive of 2018’s “Butterfly Effect,” using “THANK GOD’s” grinding bass to accept his faults and celebrate his personal growth in the years since Astroworld. “The way we evolved and knocked down walls, this s–t’s outrageous,” Scott raps almost wistfully. While he’s full of gratitude for what came before, Scott uses “THANK GOD” to recognize the need to move forward.
13. “TIL FURTHER NOTICE” (feat. 21 Savage & James Blake)
[embedded content]
To be clear: “TIL FURTHER NOTICE” is a great song. Metro Boomin and James Blake’s kaleidoscopic production serves as a stellar layout for Scott and 21 Savage, who use the galactic beat to ruminate on their complicated love affairs, but it doesn’t quite serve its purpose as a closing track for an album filled with so many emotional highs. With that being said, knowing Travis Scott listens to Coldplay feels significant.
12. “SIRENS”
[embedded content]
Having Travis Scott rap vigorously about “juggling” sexual urges after sampling New England’s “Explorer Suite” is the type of chaos that made the Houston polymath such a compelling talent in the first place. “SIRENS” glitchy drive make for a disorienting listen, but it will leave you dazed and satisfied if you’re able to stomach it. Not to mention Scott’s energy on the microphone will make you wanna beat your chest.
11. “K-POP” (with The Weeknd & Bad Bunny)
[embedded content]
Arguably the lightest song on Utopia, “K-POP” feels like an intermission, a joyful romp that gives Bad Bunny and The Weeknd the space to highlight their talents. The Weeknd’s closing verse is especially playful, as he diverts away from his current brand of post-apocalyptic storytelling for the fun, drug-fueled antics of Starboy and even Kissland-era Abel, in a way that brings on feelings of nostalgia.
10. “CIRCUS MAXIMUS” (feat. Swae Lee & The Weeknd)
[embedded content]
Serving as the namesake track to Scott’s Utopia companion film, the hustle and bustle of “CIRCUS MAXIMUS” does its job of keeping the listeners engaged for Utopia’s final half. While Scott raps incredibly well, it’s The Weeknd’s uplifting hook that shoots the song into the stratosphere.
9. “PARASAIL” (feat. Dave Chappelle & Yung Lean)
[embedded content]
Sonically, “PARASAIL” is a drastic departure from Utopia. Driven by a muddy guitar loop and a compelling speech from Dave Chappelle, Yung Lean and Travis Scott are an Auto-Tuned match made in heaven, as the duo wail about their self-loathing and the struggle that comes with searching for forgiveness. It’s a welcomed change of pace on Utopia that takes the album from the clouds and grounds it back down to earth, as Yung Lean and Travis reflect on the harsh reality of being human.
8. “LOOOVE” (feat. Kid Cudi)
[embedded content]
While the joint venture between Kid Cudi and Travis (known as The Scotts) never came to fruition beyond one self-titled song, “LOOOVE” offers a compelling (and in some ways heartbreaking) look at what could have been. Both rappers elevate above Pharrell’s suffocating beat, resulting in a bouncy, fun track that bobs and weaves flawlessly.
7. “LOST FOREVER” (feat. Westside Gunn & James Blake)
[embedded content]
One of the most highly anticipated songs from Utopia, Scott’s lethargic rework of Check Senrick’s “Don’t Be So Nice” from 1976 provides a surprisingly perfect platform for Westside Gunn, who gives a lengthy and impressive verse focused on the spoils of fame. With added ghoulish vocals from James Blake, “Lost Forever” feels like a mismatched song that shouldn’t work but does.
6. “HYAENA”
[embedded content]
“HYAENA” reaffirms that no rapper can open an album like Travis Scott. While Scott spits some of the best bars of his career, his choice to open his album with a sample from Gentle Giant’s “Proclamation” is as attention-grabbing as a Scott record can get. While they officially disbanded in 1980, Gentle Giant was long regarded as ahead of their time, with their cult-like following often praising the group’s sophisticated musical structures. In this way, “HYAENA” is already a unique flex, with fans often offering the same praise of Scott. The rapper then creates even more chaos by throwing other delightfully bewildering ingredients into the melting pot: including a closing sample from Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain” and a braggadocious comparison to Chelsea Handler.
5. “MY EYES” (feat. Sampha)
[embedded content]
Serving as one of the deepest emotional cuts on Utopia, Bon Iver’s oozing synths and buried vocals give way to emotional epiphanies from a nostalgic Scott, who yearns for childhood more than ever despite the fame and riches. While Sampha sounds amazing, it’s Scott’s grace as a rapper that carries the song. Even when the beat switches to something more upbeat, every word feels thoughtful and dutifully chosen. The track gives space for Travis Scott the human to say his peace and in turn, he offers one of the only direct lines referencing the Astroworld Tragedy.
“If they just knew what Scotty would do to jump off the stage and save him a child,” he raps. “The things I created became the most weighted, I gotta find balance and keep me inspired.”
4. “DELRESTO (ECHOES)” (feat. Beyoncé)
[embedded content]
What can truly be said about how great “DELRESTO” is? It’s admittedly a stuffed song, filled with backing vocals from Bon Iver and production from Allen Ritter, James Blake, Mike Dean, Hit-Boy and Beyoncé herself. But while “DELRESTO (ECHOES)” could have been a bogged-down mess, the song takes flight thanks to Beyoncé’s Renaissance-era groove, which fit in well with Utopia’s dystopian vision. Scott seems happy to give Queen Bey the reigns and offers his own hazy Auto-Tuned speculations, while the latter keeps the good times rolling.
3. “SKITZO” (feat. Young Thug)
[embedded content]
Thugga and Travis Scott have always been an incredibly menacing duo, and sonically feel almost like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. “SKITZO,” with that being said, offers some of the best production on the project — but its sole issue is that Young Thug isn’t around that much. To hear them trade off even more flexes in the track’s back half would have been insanely rewarding, but Scott elevates his lyricism to impressive length, and carries it through to the finish line nonetheless.
2. “MODERN JAM” (feat. Teezo Touchdown)
[embedded content]
Revamping a decade-old rendition of Kanye West’s “I Am a God,” the Yeezus cut tees up one of Utopia’s most exciting moments. “MODERN JAM” – thanks to a relentless and seedy beat from Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homeme-Christo and Mike Dean – sounds like a bad molly trip, and finds Travis Scott serving as pastor “roof shaker” and “annihilator” to a crowded dancefloor. The result is a Travis Scott who sounds like he’s having the time of his life, while Teezo Touchdown also offers one of the best verses of his career, adding to the chaos by channeling a coked-out André 3000.
1. “TELEKINESIS” (feat. Future & SZA)
[embedded content]
Not only does Ye’s “Telekinesis” beat push Travis Scott fully outside his comfort zone, but it’s Future’s verse that really steals the show, and is arguably better than anything that appeared on his last few albums. He reflects on his relationship with Ciara without being petty, speaks on his paranoia without any glint in his eye, and in turn offers the most candid portrayal of King Pluto we’ve seen in years. Throw in an equally emotive closing verse from SZA, and you’ll leave “TELEKINESIS” with tears in your eyes.
After a five-year album hiatus and a deadly festival tragedy in 2021, Travis Scott is back in the public eye with his long-awaited new album Utopia out today (July 28).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Scott originally planned a grand entrance for the album via a concert at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, but the event was officially canceled earlier this week (July 26) due to “complex production issues,” according to a statement from Live Nation Middle East. However, Scott took to Twitter to reassure fans that the show will happen at a later time. “Egypt in the pyramids will happen but due to demand and detail logistics they just need a bit a time to set lay on lands. I will keep up posted on a date which will be soon love you alllll,” he wrote.
Between briefcases, billboards, and pyramids (or lack thereof), the 32-year-old showed off his knack for going above and beyond for his album promotion with the Utopia rollout. Earlier this summer, artists like Bad Bunny and The Weeknd (who are both featured on the album’s first single “K-POP”), SZA (who is featured alongside Future on “TELEKINESIS”) and Mike Dean (who mastered the album) had been spotted with brown Utopia-marked briefcases. Cryptic billboards promoting the album were also seen around Los Angeles last month. This past week, Scott also revealed five grainy album covers featuring men wearing white colored contacts — who, fans suspected, might represent song features due to their loose resemblance of Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, the Creator, Juice WRLD, Baby Keem and Lil Baby. (None of these artists are on the album.)
Beginning last night (July 27), Scott premiered an album film titled Circus Maximus in select AMC theaters. Directed by the musician along with five additional directors, Scott “takes his audience on a mind-bending visual odyssey across the globe, woven together by the speaker rattling sounds of his highly anticipated upcoming album Utopia,” reads AMC’s website. “The film is a surreal and psychedelic journey, uniting a collective of visionary filmmakers from around the world in a kaleidoscopic exploration of human experience and the power of soundscapes.”
Billboard attended the film screening last night. Here’s what we gathered.
[embedded content]
Free merch
Fans were gifted free Circus Maximus t-shirts upon checking in at the theater. The shirts are black with the Cactus Jack and film’s logo on the front and back, respectively. Scott also revealed that some of them were hidden in theaters, sending fans on a scavenger hunt.
Scott’s inner thoughts
Circus Maximus begins with Scott being choked by an octopus, before transforming into a new version of himself. He then climbs a mountain to meet with producer Rick Rubin, who engages him in a conversation about his feelings as of late. Rubin tells Scott that he’s come a long way and acknowledges that the rapper has experienced tragedy, seemingly alluding to the deadly crowd crush that killed 10 people at his Astroworld Festival in 2021. At times, Scott seems flustered. He quickly deflects the topic, saying he didn’t visit Rubin to discuss that, though he shows remorse about the situation later on when asked, “How’s home?” “Home ain’t been the same in a while,” Scott replies. “I hear echoes half the day.”
Scott’s conversations with Rubin occur in the first half of the film, and are sandwiched between cinematic music videos of him in different countries. In one clip, he’s a part of what looks like an acrobatic trick, where people are standing on each other’s shoulders to help a child climb out of a hole. The camera shows a close-up of Scott straining under the pressure, a possible metaphor for the weight he’s felt over the past few years processing his grief and figuring out how to move forward with his career. However, other scenes are more jovial: One scene sees him DJing a party to Utopia‘s “MODERN JAM” while in another, he’s seen riding camels and dirt bikes with people in Nigeria to the set’s “HYAENA.”
The world-building and meaning of UTOPIA
Travis Scott has become exceptional at creating worlds around his music. Whereas 2018’s Astroworld was more straightforward in concept, UTOPIA is a bit more loose in meaning and open to interpretation. For Circus Maximus — which he directed, wrote and starred in — the artist traveled to Iceland, Nigeria, Denmark, France and Italy to make sense of his personal utopia. When asked about the album, the Houston artist explains that his concept of a utopian world “is not all that pretty and confrontational,” but rather, he’s trying to transfer his energy without breaking or disrupting it along the journey. He also mentions that he’s trying to find a new way to rage.
Scott seems the most in his element during the last half of the film, when he performs a handful of UTOPIA songs at an amphitheater in Pompeii, Italy. At this point, Circus Maximus pivots from a collection of music videos and Rubin conversations to a concert film. Dressed in white and backed by a wall of speakers, dusk turns to dawn as Scott rehearses some of his new catalog in the empty historical venue.
Special guest appearances
During his performance, special guests — some of whom are also featured on the album — joined Scott to perform. Teezo Touchdown (“MODERN JAM”), Sheck Wes (“FE!N”), Yung Lean (“PARASAIL”), James Blake (“TIL FURTHER NOTICE”) and model Jazzelle all joined Scott and were thanked for their participation in the closing credits. Other artists featured on the 19-track album include Beyoncé, Drake, Young Thug, Future, SZA and Sampha. In conversation with director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Spy Kids) for i-D in early 2021, the Scott said that with UTOPIA he is “expand[ing] the sound. I’ve been making beats again, rapping on my own beats, just putting everything together and trying to grow it really,” he said. “That’s been one of the most fun things about working on this album. I’m evolving, collaborating with new people, delivering a whole new sound, a whole new range.”
Cactus Jack and gamma?
Circus Maximus is in association with Larry Jackson’s new media company gamma, according to the film’s closing credits. In whatever capacity that is, it doesn’t seem far-fetched, since Scott attended the company’s launch party back in March. gamma is a company that specializes in distribution, creative guidance, marketing and more. Its clientele so far includes Snoop Dogg, Usher and Sexyy Red.