After five years of anticipation from fans, rapper Playboi Carti finally released his much-awaited album “I Am Music” featuring a star-studded lineup of featured artists. “Music,” the followup to his chart-topping 2020 album “Whole Lotta Red,” was teased back in January 2024, leading to over a year of speculation and debate regarding its eventual release. With 34 aggressive, Atlanta-style tracks paying homage to the rapper’s roots, the album was met with a wide range of opinion from both fans and critics alike.
“I thought the album was a generational release that really drew listeners in,” Lambert senior Shashank Ramireddy said. “I felt connected to the new feel of his music from where he left off.”
Many fans believe that this intensification of his musical style has allowed for the album to blossom into a generational soundtrack, one that represents the shifting tastes of the younger generation. Modern listeners of rap are gravitating towards this edgier, more aggressive delivery of flow and lyrics, symbolizing Carti’s status as a musical beacon for newer audiences. Furthermore, the album uses its platform to pay homage to classic Atlanta rap influences, with Carti’s vocals in various tracks nodding to homegrown stars like Future, Young Thug and others.
However, some also opined that the album failed to meet expectations, especially given the five year long wait. Critics claimed that “Music” felt random and disjointed, ultimately disappointing fans who had high hopes for the release.
“All the tracks on the album didn’t live up to expectations,” Lambert senior Sarah Kim said. “I didn’t particularly get the hype around…any of the tracks.”
The crazed nature of “Music” left some feeling that the album lacked direction and a clear vision, choosing to prioritize a chaotic vibe over a cohesive musical experience. While the idea of Carti’s style appeals to younger audiences, the often-repetitive ad-libs and spontaneous flow can disenchant potential listeners, creating split opinions about his latest musical venture.
Despite polarized views on the release, Carti’s album served as a continuation of his success at the top of the charts, peaking at number one on the Billboard charts and boasting 384 million streams in its first week. “Music” also set records as Spotify’s most-streamed album on a given day this year, priming it for a strong run in the coming months ahead. Public opinion aside, the album’s impressive statistics and sheer reach across listening audiences highlights both the intrigue surrounding this modern style of rap as well as the influence of online music culture on artist success.
As a whole, Carti’s much-awaited release has gone beyond mere listener sentiment to propagate a new vision of aggressive, ‘rage rap’ music that has influenced a generation of fans. While opinion on the album remains polarized on both sides, supporters and critics alike can expect new waves of this blossoming genre to release in the months to come. Carti’s music revels in unpredictability, but one thing remains certain: the influence his unconventional style holds in the rap genre will continue to persist in an ever-changing music industry driven by intrigue and online listening culture.
