Issue 5: Classic Album Review - Rodeo by Travis Scott
A review of Travis Scott's debut 2015 album Rodeo.
Travis Scott is a Houston-born rapper and one of the biggest names in hip-hop at the moment. His 2014 mixtape Days Before Rodeo (released in 2014) launched his career and he hasn’t looked back since. Rodeo, released in 2015, was Travis’ debut album and made him one of the most exciting artists in the game. Since then, he hasn’t stopped with very successful albums in Astroworld and Utopia, a catalogue of hits, and features with some of the biggest names in music. It was his single SICKO MODE which catapulted him to superstar status and is his biggest song by far with over 2 billion streams on Spotify alone (as of 21/4/24). It is quite interesting though that his journey follows a similar trajectory to that of Kanye West, with Travis also having his roots in production. His most notable production project is his involvement with Ye’s 2013 album Yeezus (a sound you can hear on Rodeo).
It will come to no surprise that Travis’ superstar status can be backed up alongside commercial success. He has earned 4 number 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 with SICKO MODE, Highest In The Room, The Scotts alongside Kid Cudi and Franchise featuring Young Thug and M.I.A. It is quite interesting how some of these songs have managed to get number 1 whilst others such as 90210 haven’t. Travis has also managed to achieve 2 number 1 albums on the Top Album Sales chart with Utopia and Astroworld. Rodeo did well by placing 4th and spent 8 weeks on the chart, but I think it deserved a lot better considering the quality and hits on the album.
Travis Scott is one of my favourite artists of all time largely because of the incredible production quality of his songs alongside his unique and diverse rap style, which I really enjoy. Rodeo is by far my favourite album of his, although this is a large topic of discussion among Travis Scott fans, especially when Astroworld is brought into the mix - which has a very similar calibre of quality to Rodeo. What gives Rodeo the edge for me is simply the raw sound of the album. I also think that the quality of tracks on Rodeo are slightly better than those on Astroworld and as a result, I revisit Rodeo far more often. Therefore, I am very excited to be doing this album review on one of my favourite albums.
Looking at Travis Scott from a business standpoint, it is insane how well he has done corporately. He has managed to achieve massive collaboration deals with brands such as McDonalds’, Fortnite where he had his own in-game concert and skin, PlayStation where he was the leading ambassador for the launch of the PS5, Nike with his own series of trainers among many others. Much of this success comes from Travis’ unique proposition as being a collaborator with a more hands-on role through telling brands what to do rather than the opposite - which has created unique and successful marketing campaigns. This has lead to him being dubbed a ‘cultural icon’ by Jennifer Healan, the vice president of US Marketing for McDonald’s. His collaboration with Nike especially, where Travis has complete control over designs of the trainers, has created a very lucrative market, where some of his trainers are going for over $22,500 on retailer StockX. It is believed that Travis earns $10 million annually from this partnership with Nike (Brown, 2020).
Travis has also done some business ventures himself. Most recently Travis has launched an Anheuser-Busch-backed hard seltzer named Cacti. This has already experienced much success with online inventory selling out within 12 hours of release and retailers selling out of it within 24 hours (Dingwall, 2021). In addition, Travis sells a range of clothing, CDs and Vinyl on his website to provide yet another revenue stream. Corporately, there is much that can be taken away from Travis’ success. Tapping into multiple markets is certainly a contributing factor to this. Most of all his direct involvement is ultimately core to his success by maintaining his long-term vision and the strong brand he has created for himself.
Tracklist Ratings:
Pornography - a perfect introductory track. T.I’s introduction to the track is very effective in setting the narrative for the album. After T.I.’s part, Travis starts quite slow and methodically until there is a crescendo to his second verse, one of the reasons why it is a very strong stand-alone track. Travis’ second verse especially is what I enjoy most about this track because it’s performed so well. The increased tempo of his flow and the beat help the very strong rap performance. Pornography is a very unique introductory track to many I have listened to due to its replayability factor, which many introductory tracks lack. I love the ever-changing tempo on the track alongside the moody and mysterious soundscape. A perfect start to one of my favourite hiphop albums of all time. 86
Oh My Dis Side (feat. Quavo) – the beat switch in the middle of the track is my favourite aspect of it. There is a slow start to both the beat and Travis’ flow tempo which changes all throughout the track, similar to Pornography. I am a fan of the beat and in some places reminds me of the ones used on Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 album Good Kid, M.a.A.d City. Quavo performs strongly although Travis has the superior performance in my eyes largely because of Travis’ diversified flow portfolio that he uses. However, Quavo’s feature still adds to the track, with his verse especially working well with the quite personal theme of the track – not an easy to trick to do well. This is because in the track Travis talks about being kicked out of home and pursuing his dream of music. My major critique of the track is that it seems a bit bloated and dragged out, especially in the last minute. Nevertheless a solid very good track. 78
3500 (feat. Future & 2 Chainz) – another long song, with a run time of just shy of 8 minutes. However, I feel like 3500 is a stronger track than Oh My Dis Side since it is simply more engaging and interesting. In my view, there is also greater energy and production on the track. Therefore, it comes to no surprise that one of the most successful hip-hop producers Metro Boomin produced the track, a producer I am a fan of largely because of the extensive catalogue of hits he has. I also really appreciate the utilisation of 2 features as Future and 2 Chainz both offer different listening experiences. 2 Chainz has the strong performance in my view but both features are very strong on the track. The biggest issue I have with the track is the replayability factor of it. Like Oh My Dis Side, it feels a bit bloated in some parts – especially at the end where there is 90 seconds of slow instrumental which gets tedious after a while. 82
Wasted (feat. Juicy J) – the beat makes this a very interesting track for me. There is a lot going on with a medieval-sound underpinning the beat, giving it a unique nature. This starts out as strong at the start but fades away when Travis starts on the track – where a more bassy and heavy beat is used to give a greater energy to the track. I really enjoy Travis’ performance, especially the energetic flow he uses and his lyricism which I feel is particularly strong on this strong. Juicy J also has a strong verse and equally has a very interesting flow which complements the track well. However, I am not a fan of Pimp C’s hook which I find slightly annoying after a while. 75
90210 (feat. Kacy Hill) - one of my favourite songs of all time. Everything about the track is just perfect for me. The beat is phenomenal along with the amazing beat switches. I enjoy how the track morphs from a chill-sounding and methodical start to an energetic finish. Being a fan of beat switches, this is one of the main reasons why I love this song. Travis’ performance is outstanding, especially his melodic flow which complements the slow beat very well. His performance after the final beat switch particularly resonates with me where he discusses more personal issues such as how he left his family in pursuit of his career. I strongly believe this is possibly one of Travis’ best ever verses purely because not only the lyricism is some of his strongest but his rapping technique is also flawless. Kacy Hill is the perfect feature for the track, with her stunning vocals blending with Travis’ unique style really well. 98
Pray 4 Love (feat. The Weeknd) - another one of the best tracks. Not quite on 90210’s level but it isn’t far off. I love the moody and mysterious sound – especially at the start. Travis delivers some very strong verses, with his flow being a particular quality resonating strongly with me alongside his storytelling, which is especially strong on his 2nd verse. The Weeknd’s feature is a very good choice as his hooks are beautifully done and I really enjoy his closing verse. In some places, the track has quite a similar vibe to some of the tracks from his 2015 album Beauty Behind The Madness where tracks like The Hills also possessed a raw and bassy sound shared with Pray 4 Love. 90
Nightcrawler (feat. Swae Lee & Chief Keef) – an interesting-sounding song which seems to fuse together psychedelic rap with trap very well.. The well-produced beat helps massively to give this sound alongside Swae Lee and Travis’ vocals which play into the psychedelic sound especially well. The trap influence mainly comes from Chief Keef’s verse, an artist many would believe is the pioneer of the trap sound. The catchy hook, great features and interesting beat all fuse together to produce a very strong track. 88
Piss On Your Grave (feat. Kanye West) - a short but sweet track. As a Ye fan, this is always a track that I enjoy listening to and Ye puts out a strong performance in my view. His performance reminds me of similar ones he delivered on Yeezus and is something I really appreciate - especially knowing both artists worked together on it. The beat is very good in carrying both artists’ energetic flows. Even though there are strengths to the song and even though Ye is on it, it doesn’t quite make the perfect category for me simply because it just isn’t that calibre of song. It is fun as a short, energy-packed track but aside from that there is little else offered in the track which could lift it into the perfect status. 76
Antidote - the leading single to the album whilst also being the most streamed. There are many positive aspects to it. I like how there are no features on the track which offers a nice break since all previous tracks had them. With it being a featureless track, Travis performs very well so any would simply be unnecessary. When thinking about the best part of the track for me, it has to be Travis’ 3rd verse where he completely switches up from the flow and just raps excellently. This is a very nice change of sound from the more melodic and psychedelic sound Travis delivers previously on the track. My only critique of the track is that it doesn’t quite offer the same replay value as the other tracks I have scored before. There is no doubt it is a good track but it sounds quite tedious in some places and doesn’t quite sound as good after relistening to it numerous times - not something I would associate with a perfect song. 83
Impossible - another featureless track. I feel like Antidote is slightly better than Impossible, although there are still many strengths Impossible possesses. I really enjoy the flow used on the first verse especially and how this differs from the more melodic vocal performance used for the rest of the track. The beat is decent but nothing particularly exciting. It does work with the more laid-back and lower energy sound of the track and as such a rich and overbearing beat isn’t necessary. There is no doubt that it is a strong song and is one I have in my regular rotation. 79
Maria I’m Drunk (feat. Justin Bieber & Young Thug) - another one of my favourite songs from the album. Everything about this song is just perfect. I love the slow, melodic sound and performance of Travis at the start of the track and how the beat switches to bring a whole different sound. Justin Bieber is no doubt the star of the track for me. Having been a Bieber fan as a kid (not a crazy one mind) and still being interested to his music to this day, his performance on a hip-hop track is just so fascinating. He delivers such a good performance that he outperforms both Travis and Young Thug on a hip-hop song which I just find so amusing. Young Thug works perfectly as well in delivering the psychedelic sound that the track is obviously trying to push for with the theme of it. 93
Flying High (feat. Toro y Moi) - a solid track. The part I enjoy most is how the sound of the track completely changes for Toro y Moi’s bridge and then reverts back to the original sound afterwards, something I found amusing. Even though I do enjoy the track I do have some issues with it. I feel like it is very repetitive in some parts which puts me off the track very slightly. In addition, it is by far not one of Travis’ best performances, especially compared to some of the ones off this album. A very good song nonetheless. 72
I Can Tell - arguably the most underrated track off the album. Travis just has such an intoxicating energy on this track that it is hard not the enjoy it. I also feel like this track offers some of his strongest rapping performances from the whole album. On many of the tracks, Travis changes between a more melodic vocal performance in some parts, especially the hook, and then uses a faster flow for his verses. However, on I Can Tell he keeps this more rap-orientated for pretty much the whole track. The energy is another aspect I really enjoy on this track and the energetic beat certainly helps. 91
Apple Pie – another solid track. I especially like the various flows that Travis experiments with on the track which I feel makes it very interesting to listen to. I especially like the 2nd verse which I feel is the strongest part of the track. T.I’s closing verse also works well in bringing the album back to the story narrative Travis is wanting to experiment with. It isn’t one of my personal favourites off of the album, although there are many people who would argue Apple Pie would be one of theirs. It is a good song but not quite perfect for me. 81
Ok Alright (feat. ScHoolboy Q) - the second part of the track is the standout part for me. I do enjoy the start of the track where both Travis and and ScHoolboy have strong performances, especially ScHoolboy whose verse I really like. The second part of the track is just so beautiful though. The beat switch into the very chill-sounding beat is magnificent. Travis’ vocals in this part are equally amazing by bringing a psychedelic sound. His verse during this section of this track is also fantastic. If the track didn’t have the second part, it would be a very solid track but nowhere near perfect. However, the second part of the track is just so good that I just have to put it in the perfect category. 87
Never Catch Me - the closing track of the album. I do think that it is the weakest track on the album by quite a long way, which is probably unfair for the track itself but the quality of Rodeo is just so high. I do not want to knock the track too much because it is still good in many respects. The beat and Travis’ performance are equally good. I just feel like I don’t particularly want to revisit this song much. I feel like it is too short and quite forgettable and as a result I have put it into the good category. 67
Personal reflections:
Rodeo will always have a place among my favourite albums of all time simply because it is so unique. One of the main reasons why I enjoy listening to this album is because of the constantly changing sound of the album. Whether it is the very chill and laid-back cuts such as 90210 or more hard-hitting and energetic tracks like Piss On Your Grave - the album offers everything. There are two main sounds I can hear most clearly in this album. Psychedelic rap certainly has quite a large influence and can be heard most strongly with Travis’ unique melodic skillset where he can capture this sound extraordinarily well.
Additionally, there is also a massive trap element as well, which I can especially hear in the beats, features like Chief Keef but also some of Travis’ performances – especially on tracks like Pornography and I Can Tell. Both elements fuse together perfectly in my view and is the contributing factor to my love for the album. I also feel that there is still a very raw sound to the album which is the be expected with this being Travis’ first studio album. The sound is significantly more refined than the sound of Days Before Rodeo, but not as refined as he sounds on Astroworld. I do enjoy this raw sound though and is another factor for my love of the album and why I prefer it over his other albums like Astroworld and Utopia.
When thinking about the structure and story behind the album, it is really fascinating how Travis did everything. Rodeo certainly seems to focus on his come-up story which is seen on full tracks, verses and T.I’s narration on some of the tracks. Just thinking of the title ‘Rodeo’ this is certainly a direct nod to Travis’ Texan roots and so it is only natural this album is all about exploring his life. Tracks like Apple Pie, Oh My Dis Side and 90210 all discuss how he decided to leave home to pursue his dream of a career in music. 90210 especially goes into details into how he dropped out of college to achieve this dream. One way or another, all of the tracks link back to either exploring a specific point in Travis’ life or exploring an issue Travis overcame to get to where he is today. It is all done in a very clever way and is simply why Rodeo is his best album in my opinion as none of his other albums deliver a narrative quite like this one on Rodeo.
The tracklist of Rodeo is pretty much flawless as well. All tracks offer their own unique experience and no two sound the same - something more rare on albums than would be thought. I wouldn’t say that there are many weak songs, with Never Catch Me being the weakest in my view - although it is the closing track and thus it would never be expected to be the strongest. There are however a large number of ‘perfect’ songs. In most albums, I normally find that I would class a couple in this category so the number of songs I have classed as ‘perfect’ on Rodeo shows how high quality the album is. Additionally, the features were well thought out and improved the album in their own ways. I don’t actually think any features were poor and when asked about my favourite features off of Rodeo, I would say Justin Bieber (his feature on Maria, I’m Drunk is just too good) and Kacy Hill (her vocals were incredible on 90210). This isn’t even talking about Ye, Future, Young Thug, 2 Chainz and all of the others, so I would argue Rodeo has the best features out of all of Travis’ albums.
Overall, Rodeo is a perfect album for me and because I enjoy it so much, I will listen to it numerous times every year. The vast majority of the tracks are also on my regular song rotation so one way or another I am listening to Rodeo very often. If you haven’t listened to Rodeo and I haven’t managed to convince you already, I would 100% recommend you give it a listen. Even if you are not someone who is massively into rap, tracks like 90210 and Maria, I’m Drunk offer less rap-heavy experiences which will be likely to be enjoyable listens. I will be hoping to eventually review all of the Travis Scott’s album eventually so it will be interesting to see how this review of Rodeo compares to his other projects.
Album Ratings
Songs: 83 – very close to the perfect category. I do think that the rating is a fair reflection of the tracks and overall they are certainly near to perfect. I don’t think that Rodeo has a ‘perfect’ tracklist because obviously not all the tracks are, but it is not far off at all so 83 is certainly a fair rating here.
Overall Vibe: 95 – one of the best qualities of Rodeo. The overall vibe is one of the main reasons why I revisit the album so often. I really enjoy the blend of psychedelic and trap rap. I also really enjoy the different sounding songs which makes the album really interesting to listen to. Due to Travis’ strength of psychedelic rap due to his vocals which work best with this style, I would say that generally speaking Rodeo has a fairly chill vibe. However, there are many parts of Rodeo which don’t reciprocate this vibe like Piss On Your Grave and I Can Tell but these are very good songs so they don’t ruin the vibe in any way.
Creativity: 68 – it isn’t an especially creative album. Psychedelic rap was a thing before Travis did it and trap was brought to the mainstream by Chief Keef so Rodeo doesn’t offer any industry-changing. However, Rodeo does have a very unique sound which you do not get with other albums. I also think that it is one of the most experimental albums out of Travis’ catalogue with only Utopia having a more diverse sound.
Cohesiveness: 83 – there is certainly a general cohesiveness to the album as I have discussed earlier. Most of this is because of the general narrative of the album which I have already discussed in some detail. There are some tracks which don’t quite tie into the narrative as strongly like Antidote, but most tracks do link one way or another. Additionally, the sound of the tracks differ quite strongly from one another which makes the album less cohesive, but I feel this is one of the main strengths of the album so I cannot score it down on this aspect. As such, a very good rating is likely to be the best rating here.
Replayability: 97– as I have already said, I revisit numerous times every year since it is one of my favourite albums. Many of the songs are also in my regular song rotation and occupy a large number of the playlists I have, So Rodeo must score highly here.
Overall Score: 85 - PERFECT
Want to share your thoughts on Rodeo? Got an album you want me to review? Don’t hesitate to contact me at thetunesreview@gmail.com
Explanation of ratings
For those who haven’t read a Tune Reviews newsletter before, in a typical song or album review I will provide a numerical score between 0 and 100 with each interval meaning something different. This is observed below:
85-100 - Perfect Song/Album
70-84 - Very Good Song/Album
55-69 - Good Song/Album
40 - 54 - Mid Song/Album (something that I don’t like nor dislike)
25-39 - Bad Song/Album
25 and less - Very Poor Song/Album
With albums, I will provide an additional rating scheme where I will analyse various parts making up the album. These factors include; songs (where I will simply find the average of the song ratings I have scored), overall sound (what I think of the overall sound and vibe of the album), creativity (how creative and different the album is from other projects from the artist and other projects at the time the album was released), cohesiveness (how well the project flows and the songs go together) and replayability (how likely I will revisit this album in the future). All of the above factors will also be considered when coming up with a score for the songs as well.
References:
Billboard, 2024. Travis Scott [Online]. Available at: https://www.billboard.com/artist/travis-scott/chart-history/hsi/
Brown, A., 2020. How Hip-Hop Superstar Travis Scott Has Become Corporate America’s Brand Whisperer [Online]. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2020/11/30/how-hip-hop-superstar-travis-scott-has-become-corporate-americas-brand-whisperer/?sh=17fa4e74e732
Dingwall, K., 2021. Travis Scott’s CACTI Eclipses Hard Seltzer Giants In First Week Of Sales [Online]. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katedingwall/2021/03/31/travis-scotts-new-hard-seltzer-eclipses-major-hard-seltzer-brands-in-first-week-of-sales/?sh=7abebf2a5c75