By Alana Frank
Theme Editor
Kid Cudi released his ninth studio album, “INSANO,” on Jan. 12. The album features electrifying instrumentals, experimental sounds, and a few stand out songs, but lacks Kid Cudi’s signature sound that fans adore. Released by Wicked Awesome Records and Republic Records, “INSANO” misses the mark. The innovative hip hop/trap album showcases 21 songs and runs just over an hour in length with appearances from rap artists such as A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott, Lil Yachty, Pharrell Williams, and Lil Wayne.
Cudi has always been known for his iconic psychedelic music and atmospheric songs, a style which he solidified with his popular “Man on the Moon” series, a group of Cudi’s albums that share the same name. However, in “INSANO,” Cudi experiments with trap, bass- heavy beats that work on some of the songs, but don’t add any of Cudi’s original flair.
The album starts fairly strong with the song, “OFTEN, I HAVE THESE DREAMZ,” featuring DJ Drama. The song’s change in flow and instrumentation could have been a monumental moment in Cudi’s career as an artist, but fails to meet expectations due to its unoriginality. The rap exchange between DJ Drama and Cudi in this song discusses haters who try to bring them down and, ultimately, sets the tone for this album that Cudi doesn’t care about returning to his original style or is concerned with what haters have to say about his new music.
Songs like “A TALE OF A KNIGHT” and “AT THE PARTY,” featuring Pharell Williams, are perfect examples of how the trap beats on this album do not come off as powerful as they were intended. These songs sound lackluster and are uninspiring with lyrics that fail to follow a significant storyline.
The guest features were the highlight of this album, with artists that beautifully complemented Cudi’s vocals. “GET OFF ME,” featuring Travis Scott is one of the strongest tracks on the album as Scott’s strong rap style blends with Cudi’s laid-back style. Scott’s verse is the highlight of the song, as his flow perfectly matches the beat.
The top contender for best track on the album, “WOW,” featuring A$AP Rocky, appears in the first half of the album and is reminiscent of Cudi’s signature sound from previous albums. Rocky’s verse doesn’t outshine Cudi but is one of the most well-written verses on the album, containing references to other rappers and Rocky’s history in the rap industry. The trap beats and the repeated raping of the word “wow,” make the chorus extremely fun to listen to.
“INSANO” features a more upbeat tone than listeners have previously seen from Cudi. This is evident in “BLUE SKY” which emulates a feel-good vibe that is significantly different from some of the harsher lyrics and heavier beats which overpower the album and make it sound generic. The melodies and production in this song are a much-needed, up-beat refresher from the scattered trap beats in the rest of the track and helps bring the album to a close.
Cudi finishes out “INSANO” with his final song, “HIT THE STREETZ IN MY NIKES,” which is another feel-good track that exemplifies Cudi’s carefree attitude. Cudi continues to mix various beats and experiment with different rap flows until the very end of “INSANO,” which has a few successful songs but ultimately leaves listeners with a lasting impression of a messy, badly produced album.
The combination of trap beats, funky harmonies and positive lyrics works nicely on a handful of songs on the album but makes the other songs sound generic. It is nice to hear a different side of Cudi, but “INSANO” is a step down from his other albums that feature his signature style and lo-fi lyrics.
“INSANO” was released on Jan. 12 and is available to stream on all online platforms. For more information, visit kidcudi.com.
FUNKY DESIGNS: Kid Cudi hired New York artist, KAWS, to design the album cover, creating high expectations for the music. Although the al- bum was a disappointment, the graphics and cover art impressed fans with vibrant colors and visually pleasing geometric configurations. Pho- to Courtesy of dailyorange.com
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