A lot has transpired since February 10th, 2019, the date of the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. That night, Travis Scott, fresh off of an on-stage performance of “No Bystanders” and “Stop Trying to Be God”, looked on as his critically acclaimed third studio album, “Astroworld,” which many, including myself believe to be his best work, lost in the Best Rap Album category to Cardi B’s debut project, “Invasion of Privacy.” Now, nearly five years later, Houston’s own Travis Scott is back to perform at the Grammys on Sunday, February 4th, 2024. This time however, with the release of his widely anticipated fourth LP “Utopia” last July, Scott is not only back in the limelight, but he has his sights set on his first Best Rap Album award win of his career.
In the years since the last Grammys Travis Scott was present at, he has done many things with his career. These things include singles such as “Franchise” featuring M.I.A, or marketing stunts such as the Travis Scott meal at McDonalds, but the one everyone remembers is the tragic event that was the Astroworld Festival in Houston, Texas on November 5, 2021. The Astroworld tragedy killed 8 people, forever changing the lives of so many people who attended the concert, this tragedy led to subsequent backlash to event organizers, security, but especially Travis Scott himself. Following this tragedy, Scott released an apology video, sending out prayers to those affected, and working with the Houston community to heal and support the families impacted.
After all the events surrounding Travis Scott, all of his fans were wondering the same thing, where is his next album? This album, name dropped on several occasions by Scott himself, being titled “Utopia”, was highly anticipated by his fans, and in the summer of 2023, fans would start to see signs of the album’s release. The rollout began in May of 2023, when Scott was spotted wearing “Utopia” branded clothing and carrying a suitcase branded with the album’s name. Leading up to the album’s release, we would receive a single, titled “K-POP” featuring Bad Bunny and The Weekend, this single would be decisive among fans as some loved it for its features and sound, others said the single was just another pop song. However, this single did not affect how fans viewed the album overall, and still had hope for the rest of it to be the sound fans love, and only a week later, fans would get to experience the full album. Released on July 28, 2023, Utopia would be met with critical acclaim from reviewers and fans alike, selling 496,000 units in its first week. Many would praise the album for its unique sound and production, with standouts being “TELEKINESIS”, “MY EYES”, and “I KNOW?”.
People have also noticed the influence Kanye West has had on the production of the album, with songs such as “CIRCUS MAXIMUS”, being Travis Scott’s version of Black Skinhead, a song released on Kanye’s album “Yeezus” back in 2013. With all the standout songs on the album, its amazing and unique production, and the different kinds of sounds Travis brings to the table, fans are excited and hopeful for this year’s Grammys. While Travis has always been inspired by artists such as Kanye and Kid Cudi, the inspirations we see on the album bring his artistry to a whole new level. I believe this was a great direction to go for his new album, giving us new sounds while also sticking to his classic style.
We now arrive in 2024, only a week away from the 66th annual Grammys, with the hype for the show only building higher as we get closer to the night. Travis fans are excited, with Travis himself performing at the Grammys, and his nomination for best rap album, many fans believe this will be the year he will get the recognition he deserves, and that was ripped from him in 2019.Being a Travis Scott fan myself, I am personally ecstatic about Travis being at the Grammys again, I believe Utopia is some of his best work and is worthy of being rap album of the year. The 66th annual Grammys premieres on February 4th, 2024, with many talented artists being recognized, and with the hype around the award show being as high as it is, I hope to see you there.
