Kid Cudi’s new album “INSANO” explores concepts the rapper has yet to experiment with before, making the album one to remember.
Cudi’s ninth studio album features big names like Travis Scott, Pharell Williams and ASAP Rocky. It plays homage to late rapper XXXTentacion by including him on the track, “X & Cud,” a cover of XXXTentacion’s,“Orlando.”
As a Kid Cudi fan, I can say that this album was produced exceptionally well and it included some great songs. However, it also included tracks that were carried by the production and weighed down the strength of the album.
Early singles released by Cudi like, “Ill What I Bleed,” or “Porsche Topless,” presented a flavorful pop-type beat and catchy vocals that I thought would translate directly onto the project. However, the jumpy, movement-inducing beats on the singles were the only thing that made it on the album.
On track 11, “At The Party,” the electric beats and vibrations are great but don’t propel the song’s quality enough. The track brings up the usual themes of being on top of the world and not caring about other people’s opinions to the point where it is repetitive.
Kid Cudi is in an era of self appreciation, something the rapper has struggled with in years prior. With recent success from projects Cudi was in like, “Don’t Look Up,” or the movie he wrote with Netflix, “Entergalactic,” I get why he is at an emotional high on this album.
A highlight of the album for me is track six, “Electrowavebaby.” Cudi talks about submitting himself to a woman on this song, which is another recurring theme of the album. Cudi delivers these vocals for this song so blissfully and carefree, this time in a better way. The beat also feels tropical and flowy, and I really enjoyed it.
Kid Cudi is in a completely different head space now compared to before and while I didn’t enjoy the album’s vocals all that much, I do appreciate his experimentation.
