Travis Scott Continues To Take The Art Form Of Music Videos To A Higher Level

Last year, Travis Scott made an exceptionally creative release in the form of Astroworld. Named one of Ambrosia For Heads‘ best albums of 2018, the collection pulled from Gang Starr and The Screwed Up Click in the same amusement park-inspired universe. At nearly an hour (in a year of short projects), the 17 songs propelled the Houston, Texas artist to his highest plateau to date. The 27-year-old rapper, singer, and producer cemented superstar status with multiple Grammy nominations, his first chart-topping single, and second consecutive #1 LP.

Since Astroworld, Travis Scott has done feature and compilation work. Approaching his fourth solo album, the Cactus Jack founder releases his first solo single in more than a year with “Highest In The Room.” The OZ and Nik D-produced the single shows that Travis Scott is escalating. His mind, his music, and the production quality of his videos are only getting higher.

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For “Highest In The Room,” Travis creates another universe that is elaborate, vivid, and precisely imagined. Following inhaling smoke (which the viewer can watch travel through his body), Scott goes from crowded arenas to conference rooms-turned-t*rture chambers, traveling from strip clubs to tight-walking metal beam on skyscrapers. In moments, he can transform from becoming a Mortal Kombat-esque character to getting tattoos with a soldering iron from a woman. Scott uses his visual to emphasize the song’s lyrics. Psychedelic effects dominate the trippy journey that follows his controlled mind. Lust, fears, and 16-bit video games all seem to shape where the rapper’s imagination goes.

While many rappers have made songs about getting “too high,” few can show it as vividly as Travis. His music stands apart from his peers, which has made him sought out by Drake, 2 Chainz, Miguel, and many other leaders. Moreover, the song is not just glamorizing getting stoned.

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After a chorus that ends, “I hope I make it outta here,” Travis’ thoughts deal with paranoia about love, confronting deep-seated fears, and living a life that was never the choice.

Heads will soon see what this fourth album is shaping up to be.