Playboi Carti released his third studio album, “MUSIC,” on Friday, March 14. Initially teased as “I AM MUSIC,” it marked the Atlanta rapper’s first album release since “Whole Lotta Red” in 2020.
Playboi Carti has a reputation as one of the most bizarre personas in rap. He frequently wears devil horns in his music videos and at his concerts, and his music is characterized by moans, shrieks and slurred vocals, bolstered by a heavy reliance on autotune and electronic beats.
His music is sometimes referred to as “vamp rap” and incorporates aspects of punk rock and rage music. Though many of his fans worship him with a cult-like devotion, there is also a subset of people who find him intolerable.
In 2024, the rapper released “ALL RED” and “Timeless” on streaming services, along with a handful of other songs on YouTube, such as “BACKR00MS” with Travis Scott, “KETAMINE” and “2024.”
Despite being unavailable on Spotify or Apple Music, these songs were vastly popular and led to speculation that Carti’s album was going to be released in 2024. The artist also made several comments on social media suggesting that the album’s release was imminent.
But 2024 passed without an album.
In early 2025, a billboard in Miami, printed in the same characters as the already-released “I AM MUSIC” album cover, announced: “MUSIC IS COMING.” Other billboards popped up throughout the country. Another one read “SORRY 4 DA WAIT.”
On Wednesday, March 12, Carti announced on social media that the album would finally drop on Friday, March 14. Yet even on the night of the release, the delays continued. “MUSIC” was supposed to be released at midnight Eastern time, but when the time came, the release was pushed back to 3 a.m. The album ended up dropping at 7 a.m. — a final slap in the face to those stalwart fans who had stayed true amidst the agonizing wait.
Structurally, the album is unique. Thirty tracks long, “MUSIC” is bold, fast-paced and energetic. The songs are short, snappy and sharp; many are supplemented with features from some of the most prominent rappers of the decade. Travis Scott is featured four times, Kendrick Lamar three times — which is very unusual, since Lamar rarely provides features — Future twice and Lil Uzi Vert twice.
Some of these features are only cameo appearances. On “CRUSH,” Scott is little more than a voice chanting in the background, and on “MOJO JOJO,” Lamar merely provides adlibs. On the other end of the spectrum, Future’s verse on “TRIM” dominates the song and blends beautifully with the piano.
Playboi Carti does an excellent job of welcoming other voices into his unusual sound. Artistically, Lamar, whose crafty, poetic lyrics were good enough to win a Pulitzer Prize in 2018, is the polar opposite of Playboi Carti. Yet Lamar does not feel out of place on this album. On “GOOD CREDIT,” the beat accelerates for an intense Lamar verse in which the West Coast rapper giggles, mutters and croons in a pitch-altering frenzy.
The features also help temper Playboi Carti’s own vocals, which can become mind-numbing and obnoxious when not broken up. For example, on “TOXIC,” British grime rapper Skepta’s heavily accented and harshly enunciated verse provides an excellent contrast to Playboi Carti’s croaky mumbles.
Also, since “Whole Lotta Red,” the artist seems to have altered his vocal style. Formerly the rapper’s singing was high-pitched and breathy, but in his recent features on songs like “FE!N” and “Type Sh–t,” Playboi Carti’s voice is throaty and deep — almost indistinguishable from his older music.
“MUSIC” sees the rapper blend both old voice and new. In his second verse on “RATHER LIE” — which is perhaps the best song on the album thanks to a softly sung chorus by The Weeknd and a euphoric beat — Playboi Carti alters his pitch between lines, sounding like a back-and-forth between two totally different artists.
I give the album an 8/10. Playboi Carti’s music can be hard to digest in large quantities, and “MUSIC” is about 10 songs too long; by the last few tracks, I was aching for vocals that were even vaguely lyrical. Tracks like “POP OUT” and “OPM BABY” are ugly and painful to listen to.
However, the production throughout the album is fantastic. Several tracks with mediocre vocals, such as “CRUSH,” can get by thanks to addictive beats. There is a good variety in tone; some songs are upbeat, bouncy and catchy, while others are grinding, gravelly and harsh.
Although the initial album originally excluded several of Carti’s singles from last year, the artist released a sort of expanded project entitled “MUSIC – SORRY 4 DA WAIT” on March 25, 2025, which included four additional songs at the end of the album. “BACKR00MS” and “2024” were among them.
Indeed, in a rap scene where uniqueness is prioritized — where merely imitating what has previously been popular is no longer good enough — Playboi Carti has carved out a niche that is entirely his own. The Atlanta rapper unapologetically embraces a polarizing subgenre of rap.
Moreover, it is unrealistic to expect “MUSIC” to live up to five years’ worth of hype. In this album, Playboi Carti shows tremendous growth without abandoning his identity. He manages to expand his artistic range while also remaining true to his style.
