The heavily anticipated album from Playboi Carti is here
Playboi Carti performing at clout festival in 2024 Wojciech Pędzich | Courtesy
Playboi Carti’s new album “IAmMusic,” stylized as “MUSIC,” is exactly what you’d expect from one of hip-hop’s most unpredictable figures in recent years. It is chaotic, high-energy and completely unstructured.
Carti dropped his third studio album on March 14, early in the morning after having trouble getting it out at the scheduled time of 12 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The album spans a massive 30 tracks, pulling from trap, electronic, punk and other influences. Other artists featured on the album include Skepta, Young Thug, Ty Dolla $ign, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Lil Uzi Vert, Jene Aiko and Future.
In the first song “POP OUT,” Carti gives listeners a distorted, bass-heavy sound that feels more like a sensory overload than one of the songs off his traditional albums. His signature baby-voice delivery is still there, but he also experiments with robotic vocal effects and eerie, spaced-out production.
Some tracks go full rage mode with blown 808s, while others introduce a dreamier, almost psychedelic feel. Lyrically, Carti isn’t here for deep storytelling, but his energy and ad-libs create an infectious vibe if you’re into the rage feel.
The most popular track on the album is “EVIL JORDAN,” which has a solid million more plays on Soundcloud than any other song on the album. It was released as a single before the album dropped, but was redone when released on “MUSIC.”
Critics and fans are split. Some hail “MUSIC” as an artistic evolution, pushing the boundaries of what hip-hop can sound like. Others think it’s overstuffed and unfocused, with too many tracks sounding the same.
But with it being number one for its second straight week on Billboard, it’s hard to argue that it’s not catching on. “MUSIC” is a massive success. It smashed streaming records, becoming the most-played album on Spotify in a single day in 2025, with nearly 140 million streams. Love it or hate it, Carti continues to push boundaries and influence the sound of new-age rap.
As of now, Playboi Carti has not made any public statements or given any interviews regarding his album MUSIC since its release other than short, cryptic tweets.
The album has sparked discussions, including Kanye West expressing dissatisfaction in a tweet.
“I DECIDED NORTH WONT BE DOING ANY SONGS WITH CARTI HOW IT LOOK FOR ME TO GET LEFT OFF THE ALBUM AND THEN HE ASK KIM TO HAVE VOCALS FROM MY DAUGHTER I DONT A FUCK ABOUT NONE OF THIS INDUSTRY SHIT AND HOW ITS A SKIMS LINE IN THE FIRST PLACE AND I DONT GIVE A FUCK WHAT NO COMMENTS THE MAN HAS THE FIRST AND FINAL SAY OVER HIS KIDS,” West said.
“YE STFU,” Carti said in a tweeted response.
It’s pretty obvious why Kanye was left off the album, as he has been a commercial nightmare in recent years.
It has yet to be confirmed, but sources indicate that Carti is currently working on a forthcoming album titled “Baby Boi.” What has been confirmed is that Carti released the Deluxe for “MUSIC” 11 days after the album dropped, which included an extra four songs titled “2024,” “DIFFERENT DAY,” “BACKROOMS” and “FOMDJ.” “BACKROOMS” includes another feature from Travis Scott.
Carti’s new album “MUSIC” isn’t for everyone, especially if you’re a fan of the old Carti. If you’re a die-hard fan, you’ll probably enjoy the energy and experimentation. If you were hoping for a more traditional project, you might find it overwhelming. Carti is still an industry mogul, shaping the future of hip-hop in his unique way.
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