>>127170725Travis Scott’s Astroworld (2018) is often mistaken for music, but it is little more than a cynical, overproduced spectacle that abandons musicality for commercial clout. Stripped of melody, harmony, or coherent lyrics, the album is a chaotic patchwork of trap beats, auto-tuned mumbles, and jarring transitions—see “Sicko Mode” or “Stargazing”—that prioritizes vibe over substance. Scott’s voice, slathered in effects, is a mere prop in a producer-driven soundscape, devoid of narrative or emotional depth. Rather than music, Astroworld is a branded product, exploiting nostalgia for a defunct amusement park to sell merchandise and festival tickets. Its repetitive loops and shallow textures cater to fleeting social media moments, not artistic integrity. It’s a soulless commodity, a testament to the erosion of musical craft in favor of hollow spectacle. This is not music.