I have never really paid attention to when new music is released, but I did notice this year that Friday, January 12th, was a magical date for artists to release their latest projects. One artist was Kid Cudi, releasing his new project “Insano”. I stumbled across a song from the project called “Rager Boyz” and I was a fan of it. When this happens, I occasionally listen to the rest of the project to see what there is. This is precisely what I did, and I figured I would share what I found out about the album.
The first thing I want to talk about are the two singles that were released earlier in 2023: “Porsche Topless” and “At The Party”. When writing this article, I listened to the whole album and ranked the songs on it, and these two are on opposite sides of my ranking. “Porsche Topless” is one of my favorites off the album, from the horns blaring through the whole song to the happy, bouncy overall beat. In my opinion, Cudi floats well over this instrumental, which nicely contrasts with his deeper voice. “At The Party” is quite possibly my least favorite of the album. Although it has two ample collaborations (Pharrell Williams and Travis Scott), it seems too cluttered, and the beat is very gritty. It could be redeemable if they decided to have a different flow over the beat, but things, to me, just don’t line up nicely.
So now, to get into some highlights on the album. My top five favorite songs off the album include: “Wow” (ft. A$AP Rocky), “X & Cud” (ft. XXXTentacion), “Rager Boyz” (ft. Young Thug), “Porsche Topless”, and “Blue Sky”. “Wow” just has a great beat to it – you have no choice but to nod your head to it. The beat sonically fits in with the rest of the project, having atmospheric, high-pitched and tuned vocals in the background (albeit softly). Both Cudi and A$AP Rocky flow well over the beat, and the chorus is also great.
“X & Cud” is a nice break (track 15 out of 21), much softer than the rest. While the XXXTentancion vocals are a sample (X passed away in 2018), he and Cudi fit this beat well. According to Genius, this song is about mental health and death, and the production helps that feeling come across. After this starts a remarkable three-song streak, starting with “Rager Boyz” – one of my favorites. The guitar riff, along with the drumline, make it unforgettable, and it allows the beat to sometimes drop out.
Both Cudi and Young Thug flow nicely, like a lot of the songs in this project. “Porsche Topless”, I already mentioned, which leaves “Blue Sky”. The synthy piano notes at the beginning, with Cudi’s famous humming, set the vibe for the whole song, and the singing by Cudi is a nice break from the more rap-esque vocals on the rest of the project. It is a feel-good song, and even though I don’t pay attention to the lyrics too much, there is just a nice message in the music.
Now for some honorable mentions and some unique tracks of the album. One song that I was debating putting in my top five is “Cud Life.” The instrumental is pleasant, kind of giving a dystopian vibe, with the sliding high notes. The 808s and the deep horns featured on the track sound excellent, and Cudi’s rougher voice on this specific track matches the vibe with the rest. “Getcha Gone,” at least to my ears, is the most he raps on the album. I like when Cudi sings a bit more than when he raps, but one cannot deny that he sounds exemplary on the beat for this song. The only song I strongly dislike on the album is “Mr. Coola.” It is all over the place, and the beat in the background can sometimes become quite cluttered. Interestingly, it is right after “At The Party,” another song I disliked on the project.
Before I end the review, I want to mention that this album is highly new – most songs from this came out a little over two weeks ago. This is not enough time to say my views in this review are set in stone. Most albums I listen to are older than this, and my opinions have changed from the first few times I heard them. Because of this, I invite you to listen to “Insano” back-to-front (and don’t skip any tracks) and create your views about it – because that’s what music is all about.
Rankings:
Exquisite
- Wow (ft. A$AP Rocky)
- X & Cud (ft. XXXTentacion)
- Rager Boyz (ft. Young Thug)
- Porsche Topless
- Blue Sky
Good
- Often, I Have These Dreamz (ft. DJ Drama)
- Get Off Me (ft. Travis Scott)
- Electrowavebaby
- Cud Life
- Getcha Gone
- Funky Wizard Smoke
Bearable
- Keep Bouncin’
- Most Ain’t Dennis
- A Tale of a Knight
- Too Damn High (ft. Lil Yachty)
- Freshie
- Tortured
- Seven (ft. Lil Wayne)
- Hit the Streetz In My Nikes
Bad
- At The Party (ft. Pharrell Williams and Travis Scott)
- Mr. Coola
