Travis Scott takes us on a ride with new single '4X4'

In the same vein as many of his past triumphs, '4X4' showcases Travis Scott’s ability to entice you into his surrealistic flavour of trap which viscerally conveys a feeling of rhathymia. Scott can often be accused of using maximalism as a crutch for his lyricism, but here he seems to contradict that notion whilst driving the complexity to the background.

For instance, the song title derives from his four-wheel drive Lamborghini Urus–calm enough, the rumbling big-band refrain is lifted from the Tennessee State University’s horn line but tinged with a slight saturation making it sound incredibly bright, digital and sharp, a sonic departure from the stadium origins (or acousmatic a la Pierre Schaeffer). Gliding over this grand loop is Travis in his most familiar, submerged in a mix of auto-tune and dub-esque delay, but more nimble than he’s been in a while seamlessly floating from verse to chorus to refrain without feeling confined by the 4/4 time restraints.  The marriage between his voice and the effects are so intertwined and intoxicating that when he opts for a more natural voice sometime into the second verse it does feel sobering.

Reflecting on the long journey taken in the past 10 years alongside its hedonistic offerings and pleasures, lyrically Travis doesn't do anything particularly different on this track but does he need to? Maybe he should've critiqued that Zionist white South African’s nazi salute but is that what fans want from Travis? Genuine question. Anyways, this is all carried by a mechanical rhythm in its sound but less like the glamour of a Lamborghini Urus and more like a locomotive–noisy, scuzzy, more in line with the distorting rage beats of the Opium label. Perhaps, despite creating something almost self-referential, Travis isn’t revisiting the psychedelic rock influences of past successes but maybe, flirting with a more punk-based formula.

The last time I heard Travis like this was frighteningly 10 years ago in 2015 when the auto-tuned crooning and euphoric hooks were found on many a late escapade soundtracked by Rodeo, and with 4X4 being his first single since 2023; this pleasant surprise is like a thoughtful embrace and moment of attentiveness from a perpetually-fried old friend. 

Hit the links below to enjoy the hallucinogenic music video produced by the 2024 VIP and a man with two biblical first names - Gabriel Moses.