INSANO is the newest album from Kid Cudi. His previous release was 2022’s Entergalactic which was the soundtrack for his Netflix film of the same name. He also released a greatest hits compilation and re-released his first mixtape on streaming services. As far as his listeners are concerned, the last album of his that “counted” released in 2020. Cudi's life had changed for the better in the past four years. Listeners were looking forward to seeing if the music reflected these changes. The features on this new album include some people he has worked with previously and some first-time collaborations. In this list, we’ll be discussing his chemistry with other artists on this album and how the song came out overall too.
“GET OFF ME” (With Travis Scott)
This is the first of two features Travis Scott has on Kid Cudi’s INSANO. The two of them have made several songs together in the past. One of their biggest songs, “The Scotts,” was their debut single as a duo of the same name. However, the collab album has yet to release.
Their track on Cudi’s latest album, “GET OFF ME” showcases them on a haunting trap beat. Cudi attacks the track with energy before a vocal filter is added to his voice as he transitions into a more relaxed delivery. Travis uses a fitting flow in the song but doesn’t offer anything his listeners haven’t heard before. Things get a little more interesting on the track’s second half, where the duo trade verses with ad-libs and auto-tune-soaked vocals. These effects match the space-like atmosphere of the song well.
“WOW” (With A$AP Rocky)
Kid Cudi brought in another artist familiar with putting psychedelic elements in their music for this INSANO track. Kid Cudi and ASAP Rocky have a few songs together already. Their most recent one was actually on Rocky’s last album, 2018's Testing. Their latest track, “WOW,” has a certain relaxed feeling to it as the melodic keys are subdued but Cudi’s vocals are still quite prominent. The hook isn’t the most elaborate but it is catchy. Rocky’s verse is effortless as expected as he smoothly flows over the production. He uses a rap-sung delivery in this portion, much like the one Cudi uses throughout the whole song.
“TOO DAMN HIGH” (With Lil Yachty)
Lil Yachty’s last album was a large departure from his previous music and was met with a myriad of reactions. In this song, the biggest moment of his guest verse comes at the beginning as he uses a unique vibrato technique that his listeners have previously heard. Outside of this opening, his verse unfortunately offered no redeeming factors to the already mediocre song.
“AT THE PARTY” (With Pharrell Williams & Travis Scott)
When this song from INSANO was announced, Kid Cudi listeners were quite excited. With features from two artists he had already made very well-received songs with, they were sure this would be a highlight. As expected, Pharrell produced the track. The pace of it is slower than some probably expected which allows for all the sounds he implemented to be heard with ease. A very fitting space-like melody is at the forefront with other otherworldly noises popping in and out. Pharrell handles the hook with a subdued delivery that serves as the connecting thread between the tales of partying Cudi and Travis tell. Cudi weaves in some bars about his positive mental state while Travis focuses on a flow switch while keeping his subject matter consistent.
“X & CUD” (With XXXTentacion)
This is one of the most divisive songs Kid Cudi put on INSANO. Posthumous verses are already something listeners have very strong opinions on and they must be handled with respect. In this case, many listeners feel like the song should have never been made. It does not feature a posthumous verse, but it does sample the song “Orlando.” X released this song in 2017 on his album 17. Considering how prominent the elements from the original song are in Cudi’s version, calling this a “remix” may have been more fitting but likely equally panned.
“SEVEN” (With Lil Wayne)
Lil Wayne is a GOAT and seeing his name on the tracklist for Kid Cudi’s INSANO got many excited. It also made people wonder which “version” of Wayne would be appearing. Listeners know he can do verses filled with double and triple entendres and other creative word gymnastics. They also know sometimes he will go the route of a melodic rap verse and this is what he did on this song. His appearance was short and while it had a very small amount of wordplay, it was nothing that could compare to some of his other recent prime-form verses.
“RAGER BOYZ” (With Young Thug)
Kid Cudi turns down the hype on this track from INSANO. His first verse here is more in line with the introspective lyrics people have praised him for across the years. Thug’s verse is very short and while it does have a nice flow, it seems to be a large departure from the route Cudi took. However, the two trade bars on the second portion of the song and this is where they truly get on the same page. Their melodic flows mirror each other well with some background vocalizations from Cudi enhancing the guitar like melody that plays throughout the whole song.
What was your favorite feature from Kid Cudi’s INSANO album? Let us know in the comments section.
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