If you count yourself as a hardcore Opium fan, you’ll know that the following sentence is a precarious statement to make. But, it seems like Playboi Carti is ramping up for an album release. “BACKR00MS” is his fourth single in recent months. It’s also the first of the set to carry a feature, this time from frequent collaborator Travis Scott.
“BACKR00MS” Continues Playboi Carti’s Potential Album Rollout
With “BACKR00MS,” Playboi Carti now has four pre-album singles released since around December. However, in typical enigmatic fashion, those haven’t arrived in orthodox ways. The first two, titled “Different Days” and “H00DBYAIR,” are only accessible via the Opium Records Instagram, where the songs are found in 90-second clips. These newest two are only available on YouTube, eschewing the typical DSP route and keeping them off of Spotify and Apple Music—at least for the time being.
Taken as a companion piece to “2024,” dropped in the early days of December, “BACKR00MS” sees Playboi Carti painting closer to mainstream hip-hop sensibilities. Its beat bears almost none of the rage rap hallmarks that we now expect post-Whole Lotta Red, instead sounding like top 10 trap fodder. It’s not necessarily a bad change. As we saw in Carti’s early career, that lane gave way to some of his biggest hits, and though it hasn’t cropped up a ton in this new era, he slides back into that pocket with ease here.
Scott & Carti Display Otherworldly Chemistry Once Again
Similarly, it’s a universe that Travi$ Scott is comfortable in, with the production on this single calling to mind his Birds in the Trap or Rodeo work. Even within these well-trod boundaries, there’s a bit of experimentation from Playboi, who dons the deep voice and cadence he used for his appearance on the Utopia breakout single “FE!N.” Again, contrast that with “2024,” where the Atlanta MC leans heavily on the “baby voice” that nearly single-handedly carried all of WLR‘s vocals.
Despite the untraditional rollout of these past few songs, “BACKR00MS” and its accompanying singles are the most concrete Playboi Carti releases in recent memory. And reaching out to Travis Scott, with whom he’s produced some of his best work, like “Love Hurts,” is more indication that Carti is back in a major way. You can find “BACKR00MS” to listen for yourself on his official YouTube channel.
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