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Playboi Carti's third studio album was finally delivered to streaming platforms last Friday (March 14) and 24 hours following its release MUSIC topped the US Apple Music charts, with every record included on its tracklist breaking into the streaming giant's Top 50 chart.
The new project was distributed to all major DSPs over 1,540 days after his sophomore studio album, Whole Lotta Red, was uploaded to streaming on Christmas Day, in 2020.
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Before MUSIC's release, Carti's team and 00pium Instagram handle would post several teasers building up anticipation for the project. They also revealed the entire tracklist which highlighted features from Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Young Thug, and more.
With "Playboi Carti" trending across social media platforms, the rapper also uploaded a video of him talking to Justin Bieber on Facetime while eating pasta off his Spotify plaque, awarded to him for FE!N grossing over a billion streams.
The album's Friday release was delayed by a few hours, officially hitting streaming platforms at 7:30 am ET, hosting an exciting list of features as well as production credits to highly acclaimed producers like Cardo, Metro Boomin, F1lthy, Ojivolta, and more.
Playboi Carti's third studio album is a behemoth of a project, with a massive runtime, marking his largest full-length record to date, given Whole Lotta Red only hosted 24 records, as compared to MUSIC's 30.
The rapper's MUSIC impressively splits into several microgenres throughout its runtime, while maintaining its roots in Atlanta's underground rage hip-hop aesthetic. Seemingly inspired by Young Thug and Future, many claim Carti helped generate mainstream appeal around this sonic direction with projects like Whole Lotta Red.
That said, at several points during MUSIC's runtime, listeners can see Playboi Carti expand his sonic direction, attempting newer cadences, experimental productions, and even heartfelt love songs.
Records like RATHER LIE effectively display's Carti intention to distance himself and expand out of the rage culture he helped build. With dramatic club records to soul-infused productions, Playboi's MUSIC appears to include a range of musical options to choose from.
Top Picks from Playboi Carti's third studio album 'MUSIC'
With multiple reports confirming Playboi Carti's MUSIC had the largest opening-day stream count for projects released in 2025, reportedly debuting with 139 million streams, the LP is officially the 7th biggest album opening of all time.
The 30-record LP has a complete runtime of one hour and 16 minutes, including fan-favorite records like H00DBYAIR and K POP, which were exclusively released on social media platforms last year.
Throughout the project, Playboi Carti brings forward a wide list of features from genres like R&B, UK drill, trap, soul, and pop. Major themes explored on the Atlanta rapper's third studio album have been listed below:
- Luxury
- Wealth
- Success
- Status
- Substance Abuse
- Excess
- Street Affiliations
- Violence
- S*x
- Relationships
- Love
Disclaimer: This review is rated explicit. Reader discretion is advised.
CRUSH (feat. Travis Scott)
(Production Credits: F1LTHY, Ojivolta, Jahaan Sweet, and Travis Scott)
Opening with panning synthesizers, Playboi Carti introduces listeners to an anthemic record titled CRUSH, featuring electric guitars and loud 808s over a choir-infused hook.
Supported by minor ad-lib performances from Travis Scott and DJ Swamp Izzo, Carti takes over the majority of CRUSH, with a minimal lyrical display that appears more focused on delivery and cadence to match the aesthetic of the record's high-energy production.
"Run in that b***h with an eater (Schyeah) / Run in that b***h with a heater (Schyeah, schyeah) / Me and my b***h off the meter (Schyeah) / Me and my twin off the meter (Say what?) / Uh, two mil' for a feature / Me and Trav' over Adidas / Been havin' stripes, n***a," Playboi Carti raps on 'CRUSH'.
EVIL J0RDAN
(Production Credits: Cardo Got Wings, Johnny Juliano, and Ojivolta)
With almost a minute-long instrumental build-up, ending with a sample from The Weeknd's 2023 single Popular, Playboi Carti reintroduces his 2024 hit single EVIL J0RDAN.
The record was first released to his alternative Instagram handle on January 15, 2024, alongside an official music video. Given the production of EVIL J0RDAN is intense, Carti matches the tone with a single verse that explores the nuances of his secretive lifestyle, as seen in lines like:
"First, I go whip out the boat, no, I can't hit on no brakes / My life is out of control, I'm tellin' you, nobody safe / I've been livin' my life limbo, my ice, it came with a tray / I'm so high, I gotta hide my face, this not a rockstar phase / I'm a emo thug in my phase / Syrup, syrup, syrup, syrup, tell her to go change"
PHILLY (feat. Travis Scott)
(Production Credits: Cardo Got Wings)
Featuring his first full-length appearance on MUSIC, Travis Scott opens on PHILLY with a melodic performance that effectively blends into Cardo's up-tempo trap production.
After Travis shouts out Carti, the Atlanta rapper opens the second verse with a deeper cadence, which many fans have grown accustomed to over the past year, speaking on themes like relationships, women, luxury, success, wealth, and extravagance.
"Icе up my b***hes, that's too funny 'cause I like 'em hot / Who the fu*k is up? Is fu*kin' with the camp / The cact', the vamp (The vamp) / I'm like a broken back (Bat), I'm back, I snap (Ha) / Ain't really goin' back and forth, that's that (Yeah) / You make my blunt canoe, can't pass to you / Sip purple with me, we screwed," Travis Scott raps on 'PHILLY'.
RADAR
(Production Credits: Metro Boomin)
Opening on track 7 is a record titled RADAR, featuring a polarizing production credited to Metro Boomin, who draws inspiration from Atlanta's mid-2000s era featuring Alien-esque bell sounds that vibrate and pan throughout the entirety of the record's runtime.
Notably, RADAR also features ad-lib performances from DJ Swamp Izzo and New Orleans hip-hop icon Lil Wayne, who shouts out Carti, during the Atlanta rapper's second verse where he raps:
"Schyeah, schyeah / I just been swaggin' out / All of my b***hes, they bad, they goddesses, you know that / All of my shooters are Haitian, hold up, b***h, you should know that (Carti) / Walk in with a whole lot of sticks (Carti), walked out with a whole lot of blicks, ha (Carti)"
RATHER LIE (feat. The Weeknd)
(Production Credits: F1LTHY, MIKE DEAN, Twisco, Ramzoid, Ojivolta, and BBYKOBE)
Introducing fans to The Weeknd and Playboi Carti's third career collaboration, listeners are delivered an uplifting trap x R&B production, seemingly designed to dominate radio play on track 8 - RATHER LIE.
Fueled by Carti's performance exploring themes of love and relationships, that deepen with The Weeknd's sultry hook, the record revolves around the concept of dishonesty being a toxic method of retaining one's relationship.
With double entendres that could likely signal a toxic relationship between Carti's fanbase and himself, RATHER LIE is easily a standout moment on his third studio album.
"Opposites always attract, how you happy then get mad? (Schyeah) / But I want you bad and she wanna make up / I might just tell you that this true love, give you my kidney / Wrist filled up, while I'm spinning / I'm off the lean and molly at the same damn time, I can't even stay up (What?)," Playboi Carti raps on 'RATHER LIE'.
BACKD00R (feat. Kendrick Lamar and Jhené Aiko)
(Production Credits: Keanu Beats, Ojivolta, Twisco, Nagra, and Darius Rameshni)
While first teasing his inclusion on MUSIC on track 5, titled MOJO JOJO, Kendrick Lamar finally delivers his first solo performance on Playboi Carti's third studio album on track 10 - BACKD00R, alongside singer-songwriter Jhené Aiko.
Carti manages to expertly navigate the experimental chipmunk soul sample on BACKD00R's production, supported by Kendrick and Aiko's hook, which sets up the record for a massive run on streaming charts.
"I'ma make it back and probably spend it all on you / Come through from the back so don't nobody talk / I put them VVs on your decolleté, I know you feel nauseous / B***hes best stay in they place or move around with caution / VVs on your decolleté, mm-mm / Baby, pull up through the backdoor, backdoor, yeah," Kendrick Lamar and Jhené Aiko's hook on 'BACKD00R'.
CHARGE DEM HOES A FEE (feat. Travis Scott and Future)
(Production Credits: Southside, Wheezy, Dez Wright, Car!ton, Smatt Sertified, and Juke Wong)
Following up on their mega collaboration, Type Sh*t, which was released last year as part of the We Don't Trust You album, Atlanta icons Future and Playboi Carti team up with Travis Scott for a high-energy production titled CHARGE DEM HOES A FEE.
The track's repetitive hook and electric production contribute heavily to the anthemic vibe it aimed at displaying, with Travis Scott's verse standing out for his delivery of lines like:
"Yeah, ain't talkin' publishin', I paid the dues with my G's (Straight up) / Hermès trays and Cartier sprays, I got a whole case for the plane / Ain't no budget, I'm buggin', David say, "You spent twelve million on the stage just to rage" / That's just play money, ain't even playin' / Still remain, I'm Blocka La Flame / Ain't chargin' the game, I'm chargin' that ho a fee"
GOOD CREDIT (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
(Production Credits: Cardo Got Wings)
Immediately following Playboi Carti's trap collaboration with Future and Travis Scott, listeners are introduced to his third and final collaboration with Kendrick Lamar on MUSIC titled GOOD CREDIT.
With Carti's lyricism primarily revolving around his street affiliations and affection for substance abuse, Kendrick Lamar's verse is a breath of fresh air as the Compton native opens on the second verse with a tempo switch reflecting on his image as an artist.
From shouting out Luka Dončić to calling Playboi Carti his "evil twin," the lyricism, flow, and cadence brought forward during Lamar's performance on GOOD CREDIT is a major takeaway from MUSIC.
"Kids on my body and that's on my kids, I kid with nobody, huh / You know what this is, the vamps and the boogies, we jugg through the party / What you listenin' to is that / Homixide, Homixide / Patek is flooded, but way over budget, I lose it on tour, huh / I would've said, "Fu*k you too," but you knew that the list was full," Kendrick Lamar raps on 'GOOD CREDIT'.
WAKE UP F1LTHY (feat. Travis Scott)
(Production Credits: F1LTHY, BNYX®, Wonder1x, and SadhuGold)
Travis Scott's final appearance on MUSIC comes on track 17 - WAKE UP F1LTHY, where the electronic ominous production sets the perfect stage for both him and Playboi Carti to explore to darkest desires, best evidenced in lines like:
"She gon' flip, she go berserk (Flip, flip) / She a freak, I make her squirt (Ooh) / I took two and now I'm turnt (Ooh) / Fu*ked La Flame and now she burn / Please, tell that b***h to beat it / Told her act like though you did it / This is madness when I'm dizzy / Different bodies comin' in and out, it like my Glock, it switches"
JUMPIN (feat. Lil Uzi Vert)
(Production Credits: BL$$D and Ethan Scott)
Marking their first official collaboration since 2018, Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert reunited on MUSIC, appearing together on track 18 - JUMPIN.
While 2018's Shoota is still regarded as one of their best collaborations to date, hearing Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert on a record once again was enticing and nostalgic, with both rappers exploring the chase of substance abuse on the song's hook.
That said, JUMPIN appears to be a track that was recorded in 2023, given Vert's multiple references to his third studio album Pink Tape, best evidenced in lines like:
"Pink Tape, Pink Tape (Yeah), Pink Tape, Pink Tape (Yeah) / Pink Tape, Pink Tape (What? Yeah), Pink Tape, Pink Tape (Yeah, huh) / Hahaha (Hahaha) / One Lamb', three straights (Skrrt) / Redbone, pink face, vacay, pink lake / Double cup, pink drank, fast Wraith, let's race (Skrrt) / S*x date, Frostеd Flake, Tony Tiger, gr-r-reat"
TRIM (feat. Future)
(Production Credits: TM88, Akachi, Sonickaboom, C$D Sid, and Macnificent)
Playboi Carti and Future's final collaboration on MUSIC appears on the track titled TRIM, which seemingly draws inspiration from his usage of the term as a replacement for "cool".
Building on their pop culture trendsetter aesthetic, both rappers flex their extravagant lifestyle for the entirety of the record, with their lyricism exploring themes of luxury, women, wealth, and status.
"I bossed her up, she better not do no cap sh*t (Really, I'm trim) / I'm a real one, I can't never be on no rap sh*t (Really, I'm trim) / On Colorado shopping, goin' to Aspen (Really, I'm trim) / I'm the richest n***a in my hood, ain't no bappin' (Really I'm trim, I bossed her)," Future's hook on 'TRIM'.
COCAINE NOSE
(Production Credits: F1LTHY, 100yrd, and Brak3)
Opening with a grungy production, listeners are introduced to another rager titled COCAINE NOSE, where Playboi Carti goes solo exploring themes of substance abuse, while also alluding to the disruptive nature of his hip-hop collective Opium.
"Her man Johnny Dang / In Houston sippin' drank / All muscle, what you think? / Cigarettes for the pain / You not a thug, you playin' / My old lady give me cake, she said she want me for the famе / Then I take your money, baby, sit and watch a n***a drank / It's Opium, schyеah, movin' like Jay and Dame," Playboi Carti raps on 'Cocaine Nose'.
WE NEED ALL DA VIBES (feat. Young Thug and Ty Dolla $ign)
(Production Credits: Wheezy and Dez Wright)
On track 21 - WE NEED ALL DA VIBES, Playboi Carti introduces listeners to his R&B collaboration with Young Thug and Ty Dolla $ign, with whom he collaborated on 2024's chart-topping rage anthem Carnival, alongside Kanye West and Rich The Kid.
Young Thug's verse appears to be from an unreleased recording, titled Vibing (feat. Gunna), originally recorded in 2021. While the newer record doesn't feature his former labelmate, the reused verse does appear to retain the Wunna rapper's ad-libs, most notably appearing during Ty Dolla $ign's performance on Verse 1.
"I don't wanna know, I'm too rich to know / Half a million in my ears, I can't listen, no / Green diamonds, now your wrist all pi*s and all / And I'm ballin' on these p***y n****s, chemo / I got richer now, she can't listen now / Fu*k the p***y now, uh, got her screamin' loud," Young Thug raps on 'WE NEED ALL DA VIBES'.
OPM BABI
(Production Credits: Clayco, Streo, and opiumbaby)
On OPM BABI, Playboi Carti's experimental side is highlighted as the rapper attempts to infuse soul music with rage, over a production fueled by electric synths, vocal chops, and multiple gunshots thrown into the mix.
The record finds him exploring frequently touched-upon themes of substance abuse, relationships, and s*x, as seen in lines like:
"Might take ketamine now (Turn up), it's in my blood / Uh, I'm like Thug, I'm like, "What the fu*k?" / Uh, I just pulled up, yeah, in that brand new truck (Schyeah, pow) / Uh, uh, Escalade with thugs, all my b***hes thugs / Uh, uh, them pistols pop your pimple, I be suited up (Schyeah, schyeah) / Uh, I hit the scene and kill a n***a (Uh)"
TWIN TRIM (feat. Lil Uzi Vert)
(Production Credits: KP Beatz & Rok)
Acting as an interlude of sorts, Lil Uzi Vert's appearance on TWIN TRIM marks the final guest feature included on Playboi Carti's third studio album.
Supported by its bouncy production, TWIN TRIM finds Uzi referencing his status and wealth for almost a minute before the record cuts off. Interestingly the track doesn't include a single appearance from Carti, neither in the form of a verse or adlibs.
"B***h, I'm ballin', I can throw it up just like a floater (Yeah) / I don't want your b***h, don't save her number, just wan' hold her (Oh yeah) / One hundred and twenty five racks, I spent it all at Dover (Dover) / Y'all n****s really ain't vamps, I can tell that y'all posers (What?), yeah," Lil Uzi Vert raps on 'TWIN TRIM'.
LIKE WEEZY
(Production Credits: Kelvin Krash and Ojivolta)
Opening with a Rich Kidz Bend Over sample, Carti surprises fans with multiple voice alterations and a bouncy production drawing listeners in and keeping them entertained at the tail end of his third LP.
With references to his relationship with Justin Bieber to shouting out Lil Wayne, LIKE WEEZY is fueled by its light lyricism, best evidenced in lines like:
"Uh, two-tone, yeah, APeezy, lookin' like Weezy (Lil Weezy) / Uh, I was just out in Cleveland, shawty, I'm bleedin' / I told her I'm big like Bieber, she ain't believe me (Schyeah) / A whole lot of motherfu*kin' drugs, a whole lot of motherfu*kin' cups (Schyeah)"
HBA
(Production Credits: Cardo Got Wings and Onokey)
Fans are reintroduced to H00DBYAIR, now titled HBA, which was originally released to Playboi Carti's 00pium Instagram account on December 20, 2023.
The record is carried by its blaring drum sequences and bell sounds, fueled by Carti's deeper cadence. The majority of his lyricism on HBA seemingly targets individuals ripping off his style, with a moment of reflection toward the end where he shouts out his children Onyx and Yves.
"Y'all n****s don't know how to grow up, I been an OG since I was younger / All of my friends are dead, leave 'em in the cold, put 'em in the tundra / I go Ray Charles, I cannot see her, I make her fumble / I was just in Texas with Aaliyah, her p***y a jungle / They wanted this album to be opposite, but I told 'em I'm comin' normal," Playboi Carti raps on 'HBA'.
SOUTH ATLANTA BABY
(Production Credits: DJH and Ojivolta)
Playboi Carti closes out his third studio album with a track titled SOUTH ATLANTA BABY. The record kicks off with an introduction by DJ Swamp Izzo who shouts out the rapper and claims he created his "own genre" and can't be boxed into any category.
The powerful production finds Carti reflecting on his life and experiences growing up in South Atlanta, exploring themes of violence and street affiliations, best evidenced in lines like:
"Yeah, Draco sitting out the car, let's go / I told Spark go and get him some more / Belt to a**, get way out the door, uh / I'm a crack baby, ho, I was raised off dope / Semis and autos came with a scope / Ooh, jumped out the pothole, add up the score / Ooh, catch a body, get it tatted on your throat / Everybody with me got two double O's / I'm a Southside baby, I'm out of control (Yeah)"
Playboi Carti's MUSIC certainly lives up to its hype, providing a unique listening experience to fans with records that explore a variety of sonic directions, effortlessly highlighting the Atlanta rapper's experimental nature.
With Carti set to headline Rolling Loud California later today (March 16), attendees will very likely get the first official live performance of hit records included on the rapper's third studio album.
