Two rap albums, Astroworld and Life’s a Trip, were released in early August. Astroworld by Travis Scott debuted on Aug. 3 and was followed by Trippie Redd’s Life’s a Trip on Aug. 10. Immediately, fans began to debate which was the better work. 

Though it is clear that Astroworld is more popular, there is still a question if it is actually superior. As Travis Scott’s third album, the first two tracks are the popular “BUTTERFLY EFFECT” and “SICKO MODE.”

Statistics-wise, Astroworld sold more than half a million copies within the first week of its release. 270,000 of these were pure album sales, compared to only 15,000 sold on Life’s a Trip.

By the release date of Life’s a Trip, Astroworld was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
While both albums fall under the same category of hip hop/rap, Redd’s Life’s a Trip is a different style than Scott’s. It is seemingly more emo in contrast to Astroworld, which is straight rap.

As for the other stylistic choices displayed by selections in Astroworld, songs are composed of multiple inner parts, each with different sounds. It can be described as almost futuristic, with the theme relating to outer space and other extraterrestrial motifs.

The stylistic differences between the albums reflect the personalities of each artist, which is also found within their previous music as well.
“I usually prefer songs written by Travis Scott, but I ended up liking the tracks on Life’s a Trip even more,” sophomore Emma Messer said.

The message Life’s a Trip converys deals with issues such as broken relationships in “Underwater Flyzone,” and goes a bit further by even touching on suicide in “Taking a Walk.” This was the single that Redd released about a week before the rest of the album being a preview of his new work.
The music featured on Redd’s album has more beneath the surface than most of the songs on Astroworld. This is another factor in whether audiences find either album to be more likeable, or if they are even likeable at all.

“Life’s a Trip isn’t great, but it teases the idea that [Redd’s] raspy style can be refined into something excellent,” sophomore Miles Wilson said.
The lukewarm response from critics concerning Life’s a Trip gives off the sense that the work did not amaze most professionals, though it debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200. However, there are still many who had a positive review of the album’s dystopian vibes.

Scott Glaysher of HipHopDX magazine praised the album’s experimentation and genre-blending of hip-hop and angsty sounds.
“[Redd’s] young artistry shines through as he paints life’s pictures across all genres,” Glaysher said.

The length of each album is nearly an hour, with the 17 tracks on Astroworld being slightly longer than Life’s a Trip, which only has 14.

The album cover art on each of the two records are unique in the scheme of the norm, but look surprisingly similar to one another. Both feature an abstract picture of the artist in the middle with the same facial expression: mouth open, dreadlocks hanging, and eyes rolled back into their heads.

“The art of each album was very expressive and original,” sophomore Fiona Kilcoyne said. “I wouldn’t have expected anything less from these unique artists.”
The images connect to the contemporary nature of each album, producing an almost eerie effect. Multiple versions of the album covers for Astroworld and Life’s a Trip were shot, but one final face for each was chosen.

For publicity reasons, each of the albums have merchandise lines and Scott even hosted an Astroworld festival. Part of the album’s cover depicts children enjoying themselves at his theme park.

“EVERY ONE IS WELCOME TO ASTROWORLD,” Scott said in an Twitter post on Aug. 4.

Although fans compare the two albums, Redd and Scott are not rivals in reality. A song that Redd released back in December of 2017 titled “Dark Knight Dummo,” also added to Life’s a Trip, even featured Scott. It peaked at number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Redd’s highest-charting single, and went platinum on June 6, 2018.

While the song contains lyrics in which Scott mentions the word “Astroworld,” it was released long before the signature album came out. The two artists are collaborating on the “ASTROWORLD: WISH YOU WERE HERE” tour as well, which will be coming soon to the DMV area.

They first perform together in Baltimore at the Royal Farms Arena on Nov. 8, then D.C. at the Capital One Arena on Nov. 29. The tour also includes another pair of rappers, Gunna and Sheck Wes.

Though Scott and Redd have contrasting facets of their music, they still make a strong match for their tour. The highlights of both albums are pleasing to the ears, and the artists will continue to produce music that is different in their own ways.