When Kid Cudi announced his animated Netflix movie Entergalactic and an accompanying soundtrack album of the same name, there was cautious optimism for a man whose back catalogue has been largely maligned unless it’s called ‘Man On The Moon’. As it turns out, this pattern has continued.
Comprising 15 tracks across a breezy 45 minutes, here Scott Mescudi has enlisted the help of a litany of featured artists and producers. Ty Dolla $ign contributes on album highlight Willing To Trust, and again later on Can’t Shake Her, 2 Chainz makes an appearance on Can’t Believe It, and Steve Aoki features on the closing bonus track Burrow, as well as being one of a multitude of producers alongside Skrillex, Hot Sugar and WondaGurl.
And yet, despite the myriad influences and potential directions, ‘Entergalactic’ ends up a listless blancmange of AutoTune and drum machines.
While the beats are solid, if slightly safe, the album offers little in terms of variation or freshness. Rather than being a Kid Cudi passion project that firmly carries the artist’s stamp, songs such as Angel, Maybe So, and lead single Do What I Want feel more like throwaway cookie cutter fare.
Having said that, there are some genuinely catchy and complete songs on ‘Entergalactic’. Willing To Trust is an instant earworm, while Livin’ My Truth provides a much needed kick of energy and purpose. It feels like on these tracks, and these tracks only, Kid Cudi has really poured himself into the performance and recording, whereas the rest of the album is an afterthought.
There's a peculiar air about ‘Entergalactic’. As a total project with the Netflix special, there have been delays and rescheduling, and it's hard to get a sense of whether the album is the companion to the movie, or vice versa. Having heard this as a standalone piece of work, though, you may not feel inclined to tune in to the visual component.
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