Goodbye Horses

ian went from being a bubbling, enticing prospect to one of rap’s hottest commodities in a matter of a few months in 2024. What began with breakthrough single “Figure It Out” snowballed into the breakthrough success of his May debut, *Valedictorian*. If that project is a summation of his life and influences, its follow-up, *Goodbye Horses*, is an attempt to define and showcase the breadth of his vision. “Till I Die” features 2010s Chicago trap horns and an Auto-Tuned vocal performance from the St. Louis-born rapper. The molasses-thick flow gives way to a bevy of double-time bars, which highlight ian’s dexterity on the mic. Elsewhere, on “Sh\*t Sad,” he recruits Chief Keef for another trap-leaning banger that employs the yearning melodies of emo rap to give the song a dash of pathos. It’s a trick ian employs throughout the project, but one that produces some of the most memorable moments of *Goodbye Horses*.