Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight

On his second album, Travis Scott is flying free, enjoying the spoils of fame and spotting the pitfalls. Sharp storytelling and warm synths give *Birds* a surreal, cinematic feel. He brings street anthems in bunches (“way back,” “coordinate,” “through the late night”) and his confidence beams on the intimate “first take” and “guidance,\" a Latin-tinged R&B track à la “One Dance.” If *Rodeo* showed that Travis Scott is comfortable coloring outside hip-hop\'s lines, *Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight* shows he’s capable of creating a masterpiece.

His guest-heavy sophomore album sees Travis Scott amplifying the fun and theater of his projects as he finds his true home as a host for others.

Titled after one of Quavo's lines from the chirpy summertime 2016 hit co-billed to Travis Scott and Young Thug, this fitfully hypnotizing follow-up arrived after numerous delays, toward the end of the year's third quarter.

If Travis Scott were a bird, he might be the Common grackle. Just as that particular species is known to steal food from other birds, Scott'...

2014’s ‘Days Before Rodeo’ was full of the post-‘Yeezus’ machinisms that Travis Scott himself was mostly responsible for