By Samantha Padilla, Oct. 11, 2022
American rapper, Scott Mescudi, also known as Kid Cudi, released his eighth solo album “Entergalatic” on Sept. 30, along with a Netflix animated rom-com series of the same name, blending music, art and fashion all in one remarkable project.
After he released “Man on The Moon III: The Chosen” in 2020, Cudi broke the charts leaving fans wanting more of Kid Cudi. Several fans, including myself, were left speechless after listening to the third and final entry to the “Man on the Moon” trilogy.
Cudi later announced that he was already in the process of working on his next album, “Entergalatic,” with a special twist to it. When I heard this news, I was extremely excited about what he had in the works considering that his music and persona have been so influential in my life. I knew it would be something new and different but still a masterpiece filled with ambition and creativity.
The album “Entergalactic,” contains 15 unique tracks that each flow with one another, telling a story that connects with the Netflix series of the same name.
As expected, Cudi delivers a fantastic performance on the album with great melodies and production. As soon as I heard the first track, I knew that this album would be different from the original Kid Cudi albums that we are used to. Each song on the album carries the same theme: letting go of fear and enjoying the moment.
“Entergalactic” includes several collaborations from other artists, such as Ty Dolla $ign, 2 Chainz and Don Toliver, followed by a bonus track with Steve Aoki and Dot da Genius.
After listening to each track carefully on the album, I‘ll have to say that my top three favorite songs from the album were “Do What I Want,” “Angel” and “Willing to Trust.”
“Do What I Want” opens with ESPN host Stephen A. Smith’s motto, “Stay off the weed,” followed by Cudi’s unmissable humming and rapping skills. The track includes an uplifting beat with the appearance of his alter ego, Mr. Rager, speaking about how he’ll do whatever he wants as long as he’s living.
Mr. Rager then transitions from “rager” to romantic lover boy on “Angel,” which has such a heavenly tone that gives the listener a euphoric feeling that’s so peaceful and relaxing. “Angel” reminded me of his track “The Void” from his previous album “Man on The Moon III.” The ending of “The Void” sounds identical to “Angel,” where fans get to see another side of Cudi and feel at ease.
“Willing to Trust” features rapper Ty Dolla $ign, where he and Cudi Ty get vulnerable and express an affecting chorus, “And I’ve been willing to trust someone.” The song talks about what it’s like to fall in love and open your heart up after repeatedly getting heartbroken.
As for the Netflix animated rom-com series of the same name, “Entergalatic” centers on two neighbors who are artists. Jabari, who Cudi plays himself, is a comic book artist with a series based on his character “Mr. Rager.” Jabari just moved into a new building in Manhattan, New York, where he meets Meadow, who is played by Jessica Williams, a talented street photographer. Fate brings Jabari and Meadow together and both characters learn how to love and trust each other.
Aside from Cudi, other voice characters include Timothée Chalamet, Ty Dolla $ign, Laura Harrier, Vanessa Hudgens, Christopher Abbott, 070 Shake, Jaden Smith, Keith David, Teyana Taylor, Arturo Castro and Macaulay Culkin.
The animated rom-com series is conducted with dazzling, creative, bright visuals similar to the animated Spider-Man movie “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” “Entergalatic” felt so realistic, and the soundtrack and narrative performed wonderfully. Aside from being a rom-com, viewers also get likable characters who have a great sense of humor and are sympathetic.
Cudi also included fashion in this project and utilized real-life streetwear brands in the series, such as Adidas, Yeezy and Off-White gear. He wanted to incorporate style and have each character express themselves through clothing.
I believe Cudi did a fantastic job merging the album and animated series into one massive project, showing the fans his “crazy idea” and doing something that has never been done before. I’ve always seen Kid Cudi as a storyteller through his music, and after seeing him create something other than music, I’m convinced he can do just about anything because he’s ambitious and super talented.
In a press release, Cudi expressed: “Entergalactic is everything I’ve always wanted to do, create a long-form visual companion to an album,” Cudi said. “It all started with the music, which helped bring this storyline and these characters to life. Entergalactic is unlike anything I’ve ever done, certainly my most ambitious project to date; I can’t wait for you to finally experience it.”
For those interested, Kid Cudi’s album “Entergalactic” is now available on all music platforms and his special animated series, also labeled “Entergalactic,” is streaming on Netflix.
Feature image courtesy of Sharon Wu
