AOTW: Kid Cudi – “INSANO”

February 8th, 2024 by Liz Kosik

by Fiona Galang ’27

Album of the Week: Kid Cudi – “INSANO”

Released: 2024

Rate: 8/10

RIYL: Tory Lanez, Trippie Redd, Frank Ocean, Travis Scott

To kick off the New Year’s right, Kid Cudi released INSANO. This album falls under Hip-Hop/Rap but also includes the experimental nature that Cudi is known for psychedelia, electronica, synthpop, and maybe even a bit of R&B mixed in. If you’re a fan of Travis Scott, this might be the album for you.

There are songs for several different moods, music that can be listened to when you’re just chilling with friends, walking around campus, or even when you’re working out. It’s a chill album, but also has songs that will hype you up (mostly the ones including Travis Scott). Track 11, “AT THE PARTY” definitely showcases that experimental psychedelic vibe while including an upbeat tempo that the features complement. Track 5, “WOW” is one of the faster, hype songs that I would probably play at the gym.

INSANO reminds me a lot of Man on the Moon III: The Chosen, it gives that psychedelic feel Cudi’s known for, but it also has plenty of upbeat, hype songs. This album specifically felt more experimental, but still good. I’m more of a fan of his old music, but a lot of the songs on this album sound as if they’re almost paying tribute to his old music while being something different.

A lot of people believed that Kid Cudi was retiring from making music after he released Entergalactic in 2022, but he was just cooking this up. Funny enough, INSANO was released about 16 years after his breakout single “Day n’ Nite” dropped. The bright colors and abstract art of the album cover look very similar to KIDS SEE GHOSTS and all of his Man on the Moon albums, keeping the aesthetic going.

Ever since it came out, I’ve replayed it several times. Track 3, “GET OFF ME” and Track 6, “ELECTROWAVEBABY” have been carrying me through the week. Definitely give it a try if you’re a fan of rap, hip-hop, or any of the genres mentioned above.