# Music (Playboi Carti album)

Music (also known as I Am Music, both stylized in all caps) is the third studio album by American rapper Playboi Carti. It was released on March 14, 2025, through AWGE and Interscope Records. The album consists of 30 tracks and features guest appearances from Travis Scott, the Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, Jhené Aiko, Skepta, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Ty Dolla Sign, and Young Thug. Production was primarily handled by Ojivolta, Cardo and F1lthy, alongside a host of other producers, including Bnyx, Cash Cobain, Kanye West, Maaly Raw, Metro Boomin, Mike Dean, Southside, TM88, Scott himself, and Wheezy. The album serves as the follow-up to Carti's second studio album, Whole Lotta Red (2020), which released over 4 years earlier.
On March 9, 2025, Playboi Carti announced that work on Music had been completed after years of development hell. Shortly after, on March 12, he confirmed the album's release date as March 14, 2025, following a series of teasers by Spotify. Music received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the production and Carti's vocal performances.

## Background and recording

Following the success of his second studio album, Whole Lotta Red (2020), Carti quickly began teasing new music. On March 10, 2021, just three months after Whole Lotta Red was released, Carti hinted at a new project on Instagram. By August 23, 2021, he had revealed the album's initial title, Narcissist, and set a release date for September 13, although the date ultimately passed without the album's release. As the year progressed, Carti's plans for the album evolved. In an April 2022 interview with XXL, he mentioned that the album's title had been changed to Music. During this period, Carti was actively recording and experimenting with new sounds, seeking to build on the success of his previous work. His creative process involved working with a variety of collaborators, drawing on the talent within his Opium label, including producers like F1lthy and the collective Working on Dying. Carti was also influenced by various genres, blending elements of punk, rap, and experimental music.
Throughout 2022 and 2023, Carti remained active in live performances, debuting unreleased tracks and building anticipation among fans. On December 25, 2022, the second anniversary of Whole Lotta Red, Carti reignited speculation by posting what appeared to be new cover art on Instagram and tweeting, "love all my supporters it's time". By 2023, Carti had solidified his vision for the album, intensifying his creative process while continuing to tweak and perfect the project. In a November 2023 interview with Numéro Berlin, Carti emphasized the personal significance of the album, describing it as his most important work to date. He revealed that much of the album was recorded in a cave-like studio in Paris, where he spent three months immersed in the creative process. On November 17, Carti revealed production from Ye for the album. On March 9, 2025, Carti revealed that the album was finished. A few days later, on March 12, he officially announced that the album would be released on March 14, 2025, after a string of teasers from Spotify.

## Release and promotion

The promotional campaign for Carti's album began subtly on December 7, 2023, when he posted a cryptic Instagram story stating, "I am music", followed by another story showcasing Pharrell Williams' response, simply reading "Prepare". This sparked immediate speculation about an upcoming release. Later that day, DJ Akademiks announced that Carti's album was expected to release in January 2024, hyping it as "the greatest thing you ever heard".
On December 8, 2023, Carti escalated the promotion by releasing the song "Different Day" through the Opium Instagram account, accompanied by a full-length music video. However, the song did not receive an official release on streaming platforms, maintaining an exclusive and underground appeal. Over the following weeks, Carti continued this unconventional approach, dropping a series of promotional singles: "2024" on December 14, "H00dByAir" on December 19, "Backr00ms" featuring Travis Scott on January 1, 2024, "EvilJ0rdan" on January 15, and "Ketamine" on March 12. "H00dByAir", "EvilJ0rdan", and "Ketamine" appear on Music under different titles. Each release was paired with a music video, with most being exclusive to Instagram or YouTube, further building anticipation around the album.
Throughout 2024, Carti continued to tease fans with snippets of new material during live performances, including a preview of the tracks "All Red" and "Fuck on My DJ" at the Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash festival in June. Throughout the year, Carti started teasing the release date to be in 2024, with him and other close sources, including DJ Akademiks and Opium members, using the phrase "2024 Music" on social media. However, the year passed without the album's release. On June 17, Carti again used Instagram to preview another unreleased track, keeping the momentum and speculation alive. On September 12, 2024, the day before Carti's birthday, he announced on Instagram, with affiliated Opium accounts reposting the story. The announcement revealed new merchandise, which included the album title and hinted at its possible release date. About an hour later, Carti posted another update on Instagram—a teaser for the single "All Red" with the caption: "Tonight? All Red??". The single was subsequently released at midnight on the streaming platforms. On November 22, 2024, Carti posted a new song through the Opium Instagram account, titled and captioned "Play This". Five days later on November 27, 2024, Carti announced he would be performing I Am Music at Rolling Loud Miami on December 15, 2024. On December 15, 2024, Carti performed five new songs during his headlining performance.
   * . @playboicarti
   FRIDAY
In late February and early March 2025, a series of promotional billboards in collaboration with Spotify appeared in major locations such as Downtown Los Angeles, Times Square, and Bayfront Park in Miami. These billboards, featuring the album's signature font, displayed cryptic messages including "MUSIC IS COMING" (February 17), "I AM MUSIC MF" (February 18), "TRIM" (February 19), "IMSOYVL" (February 20), "SORRY 4 DA WAIT" (February 21), "BABYBOI" (February 22), "OVERLY TRIM" (February 25), and "STREETS READY" and "I AM MUSIC" (March 12). Spotify further promoted the album by posting a teaser video with the caption "Have faith" on social media. Shortly after, Carti wiped his main Instagram account and instead posted on the Opium Instagram account, sharing an image of a Times Square billboard. He later followed up with an Instagram post stating, "IMA DOG N YAL KNO DAT #IAMMUSIC" and responded to pinned comments from Spotify and Kai Cenat. Later that day, Carti simply posted "Friday" on X/Twitter, marking his first tweet since 2022 and further confirming the album's release date of March 14. He subsequently shared an Instagram video featuring British performance artist Blackhaine announcing the album's release day, intensifying anticipation for the album's imminent release. The album was initially set to release at midnight, Eastern Standard Time (EST); however, it was then delayed three hours to 3:00 a.m. EST, or midnight, Pacific Standard Time, which Carti alerted to DJ Akademiks and Kai Cenat.

## Title

Carti had teased a variety of potential titles for Music. Initially, he hinted at the title Narcissist in a Twitter post where he shared a screenshot from an iMessage group chat, proclaiming "Forget about sample clearances. Drop Narcissist". This provocative statement set the tone for the album's anticipation and led to the renaming of his Narcissist Tour to the King Vamp Tour shortly thereafter.
In addition to Narcissist, fans speculated that another title, Antagonist, could also be associated with the album. This speculation arose from the canceled world tour that was initially set to feature artists such as Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, and Homixide Gang.
In an April 2022 interview with XXL, Carti unveiled what would later be the final title, simply stating Music. He emphasized that "that's all it is at this point", suggesting a straightforward approach to his work. From December 2023 onward, Carti teased the title I Am Music, which captured the attention of his fanbase.
On September 12, 2024, Carti officially revealed the title as I Am Music during the launch of box-set preorders. Alongside this announcement, he introduced digital pre-orders for the album and showcased nine different CD designs, three of which were available for purchase as part of exclusive merchandise bundles. Despite the cover retaining its tentative title, "I Am Music", the album was officially released as simply Music.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Aggregate scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100 |
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| The Guardian | |
| MusicOMH | |
| NME | |
| Pitchfork | 7.7/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Slant Magazine | |
| Sputnikmusic | 2.3/5 |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Music received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 from seven critic scores.
Reviewing the album for NME, Kyann-Sian Williams wrote, "Music isn't just an expansion of Carti's sonic world, but a refinement that spins his characteristic chaos into something cinematic". Ben Beaumont-Thomas of The Guardian believed that Music showcased Carti's "almost mystical level of vocal range", dubbing the album "jaded" and "narcotized". In a less enthusiastic review, Dakota West Foss of Sputnikmusic stated that the album was "too much" and cited its messiness and "out of control" nature as weaknesses.
Mosi Reeves of Rolling Stone described Music as a "long-awaited banquet" that cements Carti’s status as an "era-defining talent". He praised Carti's vocal unpredictability and the album's grand, arena-sized production but criticized its reliance on repetitive themes of power, excess, and vice. Still, Reeves acknowledged Music as a vital step in Carti’s artistic evolution, with standout moments like "Evil J0rdan" and "HBA" showcasing his ability to transform even the simplest phrases into anthemic statements. Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork awarded the album a positive score, calling it “both a maximalist mess and a fascinating experiment.” The review highlighted Carti’s vocal versatility—ranging from guttural roars to high-pitched chirps—and praised his ability to craft "post-language" anthems. While the chaotic tracklist and bloated runtime were noted as drawbacks, the review ultimately framed Music as a bold, boundary-pushing effort that reaffirms Carti's influence on modern hip-hop.
Slant Magazine praised Music for its “thrillingly all-encompassing” scope, hailing Carti as “mainstream rap’s most eccentric, experimental, and enigmatic auteur.” Charles Lyons-Burt lauded the rapper’s chameleonic vocal approach, particularly on tracks like "K-Pop" and "Opm Babi," while acknowledging the album’s lack of cohesion. Despite its excessive length, Slant viewed the project as an impressive showcase of Carti’s genre-defying artistry.

## Track listing

Notes
* All songs are stylized in uppercase, for example, "Pop Out" is written as "POP OUT".
* "K Pop" was originally released as "Ketamine".
* "HBA" was originally released as "H00dByAir".
Sample and interpolation credits
* "Evil J0rdan" contains a sample of "Popular", written by Abel Tesfaye, Jordan Carter, Leland Wayne, Mike Dean, Tommy Rush, Sam Levinson, Michael Walker, and John Flippin, and performed by the Weeknd, Playboi Carti, and Madonna.
* "Backd00r" contains a sample of "Red Rum", written and performed by Lil Wayne and Dre.
* "Crank" contains a sample of "Fuck Taylor Gang (Not a Diss We Are Just Not Dickriders)", written and performed by SpaceGhostPurrp.
* "Cocaine Nose" contains a sample of "Only U", performed by Ashanti.
* "Like Weezy" contains a sample of "Bend Over", written and performed by Rich Kidz.
* "Walk" contains a sample of "Sydney", performed by Bankroll Fresh.