Scott Mescudi, better known by his stage name Kid Cudi, recently released the third installment of the legendary Man on the Moon trilogy. The album, titled Man on the Moon III: The Chosen was released on December 11, 2020; over ten years since the last installment Man on theMoon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. As of January 13th, the album has 256,990,149 streams on Spotify alone. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and was Kid Cudi’s fifth top ten album in the US. Taylor Swift’s album Evermore and Jack Harlow’s album That’s What They All Say were both released on the same day as Kid Cudi’s, with Evermore debuting at No.1 on the Billboard 200 and That’s What TheyAll Say at No. 5.

The Album starts out with a heavy trap vibe with features from Pop Smoke and Skepta, but slowly transitions into the classic, euphoric-sounding Kid Cudi that so many fans grew up listening to. In the outro of Another Day, Kid Cudi recycles lyrics from his classic song Mr. Rager; leaving listeners with a nostalgic remembrance of his early work. 

I listened to the first half of the album as soon as it came out and then finished it the morning after. Initially, I thought the album was very good, with no skippable songs on the album whatsoever. When I kept listening, I realized that the album lacks the depth that the last two installments were able to reach. The first Man on The Moon album felt to me like a window into his childhood and early life, and how he struggled growing up without a father. The second album of the trilogy highlighted the downsides of Kid Cudi’s fame, and how he felt as though a life of drugs, alcohol and partying was ruining him. This third album lacks the feelings and emotions Scott was able to imbed in the previous albums. This album also showcases how Cudi has grown since starting music; he no longer lives a life filled with drugs and parties, since he has gotten over his depression, which he originally used to pour emotion into his music. Although I felt the album lacked the usual transparency into Kid Cudi’s mind that shaped his career, the album still had a flood of euphoric and mellow feelings that has always been present in his discography.

Kid Cudi’s specialty is his ability to relate to thousands of fans through his lyrics, because of how open he is with his emotions. People hear Cudi talking about his experience of living with depression and that is special because very few other rappers are that transparent about their mental health. I felt as though his relatability was not aspresent in this album as the previous ones, but some songs on the album did fulfill the relatability to his lyrics so many fans were hoping for. His most relatable songs on the album, in my opinion, were The Void and Elsie’s Baby Boy (flashback). The Void touches on how Scott feels when the depressive thoughts overcome him; as if he is falling into a void. Elsie’s Baby Boy (flashback) speaks about Scott’s relationship with his mother throughout his childhood, and his experience growing up with no father. Overall I would rate this album an 8.5 out of 10, and a must-listen for any Kid Cudi fans or anyone who likes relaxed, mellow music.

Top 5 Favorite Tracks:

1. The Void
2. Another Day
3. Dive
4. Tequila Shots
5. Elsie’s Baby Boy (flashback)

Below are three student opinions on the album:

Beau Seipler:

Personally, I think it was really good. It was a little different from previous music he’s put out before, but I really enjoyed it. His album made me feel a sense of calmness and peace. I think people who didn’t like the album or call Cudi “trash” don’t know how to expand their music taste. Kid Cudi is for those with amazing music taste. Favorite tracks: The Void, Tequila Shots, Mr. Solo Dolo III, Sept 16, and Sad People. Rate: 8.5/10.

Brady Freeman: 

In my opinion, the album was very chill and laid back, and was exactly what I was expecting from Cudi. My favorite songs were

Tequila Shots and Damaged. Rate: 8/10

Eli Hardy: 

I liked it a lot because of the new trap beats that were incorporated in it, but I think for OG Cudi fans it wasn’t their thing. My favorite tracks were Heaven On Earth, Another Day, and Sad People

because of his amazing production. Rate: 8/10 

Hungry for Hot Takes?

Noah and other Flash Production Staff sound off on Kid Cudi in this episode of Live from M-5: