Ken Carson, also known as Teen X, is a 23-year-old artist from Atlanta Georgia, who in recent years has torn up the SoundCloud scene and underground. He started making music in 2015, but rose to fame when fellow artist Playboi Carti signed him to his Opium label in 2019. Carson would release his debut album “Project X” in 2021. Lots of mixed opinions circulated about this project, but, since then, Carson has certainly improved his material, and he prominently displays it with his recent album “A Great Chaos” (AGC).
AGC is a mixture of genres ranging from rage-inducing, rap, trap, and even genres people can’t define yet. I like to describe this album as a sound garden. AGC has many unique synths, booming 808s (bass), and minor pieces that make every beat feel complete. This album had limited features, with only two other artists: Destroy Lonely, who appeared in three songs, and Lil Uzi Vert, who appeared in one. Despite hearing the same voice for nearly all 18 songs on this album, there’s still such a sense of variety and every song is distinctive.
“So getting what Carson is doing and where it’s coming from is not rocket science. In fact there’s only a thin layer of surface level differences separating it from a lot of other trap out there today.” – Anthony Fantano, Popular Youtube Music Critic.
The lead track, “Green Room,” has build-ups and different waves that alter the listeners’ mood. It’s a melodic track about Carson explaining how his life changed from before he was famous to after. Green Room comes off as an exhilarating track to lead off, and quite different from what we’ve heard from Carson in the past. Overall it serves as a great way to start the album and solidifies its place as one of the top songs off the album. This trend continues as the next three songs come along. The first feature by Destroy Lonely appears on the 4th track, “Singapore.” This song keeps a steady rhythm throughout its entirety and this duo never seems to disappoint.
The most questionable and probably worst track, “Lose it,” comes next. This track takes its name to heart — the second it starts you are blasted with distorted 808s that go on throughout the whole song nonstop. Although fitting to the name and story of the song, it makes for a very forgettable and skippable track. Later on, another notable song appears, “Paranoid,” returning to the reliable duo of Destroy Lonely and Carson. The beat, made by producer F1lthy, packs a soothing 808 pattern, with medium-paced, high-pitched sounds that make for a beat you can only understand by hearing. A few songs later, Lil Uzi Vert makes his only appearance along with Destroy Lonely in the track “Like This.” This track rotates between artist verses at a fast pace, making for a fun and on repeat listen.
As the album goes on, more songs to note like “Vampire Hour” and “Nightcore” come along. Finally, the 18th and last song off the album, “i need u,” ends it with a bang. This song was the only one released before the album came out. It has accumulated over 30 million streams and is arguably what many fans consider one of Carson’s best songs.
Overall, what makes this album so good is its variety when it comes to production. It creates such a fun listening experience. This album is a high point in Carson’s short career that shows how much he has grown. We can only expect more shortly, as it seems Carson continuously blows expectations away. However, this project is receiving mixed emotions. Popular Youtuber and music critic Anthony Fantano said, “So getting what Carson is doing and where it’s coming from is not rocket science. In fact there’s only a thin layer of surface level differences separating it from a lot of other trap out there today.” In the end, Anthony Fantano gave the album a three out of ten and called it “a slight improvement.” While Carson’s material will likely always receive negative backlash, I’m sure many fans of his are pleased with this project.
