Re-Ranking of All 19 Songs on Travis Scott’s ‘UTOPIA’ — One Year Later
Travis Scott’s UTOPIA recently turned one year old, so I thought it would be interesting to revisit and revise my original ranking of all 19 tracks from last October. After listening to the album multiple times and seeing Travis live in January, I realize a lot of my original placements did not age well. So, with that said, here is an updated ranking of all 19 tracks from UTOPIA.
19. PARASAIL (feat. Yung Lean & Dave Chappelle)
Original Ranking: 19
My opinion on this song has not changed at all. “PARASAIL” is still my least favorite song on UTOPIA, as it feels a bit like an unfinished mess. I don’t think I came back to this track more than once since creating the original list because there is not much replay value at all. “PARASAIL” is not offensively bad, it’s just boring and a bit incomplete.
18. K-POP (feat. Bad Bunny & The Weeknd)
Original Ranking: 18
I still don’t understand why Travis chose to use this song as the lead single. “K-POP” is just a poor attempt at a hit; the beat is so generic and the hook is not memorable at all. The only reason “K-POP” isn’t in last is because of The Weeknd’s contributions, which are pretty decent. There are so many better moments on UTOPIA.
17. DELRESTO (ECHOS) (feat. Beyoncé)
Original Ranking: 15
Even though “DELRESTO (ECHOS)” is definitely a step up from the last two songs, it still is far from one of the best on UTOPIA. Like I said on the original ranking, the whole track feels like it builds up to something that never comes. On top of that, structurally, the song is a bit of a mess and doesn’t really have any direction. Nevertheless, Beyoncé’s vocals are great as always, and definitely overshine Travis’s lackluster performance.
16. MODERN JAM (feat. Teezo Touchdown)
Original Ranking: 17
Since the release of UTOPIA, there has been a growing fanbase for “MODERN JAM.” I can definitely appreciate the risk that Travis took with this track, however I am not one of those people that put this in their top five, let alone their top ten songs on UTOPIA. I do, however, absolutely love Teezo Touchdown’s contributions to the track, but that’s really the only thing I like about this song.
15. CIRCUS MAXIMUS (feat. The Weeknd & Swae Lee)
Original Ranking: 16
The beat is nothing special and neither is Travis’s performance, but The Weeknd’s hook and overall vocal performance is solid. Like I said back on my October ranking, there is not enough for me to come back to this song constantly. The track is not offensively bad, it’s just not very memorable.
14. FE!N (feat. Playboi Carti)
Original Ranking: 14
The most popular song on UTOPIA is still no where near the top of the list. If this was a list of best UTOPIA songs to see live, “FE!N” would easily be in the top three. However, in terms of being a quality track, there are many better songs on the project. The loud, flashy beat is still great, but the hook is quite annoying unless you’re listening to the song at a party or a concert. Travis’s verse is decent and Playboi Carti’s feature is alright, but the beat still carries the track.
13. LOST FOREVER (feat. Westside Gunn)
Original Ranking: 13
A Travis Scott and Westiside Gunn collaboration is definitely unexpected, but for the most part, it woks pretty well. Both rappers have great verses, but the beat in the first half of the song is better and more interesting than the beat in the second half. If there was no beat switch, “LOST FOREVER” could have possibly made its way into the top ten.
12. GOD”S COUNTRY
Original Ranking: 9
I still think “GOD’S COUNTRY” is one of the most underrated songs on UTOPIA, but it was certainly ranked too high on my original list. Yes, the song is great, but with a runtime barely over two minutes, it’s hard to but it over all the songs in the top ten. Travis’s rapping performance and flows are still fantastic, and so are the strange vocal samples and the beat.
11. TOPIA TWINS (feat. Rob49 & 21 Savage)
Original Ranking: 6
“TOPIA TWINS” was definitely the most over ranked song from my original list. Yes, the 21 Savage verse is still one of my favorite feature verses on UTOPIA, but Rob49’s verse grew off me a lot. I might have enjoyed it months ago, but now I just find his feature to be quite annoying. The beat is still solid though, and so is Travis’s hook and verse. However, it will always be 21’s verse that pushes “TOPIA TWINS” up the list.
10. LOOOVE (feat. Kid Cudi)
Original Ranking: 7
The dark beat on “LOOOVE” is still amazing, and so are the verses from Travis and Kid Cudi. However, as time passes, I continue to wish that Cudi had a bit of a longer verse. Regardless, the track is still amazing and has a unique structure with epic instrumental breaks that make this song worth a listen every time.
9. TIL FURTHER NOTICE (feat. James Blake & 21 Savage)
Original Ranking: 10
As time has passed since the release of UTOPIA, I’ve seen more and more people place “TIL FURTHER NOTICE” in the top three, sometimes even in the number one spot. Even though I’m a big fan of the track, a placement that high is a bit generous. Metro’s beat, even if it’s nothing too crazy, is still pretty good, and James Blake’s vocals are incredible. 21 Savage’s verse is good, but nowhere near as good as his verse on “TOPIA TWINS.” Travis’s closing verse is a big highlight on the track, and a great way to close out UTOPIA as a whole. “TIL FURTHER NOTICE” is a great closer, but not good enough to place as high as the top five.
8. I KNOW?
Original Ranking: 5
Still one of the catchiest songs in Travis’s discography, “I KNOW?” will always be in my rotation. From the eerie, creepy piano beat to the amazing flows and hooks, there is no reason for this track to be outside of anyone’s top ten. The way Travis plays with his voice in the second verse is so good too, and makes for one of the best verses on UTOPIA.
7. SKITZO (feat. Young Thug)
Original Ranking: 8
Travis’s ability to make a song interesting and captivating for over six minutes is special. There is not one second of boring music throughout the whole duration of “SKITZO.” There are four different parts, and each one of them is unique. The first part, which contains a fantastic Young Thug verse, also has a great verse from Travis. Travis’s rapping is on point throughout the whole track, and all four beats are solid as well, but especially the fourth beat, which sounds like something that could come from a Westside Gunn record. “SKITZO” is a whole journey, and that’s what places this track into the top seven.
6. MY EYES
Original Ranking: 11
There are still a lot of people who claim this is the best song on UTOPIA, and I don’t blame them. Even though I’m not the biggest fan of the first half, it definitely grew on me since I made the original list. It’s calm, relaxing, and at some points just genuinely beautiful. However, I still don’t understand why Sampha did not play a bigger role in the first half. His vocal style is a perfect fit for the intended vibe of the first half (also Sampha was the only person to releases a better album than UTOPIA in 2023). Anyway, the reason most people listen to “MY EYES” is because the beat switch is truly special. The second half of this song is easily one of the best moments on UTOPIA, and there are not many other moments in Travis’s discography where he raps this well. It’s also nice to hear him briefly mention the Astroworld disaster of 2021, and hear him say that if he could he would have “save[d]…a child.” The duality of this track is outstanding, and I regret not placing this higher on the original list.
5. MELTDOWN (feat. Drake)
Original Ranking: 4
The three part Drake collaboration just breaks into the top five. Drake’s whispery verse is still one of my favorite Drake feature verses to date, and Travis’s first verse is one of my favorite on the whole project. Also, the tie-fighter sounds during the second part of the song are so cool, making for one of the best small details on UTOPIA. On top of all of that, the hard-hitting beat is works perfectly, and the beat switch for Travis’s second verse is also a perfect switch up. This song is one of the most popular on the album, and it truly is one of the best.
4. HYAENA
Original Ranking: 3
What a way to open an album. The aggressive boom-bap instrumental is so good, Travis’s rapping is phenomenal, and on top of all of that, there’s a gorgeous Mike Dean outro. There’s not much to say about “HYAENA” other than that it’s a perfect album opener.
3. TELEKINESIS (feat. SZA & Future)
Original Ranking: 2
Over a year later, and I can say I still believe SZA still has the best feature on the album. Her entrance is unbelievable, and done so perfectly. I absolutely love her powerful vocal performance and even her lyrical topic about wanting to be with someone who doesn’t love her is really captivating. Besides SZA’s phenomenal contributions, both Travis and Future have great verses with a fantastic and catchy hook from Travis. “TELEKINESIS” is one of the most beautiful songs in Travis’s discography, and always an enjoyable listen.
2. THANK GOD
Original Ranking: 12
I cannot believe I had ‘THANK GOD” ranked as the 12th best song on UTOPIA. In my original ranking, I said that “the beat in the first half is a little boring,” and I was completely wrong. While I still believe that the second half is better than the first, the first half of the song is nowhere near boring. The beat is definitely slower than it is in the second half, but it’s still unique and has a beautiful dark vibe to it. On top of that, Travis’s delivery is incredible, and he matches the song’s vibe perfectly. I also didn’t even mention KayCyy’s chorus in my original list, which is a fantastic addition to the first have of the track. However, like I said before, the second half of “THANK GOD” is still the better part. The grand, powerful introduction with Travis screaming on top of loud, beautiful synths is without a doubt one of the best moments on UTOPIA. In addition, the beat in the second half of the song is outstanding and so well-produced. Lastly, I love the 30 second outro, which has this dark, evil vibe to it, making it sound like it could be a theme for a movie villan. Anyway, I completely regret not placing “THANK GOD” higher in the past, because this song is genuinely amazing.
1. SIRENS
Original Ranking: 1
Yeah, “SIRENS” is still the best song on UTOPIA, a year later. I’m surprised that there aren’t more people who believe this is the best song on the album. In lists I’ve seen over the last year, this song is always under ranked, but I’m not really sure why. The beat is one of Travis’s most unique, and just straight up one of his best in his entire catalog. His rapping performance is also one of the best on the album, with amazing tone changes and flow switch-ups. The grand synths near the end of the track are so powerful and add so much to the song, and Drake’s spoken outro is always a highlight.
Conclusion
Like I said in my original ranking, “my opinion always changes. In a few months, I might come back to this list and want to switch a bunch of the rankings around.” I stand by that quote. I changed up the list a lot, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I come back next year and wanted to change the list again. Nevertheless, I feel like this newly modified ranking is much more accurate, and possibly less controversial.
