Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight

by Travis Scott

Released September 2, 2016 via Grand Hustle Records / Epic Records

Reviewed September 1, 2021

Top tracks (based on community voting)

pick up the phone (61%), goosebumps (43%), the ends (39%), through the late night (39%)

Birds In the Trap Sing McKnight further elevated the tremendous rise to stardom and musical excellence that Travis Scott is now associated with. Following a monumental performance on Rodeo, Scott once again delivered a timeless classic. With top-charting hits like “pick up the phone” and “goosebumps,” it’s hard to find a dull moment on Birds. Travis Scott puts his vocals on full display, and even expands further from the production that crystallized his own sound on Rodeo. Fully encapsulating an eerie bliss, Scott leads the charge into a new era of trap music with Birds In the Trap Sing McKnight, making it possible for many artists to reap the benefits. – Daniel (8.2/10)

Birds In the Trap Sing McKnight is the moment trap's influence became cemented into the mainstream. From then on, trap’s ubiquity exposed an epidemic common for every historically popular genre: Tolerable mediocrity. That mediocrity is a product of the inevitable content quantity inflation; Birds has all the symptoms of that inflation, so much so that it’s become the most unforgettably forgettable record. Moody, watery synthesizers create dark, psychedelia-tinged atmospheres, but without a strong concept, prowess in performance, or memorable melody behind them. Scott describes the title of this album as representing confinement, thanks to the industry’s standards regarding the creative process. This is a great central theme to have for a record, but it’s never actually addressed. Most of these songs sound as if they were left on the cutting room floor of Rodeo’s recording sessions, which would explain why it feels so scattered and derivative. This is Travis Scott at his most proto-typical, his most default, his most pop-trap. – Cam (6.8/10)

Birds In the Trap Sing McKnight is the album that packages some of Travis Scott’s best and most mediocre moments together for an adventurous, but choppy experience. As is consistent with any other Travis Scott album, Birds came with a highly anticipated and lengthy rollout. The album is dark—less in the unrelenting, subterranean absence of light, and more in the moonlight hours of the early morning. This darkness is apparent in the album’s early stages, but it takes until the midway point to take a significant effect. The inclusion of NAV, Kid Cudi, and André 3000 were executed meagerly, while 21 Savage, Kendrick Lamar, Young Thug, and Quavo’s features add massive momentum to the overall experience. But even Birds’ best runs see its momentum break. “outside” and “goosebumps” are incredible, “pick up the phone” and “lose” as well, yet still there is dead weight stunting the momentum that concludes the record. – DeVán (6.5/10)