Man On The Moon 3 – Live Reaction
Another first listen written reaction. Shared my thoughts candidly, but went in and revised (for clarity).
Enjoy!
Beautiful Trip
(I ended up not realizing that this was only 30 seconds long… see first half of below paragraph )
Tequila Shots
This first shit cinematic- how different doesn't sound (compared to the original MOTM)? Not very much... (There’s definitely some) Narration but YOOOOOOO This shit slappppin!!! Wtf wheeeew woooooow wooooo yo what the fuck yo this is madness this is the best album cut of the year wtf this is track 2 I guess? (It was). Jeeezusss idk what the fuck he's saying but it doesn't matter this beat slaps. Jesus.
Another Day
Wow that was overwhelming intro. Idk if I've heard anything that good to start an album in a minute. Track 3 sounds cinematic as fuck right now too. Yo this might be album of the year… This (track) doesn't seem like it's gonna be a stand out, but it’s still hitting. If the worst songs (on this album) are this good, it's over. I'm hoping this is just an "album cut". (And yo,) We’re sleeping on Dot (Da Genius). This production is crazy. Outro (is cool too)
She Knows This
Another skit wow into another – WOW incredible drop. Lord have mercy. Bro this is madness LOL I don't think there's gonna be a single bad beat on here, it's (one of those) “what's your favourite?” (kind of album). This shit HARD. There’s a “Hell of a Life” callback - I wonder how Kanye reacts when he hears music this fucking incredible.
This is objectively slapping bro LOL. I haven't listened to a single thing he's said but I feel like I should be. I'm so distracted by this production though. I'm specifically looking for his rapping because that's what Zane Lowe and Cudi were talking about in their interview. I wonder what direction the test of the album gonna go in…
Dive
This seems more calm... Until the 808 came in, now I have no idea what's gonna happen. This my least favourite so far – on some subjective shit LOL. This is hard but I don't usually like obviously hard shit. I'm curious to see if this is Tef’s jam LOL – see his reaction to “HOT”. This would slap live. Like a slightly chill (but still crazy) mosh pit. This is fire lol, I just don’t think I would repeat this on my ones at the crib. This shit goes though. I've been searching for how to describe songs like this; hard, but too hard for me to vibe too.
Damaged
This sounds like it's gonna be crazy too but might be more my speed. This is def closer to my vibe. Obvious smacker but not TOO "loud?" Still don't know how to describe it. This hard though. We not missing on production yet. Got personal favourites but none of this a miss. I thought this (voice change) was Travis Scott for a second (around 1:50) – woah I’m just realizing there was no Travis feature... Cudi must've known how good this (album) was (going to be) when he was making it. He probably felt like he didn't need a Travis feature to take it any further, cause this shit gonna go regardless.
Heaven On Earth
Bro this sounds like it's gonna go fucking ridiculous. Giving me new Eminem music vibes. Wonder if Nate gonna fuck with this LOL. Drums are hard, just a bit slower. Vibey. Once again, not a single missed beat. Testament to Cudi and arguably more importantly Dot... Who's probably one of the most underrated producers all time (aggressive take). But as much as people talk about how Cudi is the beginning of this shit (modern hip hop) ... The sonics of it (early Cudi) is all Dot. And the sonics is the most important to me. You already know I'm riding for producers. This might be my least favourite song so far… I'm ready to hear what's next. Not sure if that's the songs fault, or if I'm just excited to hear the rest... It could also just be a 2020 attention span lol. Song ended at almost the perfect time.
Show Out
This is the Pop Smoke feature ... 🕊. I already know Skepta on this too. Wow. He just came in. Bro if Cudi holds his own on here... I’ll be shook. This the most next link up all time. This is tough. (Cudi with the) Minimal effects on his voice. Kind of a casual flow. Like he... Belongs on this? That was fkn hard LOL. In the least hard way... And wow, you can really feel Pop’s energy through the headphones. RIP King🕊🙏.
Mr. Solo Dolo III
I imagine this is where the "acts" change. Sounds like it's gonna be calm ... Then the drums came in lol. Doesn't look like Dot is taking a single beat off man LOL. Don't love how his hook comes in vocally, production is fire though. It feels like a lot of verses have silences in it –
I just clocked that I've been listening to the clean version. Madness LOL. Switched it now. I heard a lot of breaks in verses and thought he was freestyling and opted to leave the flows choppy. Guess it was intentional- intentionally censored 🥴️. Had to repeat this song and all of a sudden the part I didn't like grew on me. 30 seconds later… almost as if I was looking for something not to like. Impressive. Might not be a single thing I'd be mad about if I was listening with a little less judgment (food for thought). This song is a vibe, allowing me to kinda of step away and think about the album as a whole. This is perfect. It's like relaxing, but I have no desire to change it. Great job.
Sad People
This intro has me feeling like this is about to be the best song. This intro is mad. This vocal is incredible sounds like prime Cudi. I think I'm right. Not out of the park with it, but yeah this is absolutely fire. This the best song. This could be on MOTM1. This is hard as fuck. I think I heard a Travis Scott ad lib but might have just been Mescudi. I could put my phone down right now, this shit just hard LOL. Imma enjoy. I'm gonna vibe to this. Heavy. I'm already planning on enjoying this shit late night. I'm not sure if I'm gonna smoke again, but if I did... A spliff, some dimmed lights and this shit? Man… a couple years ago that would have been a nightly motive LOL. Current me will still find a way to enjoy it though.
Elsie’s Baby Boy (flashback)
This intro got a guitar riff. This is crazy. I wonder how the drums will sound once they come in. Low-key the drums are throwing me off; very unorthodox... Sounds like he's talking explicitly about his life, but I’m not sure. Drums are kinda weirddddd. I don’t know if that’s the kick or the snare? But I love it now LOL. The guitar is so Cudi – the Cudi we didn't know existed in MOTM1 days, but the one we eventually learned about with later projects. This is probably a very important song to Cudi, and honestly, probably gonnna be very important to a lot of people. It's got that energy... "He was so bored in the Winter… Such a little sad boy". I'm grateful this song was made and released. It's gonna do good for a lot of people and I can appreciate that.
(Ourto starts playing) This might end up being my favourite song. Piano or chords or whatever are fuuucked. Let's hear the drumsss.... Long build up.... More guitar!!! Sick. Just vibing. Still no drums....?? Changed song? Or is the same beat. Wtf that was just the outro… Damn.
Sept. 16
This is the next song... Got low-key closing out vibes. If this is the last song I'll be shook (because I’ve started appreciating albums that leave me wanting more). But it's got that kind of energy. This is solid. Cool. No complaints, but nothing explicitly fire about it. Just a vibey album cut. I like that spaceshipy sample sound and the running drums. Always a fan of that.
This song got me reflecting. I'm like reflecting about the team n shit LOL. Proud of me and the guys. Idk if anyone else will get that same feeling, and probably not because I kinda just lost focus LOL. But I think that could be a good thing. This song was easy enough to listen to and comfortable enough for me to just allow it to be background music... “Soundtrack To My Life” music, if you will ☝️🙏.
The Void
Okay, so that wasn't the end... This next song feels like the last one now LOL – WOAH til these drums smacked the fk out of me. I'm not really down to check the tracklist right now, but I just remembered that there's a Trippie Redd song late-ish in the album – maybe now, or soon – I have no idea. This shit cool tho. Low-key I’m ready for the album to wrap up soon. I want the album to leave me wanting more... But that's a personal preference as of late. This is a great song though. Can see this in a movie montage... Just like much of Cudi's past music. I like this drum sound. reminds me of some of my earliest beats LOL. Sounds like something that could be off Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven? This reminds me of a song I know by Cudi. I wonder if it's "Adventures" – I’m gonna have to listen back. (Update: it kind of does).
"Oh God, Oh God... Thank you…". Wow.
"Thank you for listening…"
"Thank you for never leaving me…"
"It's gonna be okay…".
Yeah damn, I'd be content with it ending right here. But I know we still got at least the Trippie track and probably more.
Lovin Me
This shit sound like its gonna be crazy. Wow. Cracking drums. Stupid 808. This is a BUILD up. Wowww, this is a vibbbeeeeey drum beat. Not too much, the drums are kind of acoustic sounding. This a fuckin’ vibe, let's go. This hard. He's saying some shit too. I like this. Top 3 LOL. Who the fuck is this? Lily Allen? Justin Bieber? We don't know who this is... Do we? I don't even want to look but they fuckin’ bodied that. I have no idea who Phoebe Bridgers is right now, but I feel like I should. She's gotta be from a popular band. Unless Cudi decided to just let a random person body this track, on what might be a modern day classic album. (Update: he let a random nobody body this track on what might be a modern classic album)
The Pale Moonlight
Woaahhhh, this loop is fire. Shit finna be top 4. Yeah this tough. Feels like a little too much right now, but this is hard. Gotta remember I'm listening to this at 12:0am right before going to bed, so this should feel like too much right now – but if this was afternoon, on a sunny day or something, this would smack. I'd love to drive windows down to this. Got me wanting to roadtrip with the bros. Soon come. This loop is amazing and so is this song. We gonna have some favourites to sort through at the end of this there's at least 4 smackers. Do they make rotation tho? 👀👀 (Update 1 listen later: undecided if all these records break everyday rotation, but so far this one definitely does).
Rockstar Knights
This smacks. Drums came in right away and I know this smacks and wow trippppie goddddfucking damn what the fuck he's killing this what the fuck. This dude riding this beat what the fuck. Yo. Trip. My fucking bad. Yo, I'm shook. This slaps and Trippie is really doing his thing. Not too much at all… wow Cudi going in too but bro bring Trippie back God fucking damn. Lol I'm wilding, cause Cudi is killing this, but for real, Trip bodied this. I'm happy to have him back on the chorus. Might end the song after this. That's a vibey 2 minute song right there.
Whoops, Cudi’s back. This is the best Cudi's sounded on this song. I like this voice better than the voice on the first verse. I think this means Trip gonna come back again. This song is fantastic. I'm impressed. (Update: Trip didn't come back).
4 Da Kidz
But we still not done. Hearing some triumphant samples, but calmly in the distance. Wonder what's gonna happen... This another one. Got that feeling. Don't think it's gonna make rotation for me, but absolutely appreciate this. Great vibe, great content. Incredible album cut. Kinda wish I was a teen driving around the car, sneakingly smoking cigarettes in my skateboarder clothes LMAO. Yellow baggy tee and a flat brim cap. Chubby Armenian kid from LA, LMAO, in one of them side panel station wagons. This shit gonna slap in movies.
Lord I Know
Sample going dumb... There's no way this gonna go crazy too. Fuck. This about to go crazy. No drums for a minute. Yeah. Yup. This goes. Cudi did it man. I haven't had an album deliver like this since Astroworld. This shit musical and SLAPPY. Let's go. Yeah this fkn gooooesssss! “Ready, ready, ready…”. I can't believe this dude was sitting on this. My god this beat is fucking crazy. The way it like swoops too? Jesus. "Baby I'm a warrior". Yeah man. Cudi got it. He can have album of 2020 from me. Came from out of nowhere for it too. Shout out Baby and Polo but this shit just different. This the kind of shit I needed to hear. Baby and Polo talking to a different crowd, and it made its way into my rotation, so I love it and respect it, but I couldn't in my right mind put those over this fkn masterpiece of an album lol.
"To be continued..."
Hard.
I'm opting not to save any songs or add any to the playlist right now. We're gonna leave the album until tomorrow. But as of right now, with recency bias, that was the maddest outro of all time. My favourite song on the album as I lay here 134am Friday morning.
