Rapper Travis Scott released his highly anticipated fourth studio album, “UTOPIA,” on July 28. Over the album’s 19 tracks, Scott guides listeners through a musical journey exploring the subjectiveness of a perfect world. With impeccable production and a star-studded feature list, this album is a strong contender for the Album of the Year award.

The album’s rollout was lengthy and sporadic, partially due to legal controversy following Scott’s Astroworld Festival, which resulted in numerous attendee deaths and injuries. Additionally, his legendary “ASTROWORLD,” released five years ago, set a high bar for “UTOPIA.”

Scott brought back fan-favorite hidden features, rewarding listeners with thrilling surprises such as Drake’s appearance on “MELTDOWN,” an experience comparable to the shock of hearing his iconic verse on “SICKO MODE” five years ago. Although Scott’s recent features on albums like Metro Boomin’s “HEROES & VILLAINS” and Don Toliver’s “Love Sick” were impressive, he missed the mark with his verses when it came to his own album. Scott was simply outperformed by collaborators — especially SZA, with her levitation-inducing vocals on “TELEKINESIS,” and 21 Savage on “TOPIA TWINS.”

Scott likely prioritized having a well-produced album over focusing on his own rapping. His production conforms to his usual psychedelic style, combined with dark, atmospheric synth. Listeners may also notice the influence of Ye (formerly known as Kanye West): Aside from the tracks he helped produce, like “GOD’S COUNTRY,” the album shares a similar overall sound to Ye’s 2013 album, “Yeezus,” which Scott collaborated on. Although Scott’s rapping wasn’t in its usual upper echelon, he has mastered the skill of curation, as seen by his guest collaborators and the variety of different sounds. Topped with seamless transitions and artful beat switches, the production of “UTOPIA” sets it at a level above many other recent albums in the genre.

On Sept. 8, Olivia Rodrigo released her second studio album, “GUTS.” The album’s 12 songs offer a blend of anger, melancholy, confusion and excitement, and examine self-perception, growing up and relationships. Though “GUTS” has a messier vibe than Rodrigo’s debut album, “SOUR,” Rodrigo’s lyrics continue to hit close to home for many teenage girls.

The opening track, “all-american b—-,” is an angsty punk rock song that reflects on the disconnect Rodrigo feels with American culture. Lyrics like “I’m grateful all the time” and “I’m sexy when I cry” highlight American society’s overemphasis on positivity and beauty standards. A single released in June, “vampire” has become an instant classic with a breathtaking bridge and powerful one-word lyrics like “bloodsucker / famef—er.” The last rendition of the bridge has the perfect dramatic buildup, making “vampire” a go-to belting song. In “making the bed,” Rodrigo deploys a masterful metaphor of her “making the bed” with her responsibility for her bad decisions after becoming famous. The song’s relatable lyrics send a message to listeners that self-doubt and negative emotions are normal. “ballad of a homeschooled girl” is another garage rock song that comments on Rodrigo’s homeschooled adolescence and the overwhelming expectations of socializing and fitting in. Rodrigo’s “Mean Girls” reference of “social suicide” brilliantly sums up the socially awkward situations teenagers encounter.

Rodrigo once again delivers an intense and lyrical album that captures the hectic and often overwhelming lives of teenage girls. “GUTS” is certainly worth a listen, delving into many relatable aspects of adolescence.

On Sept. 22, Doja Cat released her fourth studio album, “Scarlet.” Doja Cat has left her upbeat, light-hearted rap behind to embrace a deeper, angstier sound.

In songs like “F— the Girls,” Doja Cat takes jabs at haters with lines like “I focus most on my craft / I stay on top of my s— but y’all done got me convinced / That I’m the popularist / That’s why you watchin’ my moves.”

In her most popular song from the album, “Paint the Town Red,” Doja Cat plays with the idea of being “the devil” after backlash to her outfit at the Schiaparelli Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2023 fashion show: Her head-to-toe red look — complete with red crystals from the chest up, covering all visible skin — prompted fans to label her as demonic. In “Paint the Town Red,” Doja Cat sings, “Mm, she the devil / she a bad lil’ b—- she a rebel,” referring to herself as “the devil.”

From front to back, the no-features “Scarlet” is a sharp and fiery listen. The album showcases Doja Cat’s growth as an artist, moving past her more corny songs, such as her debut hit, “I’m a Cow” (the core lyrics repeating “B—-, I’m a cow / I go ‘Mooooo’”), to a complex and personal sound. The closing line of “Paint the Town Red” perfectly captures the core of “Scarlet,” in which she reminds the world that she’s ready to take on the hate, and that she is no longer working to satisfy fans: “It’ll take a whole lot for me to settle.”

On Sept. 18, the rock band The National released their second album of 2023, “Laugh Track.” The beautiful melodies and inspirational lyrics of “Laugh Track” will leave listeners teary-eyed. Many of the songs provide advice for dilemmas, arguments and goodbyes.

The National’s previous songs have carried a gloomy, melancholy feel — akin to memories of an old friend who’s moved away. This mood remains prevalent in “Laugh Track”: Its third track, “Weird Goodbyes,” begins with the lyrics, “Memorize the bathwater, memorize the air / There’ll come a time I’ll want to know I was here.”

While maintaining a wistful tone, “Laugh Track” suggests that listeners turn on the metaphorical laugh track to lighten a situation. “All I am is shreds of doubt,” lead vocalist Matt Berninger sings. “Turn on the laugh track / We’ll see if it changes the scene.” Berninger’s ability to sing almost conversationally promotes a sense of realism, and is more effective than belting or crooning would be.

“Smoke Detector,” the last and longest song, encapsulates the album’s feel. Berninger once again displays his vocal range and control as he sings, “Make a list of your loved ones in order of height / Laugh at the black birds in the black of the night.” The song tells the story of a crumbling relationship from the perspective of somebody who doesn’t want it to end. The lyrics warn against a common issue in relationships: focusing too much on the vices of the other person, rather than enjoying life with them. “You don’t know how much I love you / Do you?” Berninger sings. “I’ll get better, I’ll fluff the feathers / I’ll punch in the numbers and enter the letters / Why don’t you lay here and listen to distant sirens with me?”

The National’s blend of enjoyable melodies, poignant lyrics and musical variety make “Laugh Track” an album worth listening to.