ROME — The live premiere of Travis Scott‘s Billboard 200-topping new album Utopia drew tens of thousands to Italy on Monday night — including a rare Kanye West appearance.
The event marked the global live debut of the record-breaking album, and Scott found a venue that reflected the gravity of the moment in Rome’s Circus Maximus. What could be more suitable than one of the most famous archaeological sites of the world — which also shares its name with the film accompanying the release of Utopia?
The show was organized in a rush, as it was announced just a week ago, but the efforts of Live Nation Italy made it seem like it had been prepared for months. And that was probably the case in Scott’s mind.
“I produced Utopia for moments like this. It’s been a long journey, but here we are,” said the rapper, perched atop a mountain dominating the stage looking out at his empire for one evening, aiming at some sort of new universe out of time and space. Maybe that’s a nonexistent place, as the etymology of the word “utopia” suggests, but on Monday, it seemed to have become a reality.
“Look at yourselves. There are 60,000 of you, and you are the first in the world to experience Utopia,” Scott said in a solemn tone before starting the show with “Hyaena” (which is also the opening track of the album), thus confirming the feeling of witnessing an event that has all the characteristics to be historic. And it was. For the first live performance of Utopia, Scott went big and unleashed his heavy artillery.
One of those big guns was the embattled Kanye West, Scott’s friend and mentor whose influence on Utopia is clear (some fans have compared it to West’s 2013 album Yeezus), as the rapper himself confirmed from the stage.
“There is no Utopia without Kanye West,” Scott said. “There is no Travis Scott without Kanye West. There is no Rome without Kanye West. Make a mess for Ye.”
In that moment, the audience went crazy. The two rappers performed “Praise God” (from 2021’s Donda) and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” (from 2007’s Graduation).
Ye then disappeared into the night of the Eternal City, but the evening for Scott and his audience was just beginning, with tongues of fire spitting from the stage, laser lights piercing the darkness and powerful geysers of smoke.
Scott performed all the tracks of Utopia — which all hit the Billboard Hot 100 this week — including “Modern Jam” (which he called his favorite song from the album), “Sirens,” “I Know?” and “Thank God,” alternating them with past hit singles such as “Sicko Mode,” “Goosebumps,” “Highest in the Room,” “Antidote,” “Gatti” and many others for an hour-and-a-half show — much longer than expected. The concert ended with “Telekinesis” and Scott’s thanks to all those who made the show possible — a show that the huge crowd will not soon forget.
