Playboi Carti season appears to be on the horizon. After releasing his first song on streaming services since 2020 with “All Red” on Friday (Sept. 13), Carti has further opened up about Music while revealing Ye’s (formerly Kanye West) involvement. The Atlanta rapper took to his Instagram Story to shout out Ye, and said they have been in the lab working on his album together. “@Ye KANT WAIT 2 SHOW THE WORLD WHAT WE BEEN WORKIN ON WIT DIS ALBUM WE DA REAL 5L NO DOUBT,” he wrote in his caption over a photo of the “All Red” cover art. Carti’s next IG Story showcased his DMs — one of which featured a message from Ye appearing to lend his cosign to his latest single. “Love this,” West replied. It remains to be seen if that means West has collaborations on the album, production or is in more of an executive producer role. Carti also alluded to Mike Dean’s involvement behind the boards. “@therealmikedean WENT CRAZY AS USUAL GENIUS S–T,” he wrote in one Story.
Ye and PBC have a rich collaborative history over the years. Carti made multiple appearances on Vultures and Vultures 2, including earning his first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit with “Carnival.” West guested on Carti’s Whole Lotta Red cut “Go2DaMoon” in 2020. With the arrival of “All Red” and an official Music announcement, it’s finally looking like Carti’s first album in four years could be arriving soon. He posted vinyl covers for the project to his Instagram and directed fans to visit his website, where Carti’s webstore is selling digital albums along with merchandise bundles, but there’s no release date and it’s only promised to arrive before October 2025.
The Rise of a Genre-Defying Rapper
For a long time now, Playboi Carti has been keeping himself mysterious. The Atlanta rap star has released a string of singles in the past year — “Different Day,” “2024,” “EvilJ0rdan,” “Ketamine,” the Travis Scott collab “BACKR00MS” — but he’s only posted those songs on places like Instagram and YouTube. They haven’t been on streaming services. He’s appeared on high-profile singles from people like Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign, Future and Metro Boomin, and Camila Cabello. He postponed his much-anticipated arena tour just before it was scheduled to begin, and it hasn’t been rescheduled. So what’s going on? We still don’t really know, but Carti has just announced his long-awaited new album. Kind of.
Playboi Carti’s follow-up to the great 2020 album Whole Lotta Red is called Music — it makes the people come together — and it now has a pre-order link. But Music doesn’t have cover art, a tracklist, or — most crucially — a release date. If you try to pre-order music, Carti’s webstore assures you, “Product will ship no later than six months from September 12, 2024.” That’s not very reassuring!
But there’s a new song. Carti’s new single “All Red,” produced by longtime collaborators F1LTHY and OjiVolta, is an urgent, booming anthem with a hook about the inverted cross tattoo on Carti’s neck. He raps the whole thing in his lower register, sounding a bit like Future, and he exhibits the instinctive berserker swagger that’s always set him apart. The track is on streaming services, and it’s the first Carti solo joint to get a proper commercial release since Whole Lotta Red. Carti released his first song on streaming services since 2020 with “All Red” on Friday (Sept. 13). Carti has posted music—such as “2024,” “Backr00ms,” and “EvilJ0rdan”—on social media and his YouTube channel in recent years, but “All Red” is his first official solo song to appear across digital streaming platforms since the Christmas 2020 release of Whole Lotta Red.
The Music and the Merch
Playboi Carti is turning up the heat ahead of his highly anticipated third studio album, MUSIC, by dropping his latest single “All Red” and offering exclusive merch bundles. Fans of the Atlanta-based rapper have been buzzing for some time now, and with this early rollout, it looks like Carti is ready to make waves in 2025. The new track, “All Red,” comes in at two-and-a-half minutes, featuring production from an impressive team that includes F1LTHY, Ojivolta, Lucian, Lukrative, and Twisco. Known for his experimental style, Carti’s latest single continues to push boundaries with a haunting, energetic beat that perfectly complements his signature flow. With Carti’s unique take on trap and punk-inspired rap, “All Red” is poised to be a favorite as fans await the full album release.
Alongside the single, Carti has introduced three MUSIC box sets on his official webstore, catering to those who want more than just the music. The box sets feature a black hoodie, T-shirt, or cap, each branded with distinctive designs, giving fans the chance to sport Carti’s signature aesthetic. While the exact release date for the album is still under wraps, the merch bundles tease that the digital album will drop “near the release date, no later than six months from April 18th, 2025.” This album marks Carti’s return following the massive success of Whole Lotta Red, which dropped back in December 2020. Initially teased under the name Narcissist in 2022, the project has undergone a few title changes—first being dubbed I AM MUSIC in 2023, before reverting back to its current title, MUSIC. Whatever name it goes by, Carti fans are eager to see what he has in store.
The “All Red” Sound
Playboi Carti is getting an early start for the rollout of his upcoming album, MUSIC, with the release of his new single “All Red” and the unveiling of merch bundles. The latest track clocks in at two-and-a-half minutes and features production work from F1LTHY, Ojivolta, Lucian, Lukrative and Twisco. As per his website, MUSIC will be offered in three different box sets and a digital album. Fans can choose between box sets that include a Black hoodie, T-shirt or cap, all of which feature branded designs. The bundles specify that the actual release date for the album will be announced, however the digital album offering states that it will be available “near the release date, no later than six months from April 18th, 2025.” Carti released his first song on streaming services since 2020 with “All Red” on Friday (Sept. 13). Carti has posted music—such as “2024,” “Backr00ms,” and “EvilJ0rdan”—on social media and his YouTube channel in recent years, but “All Red” is his first official solo song to appear across digital streaming platforms since the Christmas 2020 release of Whole Lotta Red. Along with “All Red,” Carti has made his long-teased album Music available to pre-order on his website. It does not currently have a release date.
A Year of Carti
Genre-defying rapper Playboi Carti has officially announced his highly anticipated new album, MUSIC. Alongside the announcement, Carti has dropped a new single titled “ALL RED,” produced by F1LTHY and OjiVolta. Anticipation for Carti’s fourth studio album has been growing since his 2020 release of Whole Lotta Red, which became his first #1 album on the Billboard 200 and has since garnered over 9.4 billion streams. The buzz around MUSIC has been further fueled by Carti’s recent successful collaborations, including “Type Shit” with Travis Scott, Future, and Metro Boomin, “I LUV IT” with Camila Cabello, and “CARNIVAL” with Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign, and Rich the Kid. Earlier this summer, Carti headlined major festivals such as Lyrical Lemonade in Chicago, Rolling Loud Europe, and Openair Frauenfeld, debuting new tracks like “EVILJORDAN,” “KETAMINE,” “Different Day,” and “BACKR00MS” ft. Travis Scott. “BACKR00MS” and “2024” videos have already amassed 82 million combined views. This past weekend, Carti performed with The Weeknd in Sao Paulo, Brazil, showcasing a new collaboration. He also performed his 2023 hit “FE!N” with Travis Scott. Recently featured on Billboard’s R&B Hip-Hop Power Players 2024 issue, Carti received the Artist of the Year Award.
Carti’s New Era
MUSIC is set to become Carti’s third studio album following Whole Lotta Red from December 2020. It was first teased about two years ago under the title Narcissist, but was then marketed as MUSIC in April 2022 then I AM MUSIC in December 2023 before reverting it back to its current title. For those who can’t wait, MUSIC promises to be another game-changer, continuing Carti‘s legacy of genre-bending sounds and innovative visual concepts. Fans can stream “All Red” now on Spotify and Apple Music. Stream “All Red” on Spotify and Apple Music, and check out the bundles via Playboi Carti’s official webstore.
