Over two years after the 2021 Astroworld music festival where ten fans died in a crowd rush, Travis Scott explained how his latest album, Utopia, reflects on that fateful day in an interview with GQ. “That moment for families, for the city, you know, it was devastating. And when it came to making, like even finishing the album…I got back into it probably like, I don’t know, months and months and months after,” the 32-year-old rapper told the publication for GQ‘s 28th annual Men of the Year issue published November 15.
Travis continued, “And the idea of just even getting back into music, working on music and just even getting into that, was therapeutic of being able to channel some of the energy into production and sounds and finishing it.”
The tragedy took place on Nov. 5, 2021 in Houston, Texas, where more than 50,000 fans gathered outside to see the “SICKO MODE” rapper. A crowd rush ensued at the venue resulting in ten deaths and thousands of injuries. The concert led to a number of lawsuits and much criticism of Travis, who ultimately did not face criminal charges for the incident.
In the GQ interview, Travis confirmed he was in a bad place after the Astroworld festival when he was making his Utopia album, which came out in July 2023. “I mean I was just overly devastated, you know,” he said. The father-of-two also admitted that he “always” thinks about the tragedy. “Those fans were like my family. You know, I love my fans to the utmost.”
As for how he’s doing today, Travis shared that there’s “moments where it gets rough” when he thinks back about what happened that tragic night. “You just feel for those people,” he said. “And their families.”
“My Eyes,” a song from Travis’ latest album, references the Astroworld festival. Travis told GQ that the song is about “the things I deal with on a day-to-day basis and the fact of how it could be misunderstood and the struggles of life and all aspects of life. The constant weight that’s put on. That you carry, you know. And just a vision through my eyes.”
Following the 2021 incident, Travis took to social media to express his deepest condolences to the victims and their families. “I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival,” the “Ring Ring” rapper wrote on Twitter. Travis spent months out of the public eye before making his first unannounced performance at a Coachella afterparty in April 2022. He also made his first TV appearance at the Billboard Music Awards in May 2022.