After a four-year studio album hiatus, Kid Cudi has returned to the scene just as strong as before. Released Dec. 11 by Republic Records, “Man on the Moon III: The Chosen” is a perfect example of the style Kid Cudi excels in: self-reflection.

“Tequila Shots” starts off the album at a strong point. Cudi expresses the demons in his soul and the constant battle raging inside of him. The background music was excellent and had strong echoes, which helped enhance his emotion of anger. The lyrics correspond perfectly with what he was trying to say, and the tempo was also fitting. He also shows the mental struggle he’s going through in the lyrics and to an extent, even questioned his faith.

Although Kid Cudi’s intended message is fine, his presentation of his theme isn’t the strongest. “Heaven On Earth” and “Dive” are great tracks, but the beat and background instrumentals steal the show because they are overwhelming and don’t allow the listener to process the lyrics. 

Tracks like “The Void” and “Sept. 16” were amazing and had slow, mellow vibes to them. The tempo added to the hypnotizing effect that these tracks had. Especially during this pandemic, it is a common occurrence to feel lost in the waves, and Cudi captures this sensation perfectly. 

Throughout the album, Cudi expressed his pains and struggles, and in “Mr. Solo Dolo III,” that emotion reaches its peak. Cudi faces his fears and grows from them, which shows the beauty of the struggle.

Something interesting that Cudi did in “Man on the Moon III: The Chosen” was keeping his classic vibe. Doing this while adding a new kick to the tracks really made it more worthwhile and enhanced the overall tone of the album.

In “Show Out” (feat. Pop Smoke and Skepta), the track doesn’t mesh well together. Contrary to most of the tracks in the album, the lyrics and the background music are unfitting. Pop Smoke’s verses were too fast and didn’t really capture the feeling Cudi was aiming for. 

The instrumentals in “Lord I Know” were too strong and were underdeveloped and not very refined. The only highlight were the lyrics, which were catchy and definitely stuck in my head.

Overall, Cudi did a satisfactory job on the album and showed his emotions well. Cudi checked off all the boxes for most of the album, but certain tracks were underwhelming and didn’t meet my expectations. 

“Man on the Moon III: The Chosen”: ★★★★☆