Travis Scott Awakens ‘Utopia’: ‘Circus Maximus’ Film and Four Music Videos Get YouTube Release
The 19 songs on Travis Scott’s comeback album Utopia weren’t enough content for him. Nearly a month after its release, the rapper has expanded the world of the album with four new music videos. The visual release, dropped all at once on YouTube, includes “Hyaena,” “Sirens,” “Modern Jam,” and “Delresto (Echoes),” which features vocal contributions from Beyoncé. All four clips have been ripped from a much larger project: the 75-minute long companion film Circus Maximus, now available in full on YouTube after a brief theatrical release and Apple Music premiere.
The movie was directed by Scott alongside directors Gaspar Noé, Nicolas Winding Refn, Harmony Korine, Khalil Joseph, and Valdimar Jóhannsson. Circus Maximus was originally promoted as an A24 release, however the production entity has stated that it was not involved in the creation, production, or distribution of the film.
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Circus Maximus builds itself around a heart-to-heart Scott shared with Rick Rubin, but gets trippy at other moments. There’s a scene when the rapper is seen being choked by an octopus, and a high-speed chase set to “Delresto (Echoes)” helps to move the plot forward in another. All 19 songs from Utopia make their way into the movie.
“Prepare to enter Circus Maximus as Travis Scott takes his audience on a mind-bending visual odyssey across the globe, woven together by the speaker rattling sounds of his highly anticipated upcoming album Utopia,” a description of the film on AMC’s official website read. “The film is a surreal and psychedelic journey, uniting a collective of visionary filmmakers from around the world in a kaleidoscopic exploration of human experience and the power of soundscapes.”
The visual experience of Utopia has been a crucial element of the album’s release. In the lead-up to its drop, Scott had six different album covers designed for Utopia. Some of the images were distorted, others channeled a zombie apocalypse. “The journey thru the album took me all over the world and can’t wait to finally drop the album,” he wrote on Instagram last month, announcing that a cover would be released every day leading up to the album. “Love u see u in Utopia.”
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