Photograph: Joseph Okpako/WireImage
As Madonna says, “Track makes the folk come in combination.” Until you’re a Playboi Carti fan, during which case, simply the phrase song is sufficient to ship a shiver down your backbone. However not: After years of teasing and delays, the rapper’s 3rd album, Track, is in any case right here. The 30-track album hit streaming round 7:30 a.m. ET after some finish-line delays Carti chalked as much as a Younger Thug function. However in point of fact that is the tip of a saga that started in March 2021 and incorporated a modified album name, overanalyzed interviews, and a lot of Instagram loosies. Right here’s the entirety you want to learn about Track and the way we were given right here.
MY ALBUM OUT MFFFFFF https://t.co/ganiezKzUV
— . (@playboicarti) March 14, 2025
Carti first teased a follow-up to 2020’s Complete Lotta Pink in March 2021, writing on Instagram, ““LeTs dr0p thiS new Album . w3 noT accomplished.” By way of August, he had published the mission used to be known as Narcissist and set a liberate date of September 13. That day got here and went without a album, however by means of September 14, Narcissist merch used to be to be had on his site: mask, bomber jackets, or even a $5,000 helmet. Day after today, despite the fact that, Carti tweeted a screenshot of a textual content claiming his web site have been hacked. That didn’t imply Narcissist wasn’t coming, despite the fact that: “FORGET ABOUT SAMPLE CLEARANCES .,” he wrote in some other message he tweeted. “DROP NARCISSIST.” Yeah, uh, that didn’t occur.
In an April 2022 duvet interview for XXL, Carti published his album used to be now known as Track “as a result of that’s all it’s at this level.” See you later, Narcissist — we rarely knew ya! Fanatics had been on high-alert forward of the two-year anniversary of Complete Lotta Pink on Christmas 2022, and certain sufficient, Carti posted what gave the look of an album duvet to Instagram on Christmas Eve. On Christmas, Carti tweeted, “love all my supporters it’s time.” However Santa Carti didn’t finally end up bringing any new song on Christmas or within the days after.
In November 2023, Carti informed German mag Numéro Berlin he used to be nonetheless operating on Track. He’d been making “chaotic and loopy” song in a collapse Paris, song that used to be “simply superb to the ears” in an undisclosed glass space within the hills, and “biting” song in Atlanta. That December, Carti looked as if it would divulge duvet artwork for the album, now it seems that titled I Am Track. He even posted exact song to his Instagram Tale! And he additionally began posting clips to his new Instagram account @opium_00pium. The similar day as the primary teasers, December 8, he dropped a distinct untitled music on Instagram. On December 14, 2023, he launched a song video for “2024,” that includes manufacturing by means of Kanye West, and on December 19, he launched a clip for some other new music, “H00dByAir.” Track didn’t drop in 2023, however the singles stored coming, with the Travis Scott–that includes “Backr00ms” out January 1, 2024, and “EvilJ0rdan” following on January 15. Carti launched but some other music, “Ketamine,” on March 12, however nonetheless no album used to be in sight. He did earn a No. 1 within the interim for a function on Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival.”
In September 2024, Carti returned to his personal Instagram to apparently roll out the album, posting photographs of information and CDs. “LINK IN BIO,” he teased, and mentioned hyperlink resulted in merch bundles that promised to send on April 18, 2025. Within the interim, Carti launched some other music, “All Pink,” on September 13 or even were given it directly to streaming, not like the former ones. However don’t concern, he endured shedding @opium_00pium exclusives, too, like one on November 21, 2024. Carti teased 5 new songs all through his Rolling Loud headlining set in December, however as soon as once more, the yr ended with out Track.
Then, this February, Carti took a be aware from the pop women and rolled out a billboard marketing campaign. By way of March 12, he had returned to X for the primary time to easily tease “FRIDAY.” When the album nonetheless wasn’t out at 12:01 a.m. ET on March 14, he posted a function checklist and showed he supposed Pacific Time. “HAD 2 MAKE SURE SLIMEEEE WAS ON DIS MF,” he added in some other put up with a photograph of him FaceTiming Younger Thug. The album didn’t arrive until round 4:30 a.m. PT (7:30 ET) — however, in any case, it’s right here.
HAD 2 MAKE SURE SLIMEEEE WAS ON DIS MF 12 PSTTRIMMMMMMMM percent.twitter.com/626QT4Kq5k
— . (@playboicarti) March 14, 2025
The visitor checklist Carti showed is a mixture of his standard suspects and hip-hop heavy-hitters. After “Backd00rs,” Travis Scott is on 3 songs: “Overwhelm,” “Philly,” and “Wake Up F1lthy.” Carti’s comrade-in-arms Lil Uzi Vert presentations up two times, on “Jumpin” and “Dual Trim.” Long term makes appearances on “Rate Dem Hoes a Charge” and “Trim” — and in case you suppose you listen him any place else, that’s as a result of Carti additionally more or less appears like Long term now. The Weeknd sings the hook on “Quite Lie,” and British rapper Skepta drops a verse on “Poisonous.” And sure, Carti were given his Younger Thug function on “We Want All Da Vibes,” which additionally has Ty Dolla $ign.
12 0CLOCK PST percent.twitter.com/JtjvtuxzHH
— . (@playboicarti) March 14, 2025
Carti’s authentic checklist of options incorporated one blacked-out title. That became out to be Kendrick Lamar, who’s on “Mojo Dojo,” “Backd00r,” and “Excellent Credit score.” Okay-Dot performs extra of a hype guy at the first two however does drop a complete verse for his “evil dual” on “Excellent Credit score.” “I’d’ve mentioned, ‘Fuck you too,’ however you knew what the checklist used to be for,” he raps — some other Drake diss?
