Album by Kid Cudi

I’m already in the bag for Kid Cudi.

Man on the Moon and Man on the Moon II are still two of my favorite hip-hop albums of the last fifteen years, so I went into Insano pretty excited. And while I don’t think this album fully reaches those heights, there’s still a lot here that I found interesting.

The biggest thing holding the album back for me is that it sometimes feels torn between two different identities. A lot of the first half leans heavily into high-energy club production, guest appearances, booming bass, and tracks that seem designed to hit hard in big rooms. Some of that works for me, some of it doesn’t.

But once the album slows down and lets Cudi become more introspective, it immediately becomes compelling.

“Get Off Me” featuring Travis Scott was one of the earlier tracks that clicked for me. Even with the heavy bass and synth-driven production, the song feels more patient and immersive than some of the louder material surrounding it.

“WOW” pushes into psychedelic territory with a great bassline and a strong appearance from A$AP Rocky, while “ELECTROWAVEBABY” taps into a retro electronic-pop groove that feels much closer to classic melodic Cudi.

“Tortured” is where the album really turns for me. The production pulls back, the vocals slow down, and suddenly the emotional mask slips. Piano, guitar, and moodier textures replace some of the earlier chaos, and the album briefly becomes reflective and vulnerable in a way that reminded me why Cudi connected with so many people in the first place.

“X & CUD” featuring XXXTentacion continues that softer emotional stretch with a surprisingly tender atmosphere, while “Funky Wizard Smoke” drifts into something hazier and more relaxed.

Then there’s “Blue Sky,” which is easily the standout track for me. It genuinely feels like a hit — huge hook, uplifting energy, and the kind of emotional release that Cudi has always been capable of when everything clicks together.

The album definitely experiments, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. At twenty tracks, it can feel overloaded and uneven. But even when parts of the record don’t fully land for me, I still appreciate that Cudi keeps pushing into different sounds and moods instead of repeating himself.

For me, though, the album is strongest when the production breathes a little and the focus shifts inward. That’s where the real emotional core of the record lives.

Verdict: Solid

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