Ken Carson is making a strong case for Album of the Year with his 2024 release A Great Chaos Deluxe

The newly released project is a follow-up to Carson’s 2023 hit album, A Great Chaos, which sold 40,000 units and debuted at No. 11 on Billboard US 200 charts. That album featured one of Carson’s most popular songs, Fighting My Demons, which has currently amassed 115 million streams on Spotify.

It was initially believed that Carson would follow up on A Great Chaos with an entirely new album called More Chaos. Instead, Carson improved on an already stellar tracklist by adding seven more songs and releasing the set as a deluxe, leaving the opportunity for a new album later. 

On the deluxe album, Carson further developed the unique, polarizing style of rap for which he is most known. Distorted vocals, dark themes, and heavy synth beats help to propel a style of art reminiscent of the German Expressionism movement of the early 20th century. Carson aims to express raw inner emotions in his music rather than project an inauthentic view of reality. 

Standout songs from the original version of A Great Chaos include Fighting My Demons, Jennifer’s Body, Lose It, Hardcore, It’s Over, Succubus, and i need u.

With a Great Chaos Deluxe, the original project only improves, with new songs being loading, more chaos, toxic, leather jacket, mewto, ss, and overseas.

(Editor’s note: these songs are not capitalized on the album). 

The most popular track from the deluxe is overseas, a song that was first released as a single and then later added to the album. It is a catchy, hard-hitting track with an iconic introduction and heavy 808 bass lines, which are a Carson staple. 

Carson raps about what he would tell his past self about the success and riches he would later achieve. He also touches on complicated subjects like suicide, specifically how he has dealt with those close to him taking their own lives.

Two other standout songs from the album’s deluxe are ss and mewto, which are two vastly different tracks. The song ss is a traditional Carson song for the first half, featuring his signature synth hits and gravelly lyrical delivery. 

The song takes a more upbeat turn in the latter half, however, which sees Carson rapping over a lighter beat. The song gained traction because of its catchy chorus involving famous actress Sydney Sweeney.

Another popular song on the deluxe is mewto, a fun song that pays homage to the Pokemon cartoons and highlights Carson’s relationship to money and women, as well as the work he puts in to make his music. 

Regarding women, Carson says, “I’ma show you real love, I ain’t just gon’ put you in designer,” which provides a different perspective than many of his rap counterparts.

Carson is also constantly honing his craft. He mentions in the new album, “I work hard ’cause hard work beat talent, yeah, every time.”

Carson’s sound is incredibly polarizing. For those who prefer music that is lyrical, traditional, and cohesive, listening to Ken Carson can be incredibly frustrating. For instance, Saint Paul’s senior Blake Williams prefers rappers like 21 Savage and Kanye West and finds it hard to understand Carson’s music.

“It’s trash,” Williams said. “After listening to three songs, I don’t understand anything he said.”

Other students, such as Saint Paul’s sophomore Owen Dannels-Smith, respect Carson’s music as something more than simply his lyrics. “His beats are fantastic, and the way he can adjust his flow is flawless. For instance, the beat switch-ons are one of a kind,” said Dannels-Smith.

The key to understanding Ken Carson is to be able to completely change how one perceives rap. Carson’s music is not to be viewed through a traditional lens because it is anything but traditional. It is new, brash, and is telling you exactly what to think about it. In the words of Ken Carson himself during his set at Coachella 2024, “If you don’t like it, you shoulda stayed home.”

Carson was signed to Playboi Carti’s Opium Records, an imprint of Interscope Records, in 2019. He released his debut studio album Project X in 2021, which received high praise from critics, and then released his second album, X, the following year. 

Carson is an even bigger presence outside the studio. Like his fellow Opium Records members – Playboi Carti, Destroy Lonely, and Homixide Gang – Carson maintains a strict code of all-black designer fashion and a mysterious aura when he isn’t recording. 

Opium Records members are also well known for putting on the best live hiphop shows in music today. Many rappers cannot claim to have fanbases as devoted as those who will shell out seemingly any money necessary to see Ken Carson, Playboi Carti, or Destroy Lonely. 

Carson is currently on tour in the US. The “Chaos Tour” is visiting cities across the country and has received incredible reviews from concertgoers and fans everywhere. 

Unlike most rappers who attempt to sell out arenas, Carson hosts his concerts in smaller venues to ensure that his shows are filled to maximum capacity. This creates an environment that cannot be found anywhere else, as hundreds of fans mosh together to the sound of heavy bass and screaming vocals.

Since releasing a Great Chaos Deluxe, Carson has announced at a meet-and-greet that his fourth studio album, More Chaos, will be released on Halloween of this year. This must be taken with a grain of salt, however, as Opium Records artists are notorious for pushing back the release of their projects.

Nevertheless, the A Great Chaos Deluxe has built excitement for October 31, 2024.