Travis Scott Is Attempting To Make A Comeback After Astroworld Tragedy
Travis Scott's world was turned upside down after a crowd surge killed 10 festivalgoers and injured 300 more during his Astroworld performance in November 2021, per The Guardian. The embattled rapper, along with Drake, faced a $750 million lawsuit, per NBC News, and was dropped from corporate deals with Nike, Dior, and the Fortnite video game, according to CNET. Moreover, in January, TMZ broke the news that the "Goosebumps" rapper was dropped from 2022's much-awaited Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival lineup.
Since the incident, Scott has attempted to make reparations. In late November 2021, Scott offered to pay for the funeral services of all 10 victims, only for several families to turn him down, per Rolling Stone. The lawyer for the youngest victim, 9-year-old Ezra Blount, said in a statement that Scott's "journey ahead will be painful. He must face and hopefully see that he bears some of the responsibility for this tragedy."
In March, Scott tried again with his launch of Project HEAL, a multi-pronged initiative designed to empower and protect underserved youth. (One of its main efforts, per its website, is finding a "tech-driven solution for event safety.") As Scott stated on Instagram, "I want to use my resources and platform moving forward towards actionable change." But is the world ready for Travis Scott to return to music?
Travis Scott is back with new music... but is the public ready?
Is it too soon for a new Travis Scott song drop? The rapper released his first official single since the November 2021 Astroworld tragedy on April 22. Titled "Hold That Heat," the track is a collaboration with fellow rapper Future and producer Southside, per People. Scott was featured on the song, "Pablo," on Kanye "Ye" West's February release, "Donda 2," but because the album was exclusively streamed on West's own Stem Player, Scott's first musical appearance of 2022 received little fanfare.
For the most part, the song's initial reception has been warm enough. As Southside told Billboard, the track is "what the game's missing right now," calling it "a breath of fresh air... It's a fun record though and very full of energy." Plenty of fans on Twitter agree. As one wrote after hearing the single, "I was literally smiling when I first heard Travis Scott's voice on Hold that heat." Another user simply cheered, "TRAVIS SPITTIN."
Of course, there remains a sizable camp of Twitter denizens who think Scott hasn't been held accountable enough for Astroworld. As one user tweeted, "He should be sued into oblivion. His concerts promote chaos and rioting and bad behavior. He encourages this."