Kid Cudi’s masterpiece Man On The Moon, somehow creates a heartwarming sadness that works so well and hits listeners right in the feels. It captures every emotion imaginable and expresses them in a clear, strong tone. Released in 2009, this album was way ahead of its time. Man On The Moon is Kid Cudi’s debut studio album, recorded in New York City and released by G.O.O.D Music. Cudi blew up after releasing this album, and achieved his first platinum song, “Day ‘N’ Nite”. However, the best songs on this album are the ones that go under the radar. 

The third track on the album, “Simple As…” is one of the most underrated songs on the album. It has a beat reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest and is guaranteed to get anybody’s head bobbing back in forth. To say the least, it’s a very 90’s type beat. Simple drum machines looping over and over get the speakers in the car kickin’. Cudi’s flow is the perfect ingredient to really give the track some spice. His tone and rhythms keeps the song upbeat and interesting.

The next song on the album “Solo Dolo (Nightmare)” is completely different from “Simple As…”. It transitions with a quick 10 second explanation on how you are now entering the darkest side of Cudi’s mind, quoted as “the night terrors.” Cudi is genius with the correlation with the music and his deep lyrics. This track is certainly one of the most soulful songs on the album. You can really feel the passion and pain in his voice when he sings about his struggles with mental health and isolation. The last two lines of the song really sum this up: “Why must it feel so right, when I know that it’s wrong (it’s wrong). When will I ever learn, from the words in my songs? I’m mister solo dolo.” It’s enough to make you cry and make you really contemplate the lyrics and its correlation with his life.

Going into the second half of the album, Cudi completely switches it up once again with “Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part I)”. It sounds like something you would hear at a disco rave. He leaves you with an unforgettable chorus that never gets old: “Get ready, pop it, lets go. Enter galactic you and me, enter galactic you and me.” It could be interpreted that he is talking about taking psychedelic drugs with a significant other. As weird as it is, it still doesn’t undermine expectations of what a rapper on a disco song would sound like. To give you a hint, IT SLAPS.

The next track “Alive (Nightmare)” contains, debatably, one of the best choruses of all time. This song sent chills down my back like. The screaming guitar, the epic synth bass, and moving drums make this one of the clear highlights of the album. The featured artist on this track, Ratatat, also does a great job and gives the song a different feel. This is one of the most underrated songs in hip hop history. 

There is not a bad song on Man On The Moon. The whole album is a true piece of art that tugs at the heartstrings of those who listen to it. Cudi really shows his songwriting capabilities in this album and exceeds expectations by MILES. I rate this album 10/10 and recommend it to EVERYBODY.