Man on the Moon III: The Chosen
| Man on the Moon III: The Chosen | ||||
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| Released | December 11, 2020 | |||
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| Length | 58:17 | |||
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Man on the Moon III: The Chosen is the seventh studio album by American rapper Kid Cudi. It was released on December 11, 2020 by Republic Records. It is the final installment of Cudi's Man on the Moon trilogy of albums (which includes 2009's Man on the Moon: The End of Day and 2010's Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager).
The 18-track album was produced mainly by Cudi himself and Dot da Genius, along with Plain Pat, Emile Haynie and Mike Dean, all of whom contributed to the previous two Man on the Moon albums. Guest vocals on the album are contributed by Phoebe Bridgers, Pop Smoke, Skepta and Trippie Redd.
Thematically, Man on the Moon III is a concept album that finds Cudi in an internal struggle against his evil alter ego, Mr. Rager, in hopes to win back his peace and happiness. As with the previous two installments in the trilogy, the album is divided into separate acts.
Man on the Moon III: The Chosen received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who praised Cudi's songwriting and generally favored the latter two acts, though some found it derivative of Cudi's earlier albums. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, earning 144,000 album-equivalent units of which 15,000 were pure sales, marking Cudi's fifth top 10 album in the US.
Background and conception[]
Kid Cudi released the first edition of his Man on the Moon series in 2009; with the subtitle The End of Day, the album detailed the struggles of Cudi's loneliness in his formative years, as well as dealing with the death of his father at an early age.[3] The album, which included the worldwide hit single "Day 'n' Nite", was divided into five acts and featured narration from Cudi's then-GOOD Music label-mate and fellow American rapper Common.[4] The next year he released the sequel, the follow-up to his critically acclaimed seminal debut; with the subtitle The Legend of Mr. Rager, Cudi took an even darker approach, creating an alter ego by the name of Mr. Rager and chronicling how his initial sudden and unexpected rise to fame drove him to alcohol and drugs.[5]
In 2014, Cudi released Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon, which he called a prelude to Man on the Moon III.[6] However, in a 2016 interview with Billboard, Cudi announced Man on the Moon III would never exist: "Guys, you have to realize: I came up with Man on the Moon when I was a young man. People change their vibe! We can follow the same template and do the five-act split. Sonically, I'm still going to be where I'm at. Honestly, I was ready to live up to the obligation and do Man on the Moon III. I haven't been dicking around. I was planning on doing it after Speedin' Bullet. But the Speedin' Bullet response tore me up. It made me realize what's most important. I'm getting back on the bike again and doing what I do best: me."[7]
Kid Cudi @KidCudi "MOTM3 was inspired by my life. As all my other albums. The sound of the album is my own fusion of everything Ive done thus far and some new ideas. I sound like no one else. When u hear a Cudi record, u know."
In 2016, Cudi reunited with Emile Haynie and Plain Pat, both of whom are former business partners of Cudi and helped formulate his signature sound, to produce Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin', which followed the same format as the Man on the Moon projects. The significance in the release is it marks the first time all three had collaborated since Man on the Moon II (2010) and the disestablishment of their record label, Dream On.[10]
In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Cudi detailed on how he went from working on Entergalactic (his Netflix-series soundtrack album) and The Scotts (his collaborative album with Houston-based rapper Travis Scott), to working on the final installment of his trilogy.[11] According to Cudi, Man on the Moon III is, as with all his releases, "nothing" like any of his previous works: "My first 2 albums were meant to be untopped. I didn't even think Id live to make another record after motm 2... My point is, u cant top timeless. And that was what we aim for everytime."[12]
Recording and production[]
Kid Cudi @KidCudi "I can't/won't make MOTM3 w/o Pat, Emile & A Trak in the studio. We started together, we finish this together. It's time I assemble the team".
"We all had a vision we shared for this story. I can't create the magic yall want with out their energy and genius to bounce off of".January 20, 2015[13]
The album features production from Cudi's longtime collaborators Dot da Genius, Emile Haynie, Plain Pat and Mike Dean, all of whom helped shape the sound for the first two installments of the Man on the Moon series.[14][15] Added to Cudi's team of producers was up-and-coming production duo Take a Daytrip, whose production is featured prominently throughout the album; the duo had previously produced Cudi's first number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, "The Scotts", alongside Dot da Genius.[16]
After achieving his first number one single in the US with "The Scotts", Cudi celebrated with the song's producers, Dot da Genius and Take a Daytrip. While celebrating and drinking shots of tequila, they began recording a song ultimately titled "Tequila Shots". Cudi subsequently went on to record two more songs with the producers, namely "Another Day" and "She Knows This", which went on to lay the foundation for Man on the Moon III.[11] Cudi explained to Apple Music that he had been in a good place working on his animated series Entergalactic and on The Scotts, but he kept coming up with cuts that didn't fit either of those projects. After those three songs, he was saying to himself, "Whoa, this shit really feels like a Man on the Moon. It sounds like you pick right back up where we left off 10 years ago."[11]
Kid Cudi @KidCudi "Just wanna clear this up. If anyone inspired me w this album it was myself. I mentioned Trav cuz that was a moment for me that meant something. If anyone really pushed me to rap on this album it would be Dot, my girl Rocky, Dennis, my engineer Bill, my sister Maisha n Chip."
December 9, 2020[17]
In an interview for Apple Music, Cudi explained that he was encouraged by his protégé, Houston-based rapper Travis Scott to be more lyrical and made a concerted effort to showcase his skill set as a rapper on this album, since he feels he is overlooked in that aspect of his artistry.[18] In a January 2021 interview with Complex, Dot da Genius spoke on the creation of several tracks on the album: "'Solo Dolo III' was a beat me and Plain Pat did initially during the Entergalactic sessions that Cudi never recorded to. But he was inspired to during the Man on the Moon III sessions."[16]
When speaking on the song "Show Out", his collaboration with the posthumous Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke and London-based rapper Skepta, Cudi said "It was powerful because like I talked to Steven Victor [Pop Smoke's manager] about this and he said, when [Pop Smoke] first recorded this song, he had thought of me on it. Steven had thought of me on it. The reason why I kind of got this record, Dot da Genius and Plain Pat had worked with Pop, like before he blew up at the Brewery in New York, at Dot's studio. And they had this record, they just never did anything with it. It was just something that Dot had on tuck, you know?"[20] Cudi went on to reveal that once Dot da Genius played him the record, he was compelled by it: "And I was chilling with them one day because Dot's working on our album and he was like, 'Yo, I got this record. I'm going to play it for you. Let me know what you think'. He plays this shit. And I'm like, 'I need this. Like I need this, man'. I was like, 'Nobody's ever heard me on anything like this. Skepta sounds amazing. Pop Smoke sounds amazing. Like this would be so unexpected. I think I can be on this and I could hold it down and like do my thing'. And this is also another way I can, you know, showcase these bars."[20] Dot da Genius later revealed the song was originally intended for his own album.[16]
Music and lyrics[]
"Beautiful Trip", the album's intro, comprises instrumentation, backing vocals, and a sample of a voice counting down: "3,2,1." It interpolates sounds from "In My Dreams", the first track on Man on the Moon: The End of Day. The synths at the beginning are also the same as those on "Scott Mescudi vs. the World", the opening song of Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager. On the second album cut, "Tequila Shots", Cudi lays out his inner demons and mental health journey.[11]
Artwork[]
In the last 10 years, Scott Mescudi has been through hell and back. After feeling like his world was over, he found hope and overcame the darkness that was plaguing his life. But happiness isn't forever. What he thought was peace turns into a nightmare. He finds himself lost dealing with the same pain he had not felt in years. In one night, he must face himself again and fight to win back his soul from the evil Mr. Rager.
– the synopsis on the album's back cover.[21]
The cover art depicts Cudi staring directly at the listener, in contrast to the artwork of the previous installments in the trilogy, which feature Cudi looking downwards; the right side of Cudi's face is composed of a "psychedelic/prismatic explosion of bones and sinew", with a moon and a falling moon man obscuring his eye.[22] It was designed by illustrator Sam Spratt, who was hired due to Cudi liking his artwork for Logic's album No Pressure. Spratt stated that the artwork was meant to capture Cudi's feelings, while still being "something that would stand out in a Spotify gallery and steer the algorithm", calling it a "glorified piece of marketing".[22]
Release and promotion[]
The continuation of Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon trilogy was first teased in his July 2020 collaboration with fellow American rapper Eminem, "The Adventures of Moon Man & Slim Shady", in which Cudi raps on the outro, "The trilogy continues".[23] Cudi officially confirmed Man on the Moon III in October 2020, releasing a trailer with the caption, "The trilogy continues... soon".[24] In November, he tweeted, "The music is coming. I promise".[12] On December 7, 2020, he released a cinematic trailer, revealing the title, release date, tracklist, and the cover art, designed by Sam Spratt.[25]
The songs "She Knows This" and "Heaven on Earth" were released as promotional singles, with accompanying two part music videos.[26][27] The music video for "Heaven on Earth" picks up where the video for "She Knows This" left off.[27] Both videos were filmed cinematically and were directed by high-profile music video director Nabil Elderkin. The videos were a part of YouTube Music's Artist Spotlight series.[28]
Just hours before releasing the long-awaited album, Cudi rolled out a small batch of merchandise in support of the album. The range was made in collaboration with Cactus Plant Flea Market, and consists of short- and long-sleeve T-shirts, pullover hoodies, and sweatpants—all of which feature graphics that reference MOTM3 tracks.[29] On December 20, 2020, Cudi revealed he would be releasing a deluxe edition of the album, dubbed The Cudder Cut.[30] However, in May 2021, Cudi opted not to issue a deluxe edition of the album, in order to focus on new material.[31]
In April 2021, Kid Cudi was the sole musical guest on Saturday Night Live, where he performed Man on the Moon III album cuts "Tequila Shots" and "Sad People"; both performances were in tribute to Nirvana's late frontman Kurt Cobain. His performance of "Sad People", made headlines as Cudi wore a dress as a statement against social norms much like his idol Cobain had done.[32]
Critical reception[]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.9/10[33] |
| Metacritic | 71/100[34] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [35] |
| Clash | 9/10[1] |
| Consequence | B+[36] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[37] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[38] |
| Loud and Quiet | 6/10[2] |
| NME | [39] |
| Pitchfork | 4.9/10[40] |
| Rolling Stone | [41] |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.6/5[42] |
Man on the Moon III: The Chosen was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on 10 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[34] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 6.9 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[33]
Critics have generally found the first half of the album to be weaker. Riley Wallace of Exclaim! stated, "Cudi sparkles in the first two acts. ... While satisfying, the most endearing and powerful standout moments appear in the third and fourth acts".[37] For The Line of Best Fit, Luke Ballance complimented the guest appearances and the album's progression beyond Act II, concluding: "While it might take a few listens to make sense of the album's seemingly muddled introduction, one thing is clear: by the end of this hour-long journey, Cudi has reached his destination."[38] Skye Butchard of Loud and Quiet wrote that "Cudi finds his feet again on the back half of the project, allowing himself to wander into trippy and introspective songwriting".[2] Some were also dismissive of the album's concept; Butchart found it to be "flimsy, there to give greater a sense of weight to what are largely formulaic pop rap songs",[2] and Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork opined it was placed to "make the album seem more important".[40] For Danny Schwartz of Rolling Stone, it has a more "half-baked" narrative compared to Man on the Moon II, which he said to contribute to the album's "faux-epic scope".[41]
In a positive review, Mason Meyers of Clash dubbed Man on the Moon III: The Chosen as Cudi's "best solo album to date", praising the production and modern influences.[1] Writing for Variety, A. D. Amorosi praised the album, stating that "The album generally finds his deep-breathing, sing-song-y baritone nestled almost exclusively in ambient synth-hop. Ultimately, this nearly single-sourced sound is more consistent, and easier on the ears. ... But it's when Cudi is by himself – lonely and punching through the darkness – that his somnolent, bittersweet reveries are at their tastiest".[43] Will Lavin of NME said, "Kid Cudi gives us every part of himself, laying out his insecurities and inner demons in the hope that it might help someone else, his words etched into a vivid backdrop of intoxicating melodies and palatial riffs. No one does mood music quite like Cudi".[39] Rowan5215 from Sputnikmusic enjoyed the album, saying, "This is a fun, sometimes moving project, extremely consistent and concise by the standards we apply to Kid Cudi since around 2013".[42] Fred Thomas of AllMusic wrote, "Man on the Moon, Vol 3: The Chosen represents both a return to form for Cudi as much as a distillation of his most successful experiments with genre and delivery".[35]
Some critics found the album to be unoriginal. Danny Schwartz of Rolling Stone stated, "We've seen it all before. Kid Cudi's ability to be an avatar for people's struggles with mental illness has always been central to his appeal. His music might still be relatable, but it has never sounded so cliché".[41] Writing for Pitchfork, Alphonse Pierre found the album underwhelming, and commented that its second half is too reminiscent of Cudi's past works, naming his "lifeless hums" and "half-assed singing" as clichés. He wrote that "[Cudi's] stories about how struggles with depression and loneliness affected his relationships were detailed enough to be personal but also vague enough to be easily applied to anyone's life. That's not the reality anymore, and Cudi doesn't appear to realize it".[40]
Commercial performance[]
Man on the Moon III: The Chosen debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 144,000 album-equivalent units (including 15,000 pure album sales) in its first week.[44] This became Cudi's fifth top 10 album.[44] The album also accumulated a total of 167.45 million on-demand streams of the set's songs in the week ending December 17, 2020.[44]
With 18 simultaneous placements on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, Cudi became the fifth artist to post at least that many entries on the chart in a single week. His company includes Drake, who has claimed 10 separate weeks with 18-plus entries, Lil Uzi Vert and the Weeknd, each with two such weeks, and Lil Wayne and Pop Smoke, who have managed the feat once apiece.[45]
The album also produced nine chart entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart of December 26, 2020 with "Tequila Shots" the highest entry at number 41, as well as the intro "Beautiful Trip" at number 100. At 37 seconds long, "Beautiful Trip" is a shorter Hot 100 track than the 45-second long "PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen)" by Japanese comedian Pikotaro, the current Guinness World Records holder for shortest song to chart in the history of the Hot 100.[46]
Track listing[]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beautiful Trip" |
| 0:37 | |
| 2. | "Tequila Shots" |
|
| 3:13 |
| 3. | "Another Day" |
|
| 3:19 |
| 4. | "She Knows This" |
|
| 3:36 |
| 5. | "Dive" |
| 2:28 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Damaged" |
|
| 2:30 |
| 7. | "Heaven on Earth" |
|
| 3:21 |
| 8. | "Show Out" (with Skepta and Pop Smoke) |
|
| 2:54 |
| 9. | "Mr. Solo Dolo III" |
|
| 4:02 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Sad People" |
|
| 2:56 |
| 11. | "Elsie's Baby Boy (Flashback)" |
| 3:39 | |
| 12. | "Sept. 16" |
|
| 4:09 |
| 13. | "The Void" |
|
| 5:25 |
| 14. | "Lovin' Me" (featuring Phoebe Bridgers) |
|
| 2:45 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "The Pale Moonlight" |
|
| 2:56 |
| 16. | "Rockstar Knights" (with Trippie Redd) |
| 3:51 | |
| 17. | "4 Da Kidz" |
| 3:04 | |
| 18. | "Lord I Know" |
| 3:32 | |
| Total length: | 58:17 | |||
Notes
- ^[a] signifies a co-producer
- ^[b] signifies an additional producer
- ^[c] signifies an uncredited co-producer[47]
Sample credits[48]
- "She Knows This" contains an excerpt from the 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, performed by Mark Webber and Michael Cera, courtesy of Universal Pictures.
- "Dive" contains samples of "Love/Paranoia", written by Kevin Parker, and performed by Tame Impala.
- "Mr. Solo Dolo III" contains samples of "Score", performed by Nicholas Britell, taken from the 2019 film The King.
- "Elsie's Baby Boy (Flashback)" contains an excerpt from the 1986 film Stand by Me, performed by River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton, courtesy of Columbia Pictures; and samples of "The House of the Rising Sun", written by Alan Price, and performed by The Animals.
- "The Void" contains samples of "Time", performed by The Panchanga Boys.
- "4 Da Kidz" contains an excerpt from the 2000 film Cast Away, performed by Tom Hanks, courtesy of 20th Century Studios.
Personnel[]
Credits adapted from Tidal and Pitchfork.[49][48]
Musicians
- Kid Cudi – vocals
- William J. Sullivan – programming (track 4)
- Mike Dean – keyboards (tracks 6, 13, and 16–18), synthesizer (tracks 6, 13, and 16–18)
- Skepta – vocals (track 8)
- Pop Smoke – vocals (track 8)
- Phoebe Bridgers – vocals (track 14)
- Trippie Redd – vocals (track 16)
Technical
- Joe LaPorta – mastering
- Manny Marroquin – mixing (all tracks), immersive mixing (track 15)
- Chris Galland – mixing (tracks 9, 14, and 15)
- Jeremie Inhaber – mixing (tracks 9, 14, and 15), immersive mixing (track 9)
- Zach Pereyra – mixing (tracks 9, 14, and 15)
- Chris Kahn – recording assistance (track 9)
- William J. Sullivan – engineering (all tracks), programming (track 4)
- Joshua Faulkner – engineering (track 8)
- Max McAllister – engineering (track 8)
- Parker – engineering (track 8)
- Iain Findlay – engineering (tracks 11 and 13)
- Dot da Genius – engineering (tracks 15 and 16)
- Igor Mamet – engineering (track 16)
Charts[]
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[50] | 25 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[51] | 43 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[52] | 23 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[53] | 37 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[54] | 2 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[55] | 6 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[56] | 14 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[57] | 24 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[58] | 42 |
| Irish Albums (OCC)[59] | 17 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[60] | 57 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[61] | 7 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[62] | 6 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[63] | 23 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[64] | 18 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[65] | 26 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC)[66] | 22 |
| US Billboard 200[67] | 2 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[68] | 1 |
Release history[]
| Region | Date | Label(s) | Format(s) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | December 11, 2020 |
|
[69] | |
| June 18, 2021 | CD | [70] |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Meyers, Mason (December 11, 2020). "Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon III: The Chosen". Clash. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Butchard, Skye (December 15, 2020). "Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon III: The Chosen – Review". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Hoard, Christian (September 17, 2009). "Kid Cudi: Hip-Hop's Sensitive Soul". Rolling Stone (1087): 40.
- ^ Heaton, Dave (September 29, 2009). "Kid Cudi: Man on the Moon: End of Day". PopMatters. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Baker, Ernest (December 6, 2012). "Kid Cudi, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010) – 25 Rap Albums From the Past Decade That Deserve Classic Status". Complex. Archived from the original on December 10, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Tardio, Andres (October 16, 2013). "Kid Cudi Announces 'Man on the Moon 3' Prelude EP". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Thompson, Desire (April 23, 2016). "Kid Cudi Explains Why 'Man on the Moon III' Will Never Exist". Vibe. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Jefferson, Devon (July 4, 2021). "Kid Cudi Proclaims 'I'm My Own Hero' During Spicy 'Man on the Moon III' Twitter Diatribe". HipHopDX. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ Kid Cudi (July 3, 2021). "MOTM3 was inspired by my life. As all my other albums. The sound of the album is my own fusion of everything Ive done thus far and some new ideas. I sound like no one else. When u hear a Cudi record, u know". Twitter. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ Bell, Alex (January 4, 2017). "Review: Kid Cudi Fights Hard on "Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin"". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Cowen, Trace William (December 10, 2020). "Watch Kid Cudi's 50-Minute Apple Music Interview With Zane Lowe". Complex. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Spina, Ellie (December 7, 2020). "Kid Cudi 'Man On the Moon III' Release Date Is Here". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
- ^ Ramirez, Erika (January 21, 2015). "Kid Cudi Reunites With A-Trak, Emile Haynie, Plain Pat & More for 'Man on the Moon 3". Billboard. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Joe (December 11, 2020). "Kid Cudi Drops New Album Man on the Moon III: The Chosen: Listen". XXL. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ Lavin, Will (December 7, 2020). "Kid Cudi announces 'Man on the Moon 3' album will be released this week". NME. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Corrigan, Graham (January 8, 2021). "Beautiful Trip: Dot Da Genius Talks Kid Cudi's 'Man On The Moon III'". Pigeons & Planes. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ Kid Cudi (December 9, 2020). "Just wanna clear this up". Twitter. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ A., Aron (December 9, 2020). "Kid Cudi Says Travis Scott Pushed Him To Be More Lyrical On New Album". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ Kid Cudi (May 8, 2021). "I recorded all of motm 3 at my house". Twitter. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Okon, Wongo (December 11, 2020). "Pop Smoke Joins Kid Cudi And Skepta To 'Show Out' To The Masses On Their Lively New Single". Uproxx. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ "Kid Cudi Reveals 'Man on the Moon III' Tracklist". Rap-Up. December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Cowen, Trace William (December 11, 2020). "The Story Behind Kid Cudi's 'Man on the Moon III' Cover Art". Complex. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^ Lavin, Will (December 7, 2020). "Kid Cudi announces 'Man on the Moon 3' album will be released this week". NME. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (October 26, 2020). "Kid Cudi Teases 'Man on the Moon III': 'The Trilogy Continues'". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ Saponara, Michael (December 7, 2020). "Kid Cudi Reveals 'Man on the Moon III' Release Date & Tracklist Featuring Pop Smoke, Trippie Redd & Skepta". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
- ^ Findlay, Mitch (December 11, 2020). "Kid Cudi Loses Grip in New 'She Knows This' Video". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Elder, Sajae (December 15, 2020). "Watch Kid Cudi's new video "Heaven On Earth – The Rager, The Menace Part 2"". The Fader. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Shifferaw, Abel (December 15, 2020). "Kid Cudi Shares Video for 'Man on the Moon III' Track "Heaven On Earth"". Complex. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Espinoza, Joshua (December 10, 2020). "Kid Cudi Connects With Cactus Plant Flea Market for 'Man on the Moon III' Merch". Complex. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Caraan, Sophie (December 20, 2020). "Kid Cudi Announces Deluxe 'Cudder Cut' Version of 'Man of the Moon III: The Chosen'". Hypebeast. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
- ^ Eustice, Kyle (May 17, 2021). "Kid Cudi Axes 'Man On The Moon III' Deluxe". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
- ^ Rosenblatt, Kalhan (April 11, 2021). "Kid Cudi wore a dress on 'SNL' in a tribute to Kurt Cobain". NBC News. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
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- ^ Jump up to: a b Thomas, Fred. "The Man on the Moon, Vol. 3: The Chosen – Kid Cudi". AllMusic. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ Grove, Rashad (December 16, 2020). "Kid Cudi Defies Gravity One Last Time on Man on the Moon III: The Chosen: Review". Consequence. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Wallace, Riley (December 14, 2020). "Kid Cudi's 'Man on the Moon III: The Chosen' Is a Triumphant Finale". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Ballance, Luke (December 11, 2020). "Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon trilogy finds a worthy finale in The Chosen". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Lavin, Will (December 14, 2020). "Kid Cudi – 'Man on the Moon III: The Chosen' review: an art piece of epic highs and honest lows". NME. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Pierre, Alphonse (December 16, 2020). "Kid Cudi: Man on the Moon III: The Chosen Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Schwartz, Danny (December 17, 2020). "Kid Cudi's 'Man on the Moon III: The Chosen' is Another Beleaguered Dispatch From His Stormy Emotional World". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Rowan5215 (December 14, 2020). "Review: Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon III: The Chosen". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ Amorosi, A. D. (December 11, 2020). "Kid Cudi Comes into Greater Focus on an Accomplished 'Man on the Moon III: The Chosen': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Caulfield, Keith (December 20, 2020). "Taylor Swift's 'Evermore' Arrives at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
- ^ Anderson, Trevor (December 22, 2020). "Kid Cudi's 'Man on the Moon III' Lands at No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ Trust, Gary (December 23, 2020). "Kid Cudi's 'Beautiful Trip' Breaks Record for Shortest Billboard Hot 100 Hit Ever". Billboard. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
- ^ Jenius (December 11, 2020). "@kidcudi – MOTM3: THE CHOSEN