Playboi Carti’s “I AM MUSIC” Gets Promising Pre-Order Update

You know the drill by this point. Playboi Carti is the rapper who needs to be taken with the biggest grain of salt in terms of release date or album details. We’ve been waiting to hear I AM MUSIC for the majority of the 2020s. It seemed like we were in the home stretch when Playboi Carti dropped a lead single. But the wait has not gotten any easier. There has been no updates with regard to a release date or a second single. There has, however, been a significant update with regard to the album’s pre-order option.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed a crucial change on December 19. Playboi Carti released pre-order links for I AM MUSIC months ago. But they were delayed indefinitely as a result of the album’s continued tweaks. Fans were frustrated by the fact that they were allowed to pay for an album without a release date in sight. We might be closer to a date than we realized, though. I AM MUSIC bundles have been updated on the Carti site, and are currently listed as “ready to ship.” This update suggests that the album is complete, or close to being complete. Playboi Carti’s bundles include a shirt, hoodie, or hat depending on which bundle you selected. It also includes, crucially, a vinyl copy of the album.

It’s exciting to see I AM MUSIC seemingly inch closer to a release date. The shipping update, however, does conflict with the collaborations that Playboi Carti has been teasing over the past few weeks. He’s been all over social media, hinting at future sessions with the likes of Lil Baby, Mustard, and even Metro Boomin. He posed for photos with Metro Boomin the day before the I AM MUSIC bundles were given an update. This could mean a few different things. Either Carti is trolling listeners, and he doesn’t plan on including these collabs on the album. Or the pre-order bundles are not as close to release as we think.

It’s impossible to tell what qualifies as a legitimate album update or wishful thinking on the part of fans. Especially since Playboi Carti seems to enjoy spreading misinformation about his own rollout. Time will tell if the bundles prove to be a true indicator of I AM MUSIC‘s release. We can only wait and hope.