After Watching Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy, I Have A Better Understanding Of Travis Scott And Other Artists In His Position

Let me start this by saying that I’m not the biggest Travis Scott fan. I don’t really get down with his music, I don’t understand what he’s doing in WWE, and his former relationship with Kylie Jenner takes up way too much of pop culture. However, I’ve always admired his hustle in the rap game, his loyalty to his fans, and the respect he shows them. And after watching Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy with my Netflix subscription, I have a better understanding of my second-favorite Cactus Jack.

While watching the 2025 Netflix film about one of the most horrible concert tragedies of the 21st century, one that resulted in the deaths of 10 people back in November 2021, I couldn’t help but be moved by what I was watching. Now that it’s over, and I’ve time to digest it all, I have to admit that I have a newfound respect for the controversial rapper and other artists that have been in his position.

While Watching The Astroworld Tragedy Unfold, I Started To Feel Bad For Travis Scott

First and foremost, my heart goes out to all the fans who attended Astroworld 2021 only to become involved in one of the biggest concert disasters of my lifetime. Going to a show, especially one of the first big events after the COVID-19 pandemic, and then losing your life, or losing a friend or loved one, is heartbreaking. And while I knew I would be impacted after hearing survivors’ stories, there was something else I didn’t expect at all.

As wild as this may sound, I honestly started to feel bad for Scott while watching The Astroworld Tragedy. Though I’ve never believed he was to blame for the 10 deaths and hundreds of injuries, I never really felt for Scott until watching the documentary and understanding how little he knew about what was happening in one part of the crowd where so many were injured or killed. Just imagine having that hanging over your head the rest of your life.

I'm Probably Not Alone In This, But I Kept Drawing Comparisons To Other Artists In The Rapper's Position Over The Years

Astroworld 2021 isn’t the first time a massive concert has turned into a tragedy, and as sad as it may sound, it likely won’t be the last. While watching, I kept drawing comparisons to bands like Limp Bizkit, whose role in the Woodstock ‘99 disaster was highlighted in Netflix’s first Trainwreck documentary, The Who with the 1979 Cincinnati crowd crush, the Rolling Stones with Altamont, and other artists who have long been associated with dark days in music history.

For years, these artists have been forced to carry the burden of their respective tragedies, oftentimes being the public faces of these events, be it justified or as a scapegoat by those in power.

I Came Out Of The Doc Having More Respect For Travis Scott, As Crazy As That Sounds

I also found myself leaving the documentary with more respect for Scott, or at least a better understanding of who he is as a person. I was ignorant of the reason behind naming the festival Astroworld (it was held across the highway from the site of the original theme park that shut its gates in late 2005, per the Houston Chronicle) and never realized it was his way of paying homage to a place that meant so much to him and so many other Houston natives. It’s a tragedy that something so well-meaning and so positive led to disaster.

All in all, Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy was an eye-opening, tear-jerking, and undeniably moving documentary, one that I won’t forget for a very long time.