Listening to this album at 11:36 AM during Thanksgiving break was buzz kill to my whole day, but it was well worth it. Even if Kanye still let Taylor Swift finish, we would have still herd yet another installment of a greatly reviewed dark album from West.
He once again took the title of first week sales winner two years after his last victory over Guns N’ Roses. Nicki Minaji was the closest contender, but came up 200,000 copies short of Kanye’s already gold certified album; My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (MBDTF).
This album was three million dollars and five years in the making since its announcement of its former album name, and it all came out in the first track. Nicki provides the intro of Dark Fantasy in a British accent, followed by a chorus and piano before West reflected upon post fame arrogant dreams with his classic style of rapping. Gorgeous brought in some elements of autotune vocals from his previous album, but included G.O.O.D Music artist Kid Cudi to help with the hook. This song is a reflection of All Falls Down, but in harder times. This lead into Power, his perspective on media image that passes off as an artistically arranged melt down. After it was all said and done, All of the Lights showed the first of several all-star line ups. Eleven artists, from La Roux’s Elly Jackson to Elton John, all provided vocals on what Kanye coins as a “ghetto song”. The second great line up was on Monster, which included the likes of Jay-Z to Rick Ross. The topic gets deeper into the collision of wealth and emptiness as So Appalled introduces other G.O.O.D Music artists such as Pusha T and Cyhi Da Prynce. Another older West song is taken in an opposite light, as Devil in a New Dress refracts Jesus Walks. Once West presents his villainous view, Runaway provides the pivotal point in the album as he hits rock bottom. The bounce back in the wrong direction is reflected in Hell of a Life as he demonstrates his love for an adult model. This continues eerily in Blame Game. G.O.O.D Music artist John Legend provides a piano sample with lyrics that implicate a broken relationship, but Kanye even makes it more abstract with his crosses of rapping, spoken word, and singing. Chris Rock actually makes an appearance to provide twisted comic relief in the situation with a simulated phone call between him and the subject of the song. This relief gets the mood back up to the tribal drum thumping song, Lost in the World. Kanye’s message in being lonely in a buzzing world without popularity and women is helped expressively by his sample of a Jill Scott Heron poem to close out the 70 minutes of his beautiful dark twisted fantasy.
This album was a good return to rapping with a revolutionary take on east coast hip-hop and influence from his pop album, 808s & Heartbreak. Kanye’s sampling expertise was not absent; along with his unique drum selection and patterning. Some instruments, though, were unnecessary. His lyrical lines, at times, could have used more thought on the rhymes. His guest line ups were somewhat unbalanced throughout the album. They also made for emotional layers that were sometimes difficult to pry apart. It is the lesser of two evils, as it shows the intellectual breaking apart of Kanye’s new limelight.
One can’t help but wonder, between his mom passing and the Taylor Swift incident, how much influence the media had on outcasting Kanye for nearly a year. Upon his return, he saturated the industry with his introduction of G.O.O.D Fridays and superstar artists on songs that would help him bounce back into rapping with an album that is arguably even more depressing than 808s & Heartbreak. It transcended heartbreak and went into race, fame, wealth, and stereotyping. He didn’t let Taylor Swift finish, but Kanye had plenty to say about the times in his latest album.