There's been a lot of discussion between me and my friends about this album. It seemed like the consensus was that nobody wanted to hear an album full of AutoTune'd Kanye sappin' (singin/rappin). And especially not an AutoTune'd album full of Kanye rapping about love, loss, and heartbreak.
I'm listening to the album right now and I'm going to try and write this up as I go through each song so it may run a bit long. Feel free to read this after you've listened to the album and let me know what you think. I'm sure my opinion of some of these songs may change in time but here goes nothing...
Disclaimer: The may or may not be the tracks (or track order) as they'll appear on the official album...
The album starts off a bit slow with "Say You Will". My initial thought about this song was "nice background music". The song dragged on a bit too long for me (as if it were a track off Common's Electric Circus...and I love Common but that album man...???...???) and Kanye is singing the entire way, but if you listen to his lyrics you can tell that he was going through something deep when he wrote this track (along with pretty much every other track). Yet-and-still, I was a little disappointed. This is one of those songs that might have to grow on me.
The next song is "Welcome to Heartbreak" with Kid Cudi and it gets a little better. It feels like he's building up to something with this one, maybe the next track is gonna be dope.
"Heartless". I liked this song the first time I heard it. I'm not sure what the instrument is that he uses to break the beat (the sound that comes in right after "3AM on the phone") but it takes an otherwise simple beat and adds just enough spice to it that you can't help but pay attention. Aside from the production on this song (which most people I know seem to dislike) I can relate to the content so maybe that's why I enjoy it.
Next up, "Amazing" featuring one of my hip-hop guilty pleasures, Young Jeezy. I've heard this song already and I wasn't impressed. Sidebar: Doesn't Jeezy already have a song called "Amazing"? The pace of the song was a bit too slow for me on first listen. But after a week since my first listen I went back and listened again and realized that Jeezy is the only reason for me to listen to the song.
"Love Lockdown". I have always liked this song, let's hear something new...NEXT!
"Paranoid" sounds like another Daft Punk-influenced joint with the synthesizers. Definitely some Euro-hop ish. I was a bit scared of what was to come after listening to the first 10 seconds but once the first verse got going it was decent...Until I got to the hook. I could see people enjoying dancing to this song though since it has a nice little groove to it. This is another one that might end up growing on me but right now it's a little too 80s so I don't want to like it. LOL.
"RoboCop" was the first song I heard off this album that I didn't like. I'd heard "Love Lockdown" and "Heartless" before this one and this song made me loose a bit of confidence in what I thought the album would turn out to be. It's a crazy song with all the robot sounds in the background and I bet he used a live band for some of the orchestra-esque sounds on this song.
I don't know why, but I really like the song "Street Lights". It's a simple song in a lot of ways and maybe that's what I like about it. "Let me know do I still got time to grow/Things ain't always set in stone...I know my destination but I'm just not there...Life's just not fair." I'm feeling it. I had to run this one back one time. The vibe of this song reminds me of Lost by Gorilla Zoe featuring Lil Wayne. I really like that song.
Next up, "Bad News". This song served as the first time the AutoTune irritated me thus far through the album. I honestly didn't even pay it any mind up until this point. Sounds like he turned up the annoy-ometer on AutoTune for this one. This is one of the songs I will probably be guaranteed to skip. And next up is the track with Lil Wayne so I can only imagine what the AutoTune factor will be.
How appropriate of a title for a song with Lil Wayne in it, "See You in my Knightmares"? I'm just saying, how many times have you overheard or heard a female above the age of 18 say "Lil Wayne is so fine/sexy" or "Lil Wayne could get it". And ladies don't front because ya'll be quick to throw that "he could get it" line out there for certain celebs. Anyway, back to the song. Lil Wayne kinda ruined this one for me about halfway through his verse when he starts off with "babygirl we finished". I mean he says "you think your shyt don't stank but you are Mrs. P-U". Seriously! Maybe he did this song while he wasn't high. I'm convinced ude makes his best music when he is zooted out of his mind. Sad, but he's not the first. But yet-and-still, put the cups down Wayne and stop doing the lines! I get the point of the song...Tell the chick it's over...see you next lifetime...see you in my nightmares b*tch...yada yada yada....NEXT!
"Coldest Winter" is next. This one I have heard before I think. Yep, I like this song. Not sure about the whole static sound going on but I can relate to sitting back thinking about how you lost the one you love. I'm pathetic fellas, I know. But, the song is dope for the same reasons "Love Lockdown" is dope. In other words, keep your love locked down and you won't be having your coldest winter.
The last song is called "Pinocchio Story", a live freestyle from a Singapore performance. My first inclination was to skip this off GP but out of solidarity I figured I'd listen to it. And yep, it's exactly what I expected... Should have skipped it.
One thing that I will say is consistent about this album is the content. I might not like all the songs from a production standpoint but you can tell Kanye was going through a lot when he was writing these songs and I like to see that in an artist. He's expressing himself and his emotions through his music and not frontin'. You may not relate, you may not care, you may not like it, but he's still gonna show his passion, vulnerability, and his love to make music. Gotta respect that. What I don't like about this album is that there is no "Flashing Lights", "All Falls Down", "Good, Bad, Ugly", "Touch the Sky", "Good Life", or "We Major". That is, a song that is undeniably DOPE. Yeah I think a couple of the tracks on this album are dope but ask 9 other people and they all may think they suck. No one can deny that the "Good Life" or "Flashing Lights" are classic songs, unless you just got tired of hearing them. But it's all relative right? How many of you actually agree with me on more than 2 of the songs above?
Overall, I think this will probably be my least favorite Kanye album up to this point. Graduation is probably going to forever be #1. Graduation was the start of Kanye's movement towards the "left" and I think a lot of people didn't like it for that reason or were apprehensive to say that they did like it. I LOVED IT! This one is another step leftward in terms of his non-pigeon-holed-by-hip-hop artistic expression. I understand dude was going through a break-up and his mom passing so I can understand what he's expressing here but like Scarface once said..."You f*ck around and cross the other side of the track/Catch you a brick then realize that you can't come back".
Express yourself Yeezy but don't forget the genre that made you. Were it not for soul samples, the Blueprint, and a car crash, you might still be a supremely talented and passionate guy trying to make it. Or maybe an R.N. (regular n*gga) like 50 and Yayo say all the time.
I'd give this album a 3/5 stars if stars actually meant anything. This is solid background music for a hip-hop influenced wine tasting or a party comprised of people who know jack shyt about hip-hop but always say "I like Kanye West...He's a rapper". It's not a bad album and it's not a great album. Perhaps not even good. It's just an average album after first listen and that's fine. Let's see how much it does or does not grow on me over the next few months.
