Anyhoo, so yes. I bought it at JB Hi-Fi for $18, went home and played it through.
My thoughts- This is a singalong album. It's much easier to sing along to than his previous rap albums. And it's lots of fun to do it, as well.
- Kanye is sad. And when he's sad, everyone knows about it. Only 'Amazing' and 'Paranoid' are particularly upbeat. The rest are more reflective.
- The production is good. Over-the-top sometimes, but good to listen to.
- I think this is a cathartic experience for Mr West. Next year he'll be back with his swaggalicious fifth album, and he'll be back to being Mr Arrogant. Lyrics like "So you got a new friend/Well I got homies/But in the end it's still so lonely" and "See I know my destination but I'm just not there" show he's not nearly as sure of himself as he was. He lost his two emotional touchstones - his mum and his fiance - and now he's not as sure of himself.
- The songs I can't stop singing are 'Paranoid', 'Robocop', 'Say You Will', 'Amazing', 'Heartless', and 'Love Lockdown'. So yes, this is a pop album, with singalong choruses. A sad pop album, but still.
There was a list going around the internet the other week like Top Ten Reasons Kanye West is a Douche. It was... not all that funny, and most of the stuff they quoted was inaccurate. But whatever, Best Week Ever did a response and linked to a hilarious video Kanye commissioned for a song off his last album, featuring farmers rapping to his song and doing some square dancing. It's awesome.
Bottom line
- If you didn't like Kanye West before, there is a chance you will like this new stuff. I recommend checking out 'Paranoid', 'Heartless', 'Street Lights' and 'Say You Will'.
- Kanye will return to rapping. I think this is a diversion into pop that will influence his next work, not define it.
- I will end up singing my way through this entire album in no time. It's catchy, clever, and sad.
Bonus hilarious link - Clooney vs Jackman!
No comments:
Post a Comment