Soul Explicit

Unique is the word that comes to mind when I think of Kanye West’s upcoming album, ‘808s & Heartbreak’. Personally, I’ve always thought of Kanye as a creative individual who did what he wanted regardless of what others thought. The result of this album demonstrates just that. Although there is an excessive amount of autotune usage and major lacking of rhymes, the album is not a complete disappointment as many would assume. With the losses Yeezy endured within the past year, a man longs for peace and understanding. If music can help to heal (even it requires changing your style of music), I support any person who is willing to pour out their deepest emotions to be openly criticized. One standout track off the album is the very honest and slightly hostile ‘Heartless’, which is the second single off the album. ‘Streetlights’ is a very vulnerable track with heavy background vocals provided by other unknown vocalists and has a slight Coldplay vibe to it. Even more emotional is ‘Bad News,’ a song of disappointment with a light piano and even lighter drums in the background. To sum up the vibe of the album is ‘The Coldest Winter’ which sends a farewell to a loved one and hopes for love in the future. All other songs on the album hardly keep my attention. Kanye is basically singing on the entire album, with a guest verse from Lil Wayne who is also singing. Young Jeezy is the only rapper who spits a verse on the album. Kanye definitely had a different approach with his newest album, but it’s up to the audience to decided whether they can appreciate how Kanye interpreted his life into art. I can never hate on a man who is brave enough to do something completely different just to gain (and maintain) peace of mind.