Kanye West Latest Album Review

The world’s most talked-about rapper is bracingly honest about his mental health struggles – though his attitude towards women still needs work

Kanye West Latest Album Review. It seems a strange thing to say about an album premiered at a globally live-streamed exclusive playback that involved flying journalists and “influencers” to the mountain ranges of Wyoming – an event with its own merchandise range, including a long-sleeved T-shirt that retails for $145 – but there is something curiously low-key about Kanye West’s new album. At least by Kanye West’s standards.

It is neither a bold stylistic statement in the vein of 808s and Heartbreak(from 2008) or Yeezus (2013), nor a sprawling address along the lines of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or ye’s immediate predecessor, The Life of Pablo. Its seven tracks – none of them an obvious hit single – clock in at a trim 23 minutes. Its cover was apparently snapped by West on his phone en route to the launch. Neither of the curious, attention-grabbing singles that preceded it are included, though the lyrical concerns of Ye vs the People are peppered throughout – you hear quite a lot about how no one fully understands the genius-level thought processes that led West to come out in favour of Donald Trump, which to hear him tell it was an act of nonpareil selflessness in the service of humanity.

Many Kanye West fans did not believe that a new album would actually be released on the 1 June. The controversial artist had promised release dates before on Twitter and not delivered (TurboGrafx 16), why would this time be any different?

Yet, here we are. Following a listening party in Wyoming, West released his eighth studio album, ye, onto streaming services.

While the seven-track record – featuring guest appearances from Kid Cudi, PartyNextDoor, and Nicki Minaj – may have only been available for a day, some publications have already offered up reviews, the consensus being somewhat mixed.

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And despite the absence of the gibberish-strewn Lift Yourself, that track’s wilfully rough quality clings to sections of the album, not least the astonishing Ghost Town, which you would describe as having an epic, valedictory tone were it not for the fact that it feels like it’s falling apart before your very ears. An air-punch-inducing riff crashes around, played by a band that sound barely capable of holding themselves upright. Both West’s and Kid Cudi’s singing is off-key, and a guest appearance from John Legend sounds more like a placeholder guide vocal than a finished product. His voice cracks and strains, he slurs and mumbles, and occasionally sounds either like he’s forgotten the lyrics or was never given any in the first place. The overall effect is simultaneously stirring and unsettling, compounded by the lyrical references to self-harming and opiate addiction.

You might hesitate to say that Ghost Town sounds like the work of a mind in the process of unravelling – the ongoing speculation about the state of West’s mental health is lurid and unsavoury – were it not for the fact that West himself spends large chunks of ye telling you that his mind is unravelling. It’s hard to think of another major rap album that exposes and dwells upon its star’s struggles with mental illness to this extent. West angrily brushes away other people’s concerns and offers of support, but then discusses his despairing thoughts of suicide and depressive “bad days” in starkly affecting terms: “Screamed so loud got no lungs, hurt so bad I go numb”. Then he brags about it, which feels like a very Kanye response to being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder: “That’s my bipolar shit … that’s my superpower … I’m a superhero! I’m a superhero!”

It’s not the only reason why West emerges from ye a more relatable, sympathetic, even likeable figure than he has on previous albums. There is something winning about how his defence of his positions on Trump and slavery is undercut by his sheepish admission that they led to what sounds like a pretty nuclear-powered bollocking from his wife. Still, there is plenty of the usual hip-hop fare on offer in the lyrics. The ongoing feud between the denizens of West’s GOOD Music label and Drake’s OVO organisation is stoked further on the trash-talking Make No Mistake, replete with West mocking Drake’s skin tone. And his attitude to women could still use some work: “You know how many girls I took to the titty shop?” he asks at one point, as if women are possessions one can modify like cars.

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From the start, West has traded in his own contradictions, not least admonishing consumerism while bragging about his rapacious spending, but he has never done it as provocatively as on the closing Violent Crimes, a track in which he admits to his as-a-father-of-daughters revelation that women are people too. He writhes in agony at the thought of North West (currently age four) reaching puberty, and his horror is compounded by the idea that she might inherit her mother’s figure. “Father forgive me, I’m scared of the karma,” he yelps, presumably looking back at those visits to the titty shop with a rueful eye. His paternal anguish is set to a lovely piano figure and a sweet chorus, courtesy of Dej Loaf.

There are plenty of imbalanced moments. The scampering, falsetto vocals on All Mine quickly grate, and while there is something audacious about the way I Thought About Killing You suddenly turns into a completely different track three-quarters of the way through, neither of its two contrasting parts are anything to write home about. Still, they’re levelled out by stuff that is thrilling, such as the crashing drums and slick 70s soul vocal of No Mistakes and Wouldn’t Leave’s scattered, sparse eeriness. For all its brevity, ye doesn’t feel slight. Substantially more focused than its predecessor, it packs a lot into 23 minutes. It is bold, risky, infuriating, compelling and a little exhausting: a vivid reflection of its author.

Music fans hailed Ye after the album was unveiled at a celebrity-packed listening party in the Wyoming mountains.

Kanye West’s latest album has largely received positive reviews, despite the controversial hip hop star recently coming under fire for saying slavery was “a choice” and endorsing Donald Trump as his “brother”.

The 21-time Grammy Award winner unveiled the new music from the project – simply entitled Ye – at a listening party in Wyoming on Thursday.

He flew a whole host of celebrities and journalists to listen to the seven-track instalment in the mountains while gathered around bonfires.

West was reportedly introduced by comedian Chris Rock and was joined by the likes of actor Jonah Hill and fellow rappers Big Sean, Nas and Pusha T at the celebrity-packed event.

The 40-year-old star, who is regarded as one of his genre’s all-time greats, made Ye available online hours later. The album features appearances from artists such as Nicki Minaj, John Legend and Kid Kudi.

The star’s wife, Kim Kardashian West, also attended the listening party and later revealed West took the photo for the album artwork earlier that day on his mobile phone.

“Kanye shot the album cover on his iPhone on the way to the album listening party,” she tweeted.

Kanye shot the album cover on his iPhone on the way to the album listening party ??❤️????

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 1, 2018

The artwork features a mountain landscape and a field with the words “I hate being Bi-Polar its awesome” (sic) scribbled over it in bright green.

The highly-anticipated project – his eighth studio album – follows 2016’s The Life of Pablo and his treatment in hospital due to mental health issues later that year.

Wyoming pic.twitter.com/xh9X5K2lyR

— J.D. (@jdotshots) June 1, 2018

Controversy has followed since his return to Twitter in 2018, where he said he was publishing a philosophy book “in real time” straight to the social media website.

He tweeted that President Trump was his “brother” and that they were both “dragon energy”, adding: “You don’t have to agree with Trump but the mob can’t make me not love him.”

A backlash also followed an interview with TMZ during which he suggested slavery in America was “a choice”.

West references the episode on the album with the lyrics: “They said build your own, I said, ‘How, Sway?’ I said slavery’s a choice, they said, ‘How, Ye?’ Just imagine if they caught me on a wild day.”

You don't have to agree with trump but the mob can't make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother. I love everyone. I don't agree with everything anyone does. That's what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought.

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 25, 2018

However, some fans appeared to look past the musician’s recent remarks.

“Yall two weeks ago: KANYE IS CANCELLED, I’m not listening to his new music. I. AM. DONE,” wrote one Twitter user, before adding: “Yall today:” with a gif of rapper Jay Z dancing, referencing their enjoyment of West’s new music.

Yall two weeks ago: KANYE IS CANCELLED, I’m not listening to his new music. I. AM. DONE.

Yall today:#YE pic.twitter.com/zqUUvkAzOP

— Matt #YE (@JustMattBentley) June 1, 2018

Hollywood’s Ryan Phillippe called Ye “kinda amazing”, while other fans called it a “piece of art” and the rapper’s “most hopeful and prettiest album”.

However some were not as pleased with what they heard. Comedian Akilah Hughes wrote: “This song is literally about when he tweeted that slavery was a choice. This is some lazy end of semester work is what this album is. #Ye.”

Source: independent.co.uk, theguardian.com, news.sky.com

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