Kanye West makes a true classic
808s & Heartbreak is an outlet for West's emotional turmoil.
Dec. 5, 2008
Just in time for the holiday season, Kanye West has released 808s and Heartbreak. The album, his fourth, is unlike anything Kanye has ever attempted and is quite a unique product for a concept album. Emotionally, the album deals with the different chapters in relationships. The more emotional album might stem from the heartbreak West experienced in the last year with his mother dying due to surgery complications and the breaking of his engagement to his fiancé.
Some of the things that make this a truly unique Kanye album are that it's his first not to have the parental advisory sticker (possibly trying to appeal to younger heartbreak?). The absence of explicit lyrics makes 808s Kanye's most individual by far.
Every song on the album makes use of the Roland TR-808 drum machine and Auto-Tune (which T-Pain taught Kanye the ins and outs of). The mix of 808s, heartbreak and Auto-Tune are instrumental in helping Kanye create a classic. The theme of the album and Kanye's emotions make for an album listeners will easily relate to.
The album opens with Kanye speaking about longing for a relationship with "Mrs. so fly" after being dumped on "Say You Will." The song makes good use of the 808, as well as a robotic synth and Auto-Tune as it effortlessly transitions into "Welcome to Heartbreak." The latter extremely personal and reflective song has Kanye singing about the pain of heartbreak with a piano piece that rolls right along with the 808s and strings. One of the best parts of the song is the inclusion of Kid Cudi's addition to the chorus, one very reminiscent of crying and pain.
Following are two of the album's most radio-friendly songs, "Heartless" and "Amazing." "Heartless," a follow-up single, has some of the catchiest lyrics of the album. "Amazing" is the closest thing to a traditional Kanye West song. The Young Jeezy-assisted tune feels darker, and its gloomy accompanying piano piece and drums have a "Can't Tell Me Nothing" feel.
"See You In My Nightmares," a Lil Wayne collaboration, has the star power to stand out as one of the album's strongest tracks. It's another of the album's darker tracks, featuring more synth, 808s and Lil Wayne singing the chorus on Auto-Tune. Wayne's verse shows the rapper at his most emotional, his voice cracking with a sound like "Playing With Fire" off of Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III.
All 12 songs are different but have the unified concept to make the album a great presentation of Kanye's talent and emotion. Other notable songs are "Coldest Winter" (an ode to Kanye's mother), "Street Lights" (a simple but powerful piano/wavering synth ballad) and the fun and upbeat "Paranoid."
More Dec. 5, 2008 Arts Stories
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- Kanye West makes a true classic — <i>808s & Heartbreak</i> is an outlet for West's emotional turmoil.
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