New Music Friday: The Many Lives Of Kanye West
Who knows what the new Kanye West album will sound like by the time we hit publish.
The past twenty-four hours have been peak Yeezy for the lead-up to his seventh solo studio album, The Life Of Pablo. The four title changes is old news - new news is that the album itself keeps growing in size since its debut at Madison Square Garden during the unveiling of his fashion line's latest season. Since then he's also announced a video game featuring his deceased mother riding a Pegasus to heaven and has been forced to defend lyrics invoking Taylor Swift because, Kanye.
Currently, the only people who have heard The Life Of Pablo are those who were at MSG, or were lucky (or unemployed) enough to watch the live stream on the music streaming service TIDAL. However even those listeners heard Pablo when it had ten tracks, rather than the seventeen it has now.
The album is being mastered and will be out today… added on a couple of tracks… pic.twitter.com/6lBxcd83N2
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016
More on the swift reaction of Swifties in a second, but first the fleeting listen we got of Kanye's latest project.
Mostly washed away is the punk aesthetic of 2013's Yeezus. What we have instead is a return to soul sampling and hard jarring cuts that inspire more groove than its predecessor's menacing melodies. Pablo starts off like the "gospel album" that Kanye promised it would be earlier in the month. "This is a God dream. This is everything" he sings, flanked by Kirk Franklin, Kelly Price, The-Dream, and Chance The Rapper.
The most talked about moment comes a couple tracks later on "Famous", where West name checks Taylor Swift. With a Rihanna lead in, and the best Sister Nancy sample since forever, Kanye raps - "I feel like me and Taylor still might have sex. "I made that b***h famous".
The "squad" was put on high alert in the moments after his words echoed across Twitter, and the outcry that got so loud West addressed the detractors this morning.
I did not diss Taylor Swift and I've never dissed her…
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016
3rd thing I called Taylor and had a hour long convo with her about the line and she thought it was funny and gave her blessings
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) February 12, 2016
As Pablo continues, Kanye gets lost in a spiritual while musing about former Kim Kardashian co-star Ray J. "I bet me and Ray J would be friends, if we ain't love the same b***h. Yeah he might of hit it first, only problem is I'm rich" he raps.
Duck and take cover, because Mr. West is spitting daggers.
Later on Kanye gets an assist from "White Iverson" rapper Post Malone and Ty Dolla $ign on the chugging "Fade", and enlists The Weeknd for the contemplating "FML". "Real Friends" is just as introspective about relationships over a music box beat.
Everything closes out with the previously released "Wolves", now with 100 percent more Frank Ocean, out of hiding and featured on the track.
The album is encouraging, spastic at times, and voyeuristic. In other words, it's Kanye West.
Kanye says that the full album will be available today. A great bet would be on the streaming service Tidal. No word on exclusivity as of yet. When reached for comment Spotify representatives say the album will be available there soon, but they have no specifics to share at this point.
Welcome back to the wild world of Mr. West. Subject to change.