Sooooo, for my first post, I've decided to talk about Kanye West. Yes, I know what you're thinking...douche, but he basically rules music right now. The guy doesn't be able to be stopped. His new album came out a few weeks ago, and in my opinion, it's the best album of the year so far. Here's the track listing...
1. Say You Will
2. Welcome to Heartbreak Ft. Kid Cudi
3. Heartless
4. Amazing Ft. Young Jeezy
5. Love Lockdown
6. Paranoid Ft. Mr. Hudson
7. Robocop
8. Street Lights
9. Bad News
10. See You in My Nightmares Ft. Lil Wayne
11. Coldest Winter
The ITunes version has 2 bonus videos (Pinocchio Story and Heartless) which are cool if you're an intense fan, but let's be honest, it's the music that counts here. He's taken a huuuge step as an artist, moving away from what people know him for. Let's just say he pulled it off. The album hit number one last week on Billboard, with a projected 450,000 units shipped. He primarily sings in all of the songs, using an Auto-tune device. Other artists that you may be familiar with that have used the device are Cher, in her song "Believe", and T-Pain in most of his recent endevours. The lyrics are so deep it's unbelievable. Most of the songs spawn off of the death of his mother this past year so, naturally, they're pretty dark. His artist integrity, however, still shines through. Oh, if you haven't gathered by now, this isn't a rap album. As expected, he's gotten a lot of crap (haha, get it...) for the transition, but it's a statement.
Now for what you're all asking, what do you think are the best 5 songs, Nick? Haha...
1. Heartless
2. Robocop
3. Love Lockdown
4. Bad News
5. Coldest Winter
There you go... For more info. as far as sales and general facts, just e-mail me.
Sing On...
Nick
Nice! I bought the album the day it came out, and have been pleased ever since. I applaud Kanye for stepping out of the shell of "rap/hip hop" and finally focusing on something new (and not to mention exciting - for me, a singer!)
ReplyDeleteThe creativity put into some of Kanye West’s songs are simply inspirational. The “Glow in the Dark Tour” - West’s recent live tour, was the most astounding concert that I have ever been to. Additionally, the individuality that Kanye demonstrates is an admirable characteristic. One of the most popular and inspirational rappers of all time, Kanye West's musical genius is what puts him above all other rappers. Whether you’re trying to get pumped up for a football championship with the heart pounding “Stronger” or in a good mood chilling with the smooth sounds of “The Goodlife”, Kanye’s songs are an inspiration. Kanye is also a highly sought after producer, creating many of chart topping hits including “Swagger Like Us”, and “Jockin’ Jay Z”. Kanye has even started to steer away from rapping and started using the singing aid of Auto-Tune which corrects pitch in vocal performances, creating a more “soulful” performance. Kanye West’s inspirational music has engraved his spot among hip-hop elite.
Kanye West’s critically acclaimed “Glow in the Dark Tour” was a breathtaking experience to say the least. With the incredibly unique stage, raising and lowering Kanye depending on the song, and the outer space background, the show was remarkable. Kanye danced all around the stage as if he had just consumed a Starbucks double-shot laced with Red Bull. While Kanye’s emotion and passion were visible, sweat dripped down his face as if he had just finished a triathlon, with no signs of fatigue. Kanye performed every song that I had hoped for, and I am already anticipating his future tour.
Kanye West’s individuality is what really separates him from other rappers in the hip-hop game. His recent cd has received many mixed reviews, considering Kanye is only singing on the track – no rapping – and very minimal piano and background mixing. For the Hottest MC in the game, according to MTV, to sing on a track is an extremely risky gamble that only Kanye West would take. Also, his use of the popular auto-tune feature has upset many of his most loyal fans - but do you really think that Kanye West is going to let people influence him? “Sidebar…if you don’t like auto-tune too bad cause I love it and have been using it since the College Dropout,” Kanye said in a recent blog post on his website. Kanye does his own thing no matter what and I respect him for it.
The music he creates is on its own level of expertise. Also, the individuality that Kanye has created makes him completely unique to the music industry.
Personally, my favorite songs in order are:
5. Heartless
4. Love Lockdown
3. See You In My Nightmares
2. Coldest Winter
1. Robocop
Robocop has an awesome dancebeat...its just great. And even though Coldest Winter is basically a cover, he did a really awesome rendition of it. See You in My Nightmares is really impressive because you can tell he really means what he's singing - its really emotional.
-jourdanjustine