Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
November 25, 2008
Kanye West premiered “Love Lockdown,” the first single from his new album, 808s & Heartbreak, at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. It was a brilliant, powerful performance and the studio version, while lacking some of the power of its live counterpart, is the highlight of the album by far, and with its minimalist production and West’s Auto-Tuned vocals, it sets the pattern for most of the rest of the album. A well timed exception is the amusing “RoboCop,” which boasts a string section and is one of the lighter songs on an otherwise downbeat, often starkly emotional album that addresses both the recent death of his mother and his breakup with his fiancée. West isn’t breaking any new ground music wise (though his lyrics are as incisive and intelligent as ever), and I’m not sure I’d want to hear another entire album exactly like this from him, but as an expansion into new territory for him, 808s & Heartbreak is a success. Whether or not his fans will think so remains to be seen, but it’s definitely worth a listen. Standout cuts: “Say You Will,” “Welcome to HeartBreak,” “Love Lockdown” and “RoboCop.”
