Kanye West is one of the most divisive figures in music today. The rollout for West’s latest album The Life of Pablo was fitting for the hectic lifestyle for which the man has become known.
The Life of Pablo, Kanye’s seventh album, was released for public consumption with much fanfare on Feb. 14. Days earlier on Feb. 12, the album was partially released at a live event known as Yeezy Season 3. This event was both a fashion show and a record release (though the tracklisting was different at that time). It aired around the world on Tidal, which is owned by Kanye’s constituent Jay Z, as well as in theaters including local cinema The Charles.
Fans of West know that the release of this album has been surrounded by much confusion. It was originally announced as So Help Me God and positioned for a 2014 release, even receiving singles such as “Only One” featuring Paul McCartney, as well as the radio hit “All Day.” Neither of these songs made the final cut for The Life of Pablo.
In 2015, the album’s name was changed to SWISH, and many people expected it to finally be released at that point. After another name change, the album was posited to be released in February of this year. This was later confirmed to be occurring at Yeezy Season 3 with the album’s final title revealed to be The Life of Pablo.
Though it hasn’t even been out for a week yet, Pablo may be the most divisive record of 2016. From an album standpoint, it is a collection of songs, and while this may seem to be a truism, some albums come together as good collections, in which each song hinges on the reception of the previous one to create a cohesive experience, and this isn’t that. Here, each song could exist separately from the other tracks. This album is almost like a compilation, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The album’s opening track confirms Kanye’s pre-released statement that in many ways this is a gospel album. “Ultralight Beam” features the vocals of gospel titan Kirk Franklin and utilizes the production talent of Kanye (plus a team including Swizz Beatz and Rick Rubin) mixed with the vocals of R&B singers Kelly Price and The-Dream to great, ephemeral effect. This song is unlike most of the album because, instead of being a hodgepodge of ideas, its gospel sound sells it. Though it’s early in the year, Chance the Rapper’s feature manages to be one of the best verses on the album and one of the most memorable of the year so far.
Right after is another strong song, “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1,” with a great beat (credit to Metro Boomin’ who assisted on this track) and surprising vocals from Kid Cudi (who released a very lackluster album last year). The jump from the Future adlib to Cudi’s vocals really immerses the listener in the album but herein lies the first problem with the album: Kanye’s verse. One of the biggest complaints about his former costar (on Watch the Throne) Jay Z’s most recent album (Magna Carta Holy Grail) was that Jay really had nothing to say, and the album suffered for it. Kanye must have run into a similar problem because this verse suffers from the same low-effort struggle as portions of Yeezus. The verse on this track is uninspired and frankly feels like something I’d expect to hear from a rapper stuck in mixtape hell.
Another strong stretch of the album begins here, with what could be considered an interlude, “Low Lights.” The gospel influences are maintained here along with an a capella cut by DJ King of Tomorrow over a calmer beat.
This leads into “Highlights,” one of the better lyrical verses on the album. While it has its own share of flaws toward the beginning and end, Young Thug gives the song a unique flavor. “I’ma shift the paradigm / I’ma turn up every time” Kanye raps, finding his flow midway through the track and sounding comfortable for maybe the first time on the album.
Looking at the album in its entirety, aside from the songs that are intended as one-two punches (“Lowlights,” “Highlights,” “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” and “Pt. 2”), it’s as if the album is a bunch of different songs collected from different eras of Kanye’s career.
Something else to note here is that the album’s best moments don’t overtly feature Kanye. Though his production is there, none of the best moments are him rapping or singing; they’re his features. This is reminiscent of Dr. Dre’s album Compton last year, which was similarly criticized for letting its leading artist be outshined by features.
Despite the hype and confusion surrounding Pablo, Kanye fans will probably have an affinity for this album. While it won’t win West any new supporters, it may garner support for some of the stronger featured artists.
