Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Released: 9 November 2010
Editors Note: This is an album review from 2010-2011 when this album originally came out. Excuse any typos. I wanted the text to remain exactly as it was when I wrote this review over 10-years ago. Some of my thoughts on certain songs have changed (for example: “Gorgeous” would be a perfect 5-star song today.
Dark Fantasy: 5/5
Gorgeous (feat Kid Cudi & Raekwon) : 4.75/5
Power (feat Dwele): 5/5
All of the Lights: 4.5/5
Monster (feat Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver): 5/5
So Appalled (feat Jay-Z, Pusha T, CyHi Da Prynce, Swizz: Beatz & The RZA): 4.75/5
Devil in a New Dress (feat Rick Ross): 5/5
Runaway (feat Pusha T): 3.75/5
The song itself is great, but the moaning for the last 3 minutes of the song is TERRIBLE. Bumps it down almost a full point.
Hell of a Life: 5/5
“FUCK WITH THE LIGHTS ON”. That could be a banger. Someone’s going to sample that and it’s gonna be big, watch.
Blame Game (feat John Legend & Chris Rock): 5/5
Lost in the World (featuring Bon Iver): 4.5/5
Kanye West hit a grand slam with this one. Musically, this is one of the most advanced albums I’ve ever heard. In a way, it’s beyond rap. The layers of vocals and instruments, the $3 Million dollars spent on production, the multiple producers on each track the perfect the instrumental, and the tailored lyrics by Kanye. This is a definitive album for 2010, and, in my opinion, the only album that lived up to its hype (by a major artist). Kanye is on another page with this one, and it separates itself from every other album from any genre released this year.
There’s not much more I can say about this album that hasn’t already been said. The music is great, and if you can catch the messages hidden in each song, the stories in the 1st and 2nd half of the album, and the symbolism/messages he creates throughout the entire album, this will make the album that much greater for you.
Simply amazing. 4.75/5
Re-visit (1/19/2011; 10pm)
dark fantasy – 5/5
gorgeous – 4.75/5
power – 5/5
All Of The Lights – 4.5/5
monster – 5/5
so appalled – 5/5
Diand – 5/5
runaway – 4/5
hell of a life – 3.75/5
blame game – 4.5/5
lost in the world – 5/5
4.68/5 – I still love this shit.
★★★★★: Best in show; pinnacle release from an all-time great artist.
Rating Categories:
★★★★★: Best in show; pinnacle release from an all-time great artist.
★★★★1/2: Stellar example of genre; peak potential.
★★★★: Excellent; recommended to all fans of artist or genre.
★★★1/2: Very good; a few bland songs or minor flaws throughout.
★★★: Good; fans of the artist will find value here.
★★1/2: Average; does little to establish the artist or maintain quality.
★★: Unexceptional; a few highlights but otherwise bland.
★1/2: Weak; unrecommended for anyone but major fans of the style and/or artist.
★: Seriously flawed; very poor work but relatively listenable.
1/2: Terrible; a true embarrassment and akin to audio masochism.