With the recent release of Kanye West's hotly
anticipated 6th studio album, the man himself has been met with millions of
expectant fans worldwide counting down the moments until they can give 'Yeezus'
a first listen.
However the response seems to be varied with some claiming
'Yeezus' to be West's best album yet others are underwhelmed. The album aims to drive forward a
revolutionary sound never before heard amongst the hip hop world, sadly it is
this combination of multiple sounds and genres that have arguably been the
album's biggest downfall.
One thing that separates West's newest creation from his
previous works is the very album driven nature of it as opposed to previous
efforts seemingly aimed at producing a series of chart topping singles. This is
not the case with this album which seems to work best as a collection rather
than a collection of standalone singles.
With Inspiration clearly drawn from some of West's previous
works which can be heard in the likes of 'Blood on leaves' which features the
heavy use of auto tune reminiscent of the dominant sound of '808s and Heartbreak'.
The merger between old school soul sound and modern day hip hop previously seen
in 'Diamonds are forever' , 'Otis' and the unforgettable 'Gold digger' is also
commonly used which having worked before doesn't fail to impress again and
flows throughout the chorus of 'Bound 2'.
Although the album makes for an easy listen and no doubt has
a few potential chart topping singles on there, tracks of this elm are sparse and
the majority of the tracks fail to leave a lasting impression. Although
'Yeezus' undoubtedly marks a change in what is traditionally thought of as Hip
Hop, whether the album will go down in history amongst some of West's best
albums is debateable.
Words by Sophie Cameron
