Kanye West
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Release Date: 2010 | Tracklist

For me, the title of this album begs the question: is the Kanye West we all know, a work of fantasy, whether it be beautiful or dark or even twisted? The controversial statements, the even riskier acts in public, the unashamed egomania, etc. Kanye West’s persona - and ego - have continued to grow ever since his debut album nearly a decade ago. After the release of the minimalist and heartbroken 808s and Heartbreak, West needed to craft a record as big as his ego, despite how impossible a task that sounds. Yet, through some work of genius, he just about managed that, and made a record that is both boldly personal and ridiculously overblown. The end result is a true marvel; a decadent, extravagant feast; the music equivalent of gargantuan ancient palaces and coliseums, endless mosaic-floored and marble halls, towering self-admiring statues that reach for the sky, a sweeping Renaissance work of art; you get the idea.

The sound of the album remains consistently huge across its 70 minutes – many albums have aimed for big scale, but just end up sounding pointlessly bloated, not this album; MBDTF is a record that couldn’t have been anything other than overblown; in that respect it completely reflects West’s persona. From the magnificent orchestra on All of the Lights (both parts), to the tribal drums and vast array of vocals on Lost in the World, the glorious choir on album opener Dark Fantasy or the beautiful piano usage throughout. The scale rarely lets up and is all the better for it. It’s a sonic wonder which traverses the highs and lows of West’s life (or persona, whatever your opinion). He also manages to get the best out of all of his co-stars, whether it be Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Elly Jackson or new muse Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon; none of the guest spots feel intrusive or unnecessary, they all seamlessly weave in and out of the album’s smooth flow.

Aside from a few cringe-worthy one-liners (particularly one in Monster), West proves himself a better lyricist than ever before on this album, dealing with the excesses he has embraced as of his celebrity, decadence, wealth, sex, escapism (hedonism, basically), but on a personal note, he touches on self-doubt, insecurity and depressive lows, most notably on the brilliant, epic and beautiful Runaway, where the listener finds West siding with his haters, by agreeing that he is a douchebag. What we have here are lyrics that are darkly funny (“The same people that tried to blackball me forgot about two things: my blackballs”, “And what’s a black Beatle anyway, a ***in’ roach?), tellingly introspective (“I’m so gifted at finding what I don’t like the most”, “I’m an asshole”) and unsurprisingly ego-obsessed (“No one man should have all that power”, “But this pimp is at the top of Mount Olympus”).

This is one of the few albums I would declare “a masterpiece” without any hesitation (and this is coming from someone who would’ve never dreamt of touching a Kanye West record previous to this). It is a musical revelation; a grandiose, epic, ambitious, meticulously-sculpted and dazzling accomplishment. An extravagant work of genius from a man who’s egocentric, self-mocking, brutally honest, penitent, sybaritic, and self-criticizing. Brilliant.

Tweet

user ratings (4995)

rate it Awful - 1 Very Poor - 1.5 Poor - 2 Average - 2.5 Good - 3 Great - 3.5 Excellent - 4 Superb - 4.5 Classic - 5

4.2 excellent

Rank: #3 for 2010