Review Summary: Kanye West loses no momentum in pop friendly effort.
Kanye West’s third studio album Graduation serves as a break both thematically and musically from his previous two efforts. Rather than continuing the largely sociopolitical thematic emphasis over soulful beats that characterized both The College Dropout and Late Registration, West uses Graduation to open up even more about his personal experiences dealing with fame and the music—still nearly exclusively produced by West himself—updates the now typical Kanye soul sound by increasing the presence of electronic and synth sounds. Certainly, Graduation stands as an effort by West to make a more pop-friendly record than his first two discs, but in doing so he sacrifices none of the quality and passion that defines West’s early career.
One of the most exemplary tracks on Graduation is the paparazzi-bashing “Flashing Lights,” which reveals West’s deploration for the mandatory public life of the celebrity. With memorable lines such as “I’m more of the/ trips to Florida/ order the hors d’oeuvres/views of the water/straight from a page of your favorite author,” West reveals a depth of lyrical ability that has grown tremendously throughout his career. Also, the production of “Flashing Lights” features two contrasting textures that alternate every four measures. The first of these textures heard after the brief introduction is a serene string melody, while the second is a more energetic punctuated array of synth sounds. Surely enough, West tastefully matches the character of his rapping to suit the texture beneath him at any given time.
Another standout song is the hit single “Stronger”, which utilizes a prominent Daft Punk sample. “Stronger” serves as an example of this updated sound of Graduation and is perhaps the least soulful of any of the songs on the album. Here, instead, we witness the potential for musical complexity contained in hip hop as a genre. The sonic competition between the harmonically rich, legato Daft Punk sample and West’s punching staccato lyrics creates a dense counterpoint reminiscent of Baroque music. Indeed, if J.S. Bach were alive in the 21st century, this is the music he would be making, and you don’t have to look farther than his accompanied Flute or Viola da Gamba sonatas to hear the resemblance.
Overall, Graduation represents yet another classic effort from Kanye West as he successfully expands and adapts his style for a pop music audience. Like any good musician, West brings out the best of the sounds he has at his disposal, and accordingly we hear some of the best respective work by guests such as T-Pain, Lil Wayne and Mos Def. With his third album, West has created the most focused work of his career thus far, and has proven once and for all that he has made it as a pop culture icon and has earned the status of valedictorian for the class of ’07.
