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CRITIC REVIEWS
91
The Chicago rapper hangs a dramatic left on 808s & Heartbreak, an album whose frosty, minimal sound backs lyrics of surprisingly raw emotion.
90
808s & Heartbreak may initially seem uncharacteristic, but without the limitations of genre, West is fully embracing the grand, theatric backdrops that he’s always loved.
89
The lack of vocal hooks makes it hard to view his foray into singing as a pop move, and the lack of overt bangers will probably alienate some hip-hop purists. But the album is brilliant on its own terms, perfectly imperfect and believably scattered.
81
808s sounds nothing like West’s three previous LPs. It’s minimal and percussive in places, a sharp contrast to West’s previous signature sound—a giddy, maxed-out bounce. This new record may be closer to R&B than it is to rap.
11y
80
For the most part 808s & Heartbreak showcases the awkward dichotomy of emotion and mechanised sterility lurking gift-wrapped under a deceptively polished sheen.
11y
80
Whilst he refrains to let loose this supposed heartbreak, the best parts of '808s and Heartbreak' arrive when he's his usual self, vocoder only improving it all.
80
Change is good, and while first impressions of “808’s & Heartbreak” were not that positive, the album is unquestionably a grower to the point that you’ll fall in love with it and won’t ever be able to put it down.
80
This Kanye has been through a rough year. And the raw emotion he brings to every track proves that point. But West proves more than one point on this record.
80
The disc has few radio-friendly singles, and much of it is undeniably weird. Many will hate it, but those willing to give it a chance will be impressed by the naked humanity West reveals.
80
Even by Kanye West's standards, delivering an album of meditations on loneliness and paranoia, entirely sung through Autotune, is an audacious statement ... This album is admirable for much more than just its creator's chutzpah.
80
The songs tell no cohesive story arc, lyrically, though there’s plenty of bitterness, sadness, confusion, betrayal, and the like. The album projects all of these actions and emotions, but it’s the stark yet intricate music that does it best.
11y
80
Unsurprisingly Heartbreak is a grower. At first it does sound minimalist and sparse but the album is layered with delicacy and marked with a maturity.
11y
80
808s has more than its share of awkward moments – both musically and lyrically – but the great artists are the ones who are not afraid of taking chances, and Kanye West is the greatest artist today’s pop scene has.
11y
80
Every track finds it’s spot and the fact Kanye West is always on topic lyrically makes 808s and Heartbreaks a desirable, interesting listen.
80
Few artists can stray so far from home and succeed. This is even more impressive when his art project was made using the musical equivalent of paint-by-numbers known as auto-tune.
76
The album is much larger and brasher than it would first appear-- the closer it hews to a mix of sad-sack indie pop and elegant, monied Patrick Bateman commercial 80s sounds, the better it works.
11y
75
West creates and sustains a delicate, tricky mood—a fuzzy early-morning miasma of self-doubt, regret, and longing for people and places past. Sonically, the aptly titled disc splits the difference between the Auto-Tune R&B; of T-Pain and the glacial electronic atmospherics of '80s new wave at its loneliest.
11y
70
The resounding verdict is that it’s a surprising, but bold and brave progression from last year’s confused ‘Graduation’. As for the lack of raps, in truth, the less we have to put up with all that small-man prep-school-canteen bragging, the better.
11y
70
Many of his best songs have focused on his ambivalence about materialism, but on 808s & Heartbreak, the theme has hardened into schtick.
60
Kanye West's fourth album is a radical stylistic departure from everything he's done before, but the one thing he has retained from his previous life is his infuriating inconsistency.
60
With the exception of “Robocop” — the only track that tries to move beyond a verse/chorus to a bridge — the album feels strangely rushed and unfinished.
60
Gimmicks aside, 808s & Heartbreak could be the true testament to Mr. West’s talent as a producer.
59
As a hip-hop icon coming at pop from a different avenue, Kanye’s all-out attempt bypasses the historical evolution and thus runs into deficiency. “Runs” is too active a verb, though. Heartbreak is musical stasis. It’s atrophy. These simple melodies are begotten to barely dynamic production and vocals on life support that cannot nurture them physically or emotionally.
50
For anyone sifting through a broken relationship and self-letdown, this could all be therapeutic. Otherwise, no matter its commendable fearlessness, the album is a listless, bleary trudge along West's permafrost.
11y
40
808s, despite its myriad flaws, is both a reflection of the hard times West has suffered through and a testament to his artistic fortitude.
This record will be looked at 10 years from now as one of the most influential records in the game
Still stands nearly a decade later as Kanye's most influential set of songs. Whether you like this album or not, there is no denying the enormous impact that 808's had on hip hop and pop music.
Contributions By
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Track List
| 1 | Say You Will 6:17 | 87 |
| 2 | Welcome to Heartbreak 4:22 feat. Kid Cudi | 89 |
| 3 | Heartless 3:31 | 93 |
| 4 | Amazing 3:58 feat. Jeezy | 84 |
| 5 | Love Lockdown 4:30 | 89 |
| 6 | Paranoid 4:37 feat. Mr Hudson | 89 |
| 7 | RoboCop 4:34 | 77 |
| 8 | Street Lights 3:09 | 90 |
| 9 | Bad News 3:58 | 78 |
| 10 | See You in My Nightmares 4:18 feat. Lil Wayne | 70 |
| 11 | Coldest Winter 2:44 | 87 |
| 12 | Pinocchio Story (Freestyle Live from Singapore) 6:01 | 75 |
Total Length: 52 minutes
Year End Lists
| #8 | / | Beats Per Minute |
| #8 | / | The Guardian |
| #21 | / | Pitchfork |
| #24 | / | Slant |
| #49 | / | No Ripcord |
| #92 | / | Consequence of Sound |
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