On Kanye West's latest release, 808's & Heartbreak, the album's title says it all. It is a complete break from the student motif on all of his previous album titles. 808's references the influential technology used throughout the new album, a voice box auto-tuner and 808 beat machine. Lastly, the recent drama (heartbreak) in West's life, including a breakup with his fiancée and his mother's death, seeps into every corner of this album, from the often heart-aching lyrics to the wide-open, longing spaces that have not crossed West's music before.
But this is a new Mr. West. He is not afraid to defend 808's as pop music, as opposed to rap, or its robotic sound. Many have criticized the album's auto-tune - used on all the vocals - as a crutch that ruins the raw emotion West is attempting to express. But he also changes things up creatively, utilizing simplified production and songwriting styles by exploring spaces within the music. This style allows West to break down previous barriers around his song-structure that led listeners by the hand from hit to hit on previous albums.
The most obvious separation is not the album's technical aspects, though; it is the new musical identity the emotional West has created. RoboCop"" directly refers to one of the causes of the breakup, alluding to his ex as a 'robocop,' with orchestration that is ironically beautiful and elegant for the subject material. This is followed by ""Street Lights,"" another raw piece displaying West in a desperate state asking for hope.
With all of its heartbroken stories of lost hope and crashing emotions, 808's is downright dark. The climax comes on the back-half of the album with ""See You In My Nightmares,"" when West exclaims to his ex that she can be sure he doesn't love her anymore. These themes are even prevalent on the lighter, more accessible tracks, ""Heartless"" and ""Amazing,"" which impressively show West's ability to create a new, yet clear identity through the album's highs and lows.
The bold and brash Kanye West of old who strove to make every song an infectious hit will always be a more beloved figure, but he seems to have graduated to a new class of music. Despite the shift, there is something just as charming, intriguing and stunningly more genuine about 808's and Heartbreak that makes at least half of it just as infectious. And as a whole, the album says a lot about West's ability to adapt as he evolves as a songwriter/producer and as a person, which should allow him to succeed where most other rappers fail: long-term success.
