My Beautiful Dark Twisted FantasyKanye West
Who else right now in mainstream media can evoke such strong reactions as Kanye West? The name alone leaves people with an instant opinion, be it genius, idiot, loser, hero, legend or just plain overrated. One thing is clear: The music he makes is some of the best in the industry.
Kanye West’s latest album comes after many public relations snafus that one is left wondering whether people will even listen to it for its music or whether they will be constantly listening to the subtext to see what drama episode in his life he might be referring to. To save you some time, yes, he does refer to Saturday Night Live (“Power”), South Park (“Gorgeous,” featuring Kid Cudi and Raekwon) and his own ego (“Runway”). A lot of this album has been heard on his weekly free music giveaway known as G.O.O.D Friday, named after his record label G.O.O.D Music. This helped make the album feel familiar to listeners and fans alike.
West has always been clever when starting his albums, usually easing the listener into the album with a mellow beat laced with some ominous vibes. The real treat is the guest appearances by Rick Ross, Raekwon, RZA, John Legend, comedian Chris Rock, Dwele, Pusha-T, Jay-Z, an explosive Nicki Minaj on “Monster” and almost every known pop music performer of the last 20 years on “All Of The Lights” (Alicia Keys, Elton John, The-Dream, Fergie, La Roux and Rhianna, to name just a few).
West has yet to release a bad album, and thankfully this isn’t it. In fact, this album feels like a collage of his past work as well as where he will be heading in the future. His early style from 2004’s College Dropout and 2005’s Late Registration is seen in “Devil in a New Dress.” The synth heavy style of 2007’s Graduation is evident on “All of the Light,” while the more somber auto-tune style of 808s & Heartbreak (2008) comes through on “Lost in the World” featuring the irreplaceable Bon Iver. This album is more than just an album: It is a chance to peek inside West’s brain and truly see his dark twisted fantasy. And it is definitely beautiful.
Outside
Tapes N’ Tapes
Tapes N’ Tapes may not be the most recognizable band, but they have been producing the best garage/grunge/college rock since the Pixies. Formed while in college, the group gained a cult following of devoted fans the way most bands do nowadays: by blogs. This is a great way to gain exposure, but it can also be a very hard way to maintain a following unless you are constantly releasing albums and singles. This is why Tapes N’ Tapes in 2011 may not garner the same reaction as Tapes N’ Tapes did in 2008 when their last album was released.
Their sound is a simple, stripped-down core of guitar, drum, bass, keyboard and vocals. This makes listening to their album pretty easy, there isn’t any really fancy editing tricks — it’s a straightforward rock album. The problem with being a straightforward rock album is that it grows stale and floats somewhere between forgettable and repetitive. The album is great for fans of the underground alt-rock/pop sound, and it’s probably one of the better releases of this genre in a while. But for core fans, the album might not meet expectations, given the three-year wait. Good album and great band, just slightly off in its timing.
“Hold it Against Me”
Britney Spears
It might seem silly to do a whole review on one song, but frankly, every time Spears drops her first single off an upcoming album, it’s an event. With the demo leaking earlier, the house/trance/dance vibe, which has become a mainstay to Spears’ style since “In The Zone,” is the main driving force of this song. It’s catchy, it’s fast and it’s definitely infectious. After one listen, you will never use the term “hold it against me” the same way, which is quite a shame.
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With New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys touring together this year and O-Town re-uniting, one has to wonder if pop music is making its comeback. No, you say? Remember, people once thought disco was out until Lady Gaga brought it back, much like Justin Timberlake brought sexy back. If this single is any indication of what to expect on Spears’ album, then look for fun dance music without great vocals or even great lyrics. With the way 2011 has started so far, we could all use a little fun.
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