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52. Yeezus - Kanye West (2013)
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Undeniably the most obvious embodiment of “controversy” we’ve seen this decade, Kanye West’s 2013 follow-up to the critically acclaimed “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” was, well, controversial, to say the least. The three years following MBDTF saw Kanye beginning to test the limits of his influence and fame. His inclination to play the role of Provocateur Savant was becoming increasingly insatiable. “Yeezus” became the culmination of these anti-establishment sentiments.
About as far a departure from MBDTF as imaginable, “Yeezus” is overtly abrasive, aggressive and egomaniacal, all while showcasing its creator’s perplexing but obvious brilliance. One spin of the record and It became abundantly clear that Kanye had no intention whatsoever of aiming for success of any kind at the expense of his creative vision. The case could be made that he knew that anything he made at that point would likely have gone platinum regardless of how marketable it was, but “Yeezus” found Kayne pushing things about as far as he realistically could.
While the album remains a definite outlier in Kanye’s catalog, his masterful sampling work remains the centerpiece of the album. The more palatable arrangements found throughout earlier projects were scrapped in exchange for a glitchy, blown-out aesthetic driven by pummeling synthetic rhythms and heavy drums. The democratic approach to production first tested out during the recording of MBDTF served him well again on “Yeezus”, with contributions from a slew of highly regarded producers being cherry-picked by Kanye and cobbled together into an amalgamation of highly digitalized auditory missiles upon which his braggadocio could spread its wings. The less aggressive moments, notably “Blood On The Leaves” and closing track “Bound 2” afford the album a degree of balance that avoids leaving listeners exhausted or annoyed when everything’s said and done.
Songs entitled “Black Skinhead” and “I Am a God” seem to suggest intentional provocation and an obvious disinterest in being politically correct. Kanye’s genius has always been, in no small part, thanks to his individuality and unwillingness to conform. There have been moments where those qualities haven’t served him optimally, but overall, they’re part of what makes him great. “Yeezus” is Kanye’s “Fuck You” to everyone who wanted to try to put a saddle on that genius. It’s him doing everything “wrong”, and yet the album’s eventual success proved that he has always known what he’s doing more than any A&R or label exec. ever could. On some levels, “Yeezus” was a sort of self-exorcism for Kanye, after which he felt free to return to the much less heavy-handed style he’s famous for without feeling like he was compromising his vision.
*image; cover art for the album Yeezus by the artist Kanye West