Kanye returns with “The Life of Pablo”

Kanye+West+performs+at+the+57th+Annual+Grammy+Awards+at+Staples+Center+in+Los+Angeles+on+Sunday%2C+Feb.+8%2C+2015.+

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS with permission

Kanye West performs at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015.

Ryan Gill, Staff writer

A couple days ago, Kanye West released his highly anticipated album “The Life of Pablo”. Very recently, the name of the album was the topic of debate when it changed from “Swish” to “Waves” and then to finally “The Life of Pablo.” No matter the name, it is masterful. The album itself is a perfect representation of how art is regeneration.

Nowadays, people only care about songs with loud bass and sick beats. They forgot about the art form of music and how sacred it actually is. This album, hopefully, will change the public’s perception about hip hop in the 21st century. Hip hop is more than capable of having deeper meaning, and West’s album is one of the recent highlights.

“TLOP (The Life of Pablo)” is supposed to tell a story. This story is told in three different acts and outlines West’s redemption after ditching his previous lifestyle.

The first act is all about his ascension to fame, and the rewards that come with it. The songs in this act include “Famous,” “Waves,” “Feedback,” “Father Stretch My Hands,” and “Highlights.” These are all included in this act since they are all mostly upbeat. These songs represent West’s lifestyle and ever-increasing popularity.

The second act centers on West’s realization of who he has become. This act has tracks like “Freestyle 4,” “30 Hours,” “No More Parties in LA,” and “Fade.”  These songs suggest a coming down from the highs outlined in Act 1, where West finds out what he has become. This is the first time where he acknowledges who he has turned in to.

The third and final act is about West’s redemption. In this act, the song list is “FML (For My Lady),” “Real Friends,” “Wolves.” The final track in this act is “Ultralight Beam.” His redemption begins with him accepting what he has done and him beginning to control his debauchery. He realizes the toll that it has taken on his loved ones and West ends the act accepting God and religion as his savior.

West took to Twitter to promote this album, describing it not as album of the year, but “album of life”. His latest effort certainly doesn’t disappoint as it offers a beautiful collection of songs. The album is available exclusively on Tidal. If you have not listened to it yet, I highly recommend you do so you can see a true genius at work.