Better Late than Never || "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" by Kanye West Review

Prior to listening to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, I had never heard an entire Kanye West project. With his highly-anticipated upcoming album, DONDA, being released soon, it only felt right to be a little prepared. I began a journey, about two months ago, to listen to five albums per week, because I want to gain a greater appreciation for all types of music. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was one of this week's albums and it did not disappoint.

Looking at the tracklist, I noticed three songs right away: All Of The Lights, Monster & POWER. I've loved All Of The Lights for years, but never knew it was on this album - just like Monster. I would have never pictured both of them being on the same album, but seeing them really made me intrigued to see how well they would fit into the story.

Starting off the album, Dark Fantasy tells a story about his breakthrough in the entertainment industry. He sounds hopeful, in disbelief, but also present in the moment. Though an unexpected feature, Justin Vernon from Bon Iver, as well as Teyana Taylor, harmonizing in the chorus added to the feeling of finally "making it". After Dark Fantasy, we are led into Gorgeous, where Kanye realizes how successful he has become, but he also feels ashamed, because the people around him seem to be jealous and they're disregarding his success.

POWER, the next track, is one I find interesting, especially as we come closer to the end of the album. At this point, Kanye is a full-blown celebrity and realizes he has more power than he knows what to do with, just because of his status. You can tell he feels unprepared because he has never been in such a high position before. He's scared of making reckless decisions, but he knows it's inevitable.

There is an upward trajectory of success in the next tracks, All Of The Lights & Monster. In All Of The Lights, Kanye has become more comfortable with his new life, but you can tell the power has gone to his head. His new life has changed him and the people who always supported him have noticed. He isn't careful about his decisions anymore, because he's aware that his power will prevent him from having to suffer the consequences of his actions. All Of The Lights can also be seen as the first stage of him losing himself in the industry.

Monster is about greed and it's very arrogant, as he now believes he's better than his peers in the industry. Kanye didn't put himself in this mindset - his fame did. Over time, being constantly told that he's the greatest, progressively made him become less humble and more full of himself. After Monster, the slow downward spiral of the album begins.

In So Appalled, Kanye puts himself on a pedestal, proclaiming to be at the top of the music industry. He is even offended when compared to new artists, even though at that point, he was still a newcomer. On the opposite end of his overconfidence, his new life doesn't seem to be pleasing him anymore. The excessive culture and extravagance become "ridiculous" to him. At first, he enjoyed it, but now, it's becoming a burden.

When I think about So Appalled, I picture him sitting in the corner of a party, wanting to go home, because it's not as exciting as it used to be, which is a perfect transition into the next song - Devil In A New Dress.

Devil In A New Dress is where the negative effects of the industry start sinking in. It seems Kanye has met a woman who only wants him for what he can provide, but he knows that. However, because of his loneliness, he indulges.

The next song, Runaway, is when the themes of power come back. Kanye realizes that no matter how he treats her, she won't leave him. This is the first time he actually sees his newfound power negatively affecting someone else. This scares him, so he tells her to run away from him, because he doesn't know who he is anymore and he can't trust his judgment. However, she refuses and in the end of the album, we see how this changed her forever.

Hell Of A Life stood out to me more than any other song on my initial listen, because it sounds like a manic episode. Kanye tries to make sense of his success and lifestyle, as he's noticeably becoming upset with it. His way of dealing with this low point in his life is by having sex and praying. The shame really sinks in on this song. Not just about his success, but his dating life, as he talks about falling in love with a pornstar. In his eyes, this is shameful, but the other things he's doing to cope with his sadness aren't any better either. He's losing himself in the impulsive decisions he's making and losing his grip on reality.

In the next song, Blame Game, the power theme is the most prominent. He blames the girl he ruined, as a result of his power, for ruining his life. Kanye refuses to take accountability for his actions and prefers to blame the girl. The spoken-word piece with Chris Rock at the end is the perfect example of how reckless use of power can affect someone's life. Chris talks to the girl Kanye blames for everything and she replies to every question with, "Yeezy taught me." She's brainwashed because of the power Kanye asserted over her. His power complex caused her to be submissive to all his desires, and because of that, she's no longer herself, just like he's no longer himself. What's interesting about this situation is Kanye knew from the jump this woman wouldn't be faithful to him and only wanted him for what he could provide, yet he chooses to blame her for everything he's going through.

"Lost In The World" and "Who Will Survive In America" end the album on a realistic note. Kanye will never be the same anymore. He's confused, lost, and has no choice, but to continue pushing through his misery and sadness for the sake of his career, which I'm sure is a relatable struggle for people in the entertainment industry.

Rating: 8.5/10

Favorites: Hell Of A Life, All Of The Lights, POWER, Monster, So Appalled, Devil In A New Dress, Gorgeous, Blame Game, Runaway, Dark Fantasy

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