Kanye West’s newest album, 'The Life of Pablo,' is a gripping, yet inconsistent triumph

The release of Kanye West’s seventh studio album, “The Life of Pablo," has been mired in uncertainty ever since its initial announcement on March 1 last year.Dubbed a "gospel" album by West, "The Life of Pablo" went through many  titles, including “So Help Me God," “Swish” and “Waves." This ambiguity surrounding a Kanye release is not new. Kanye has pulled similar stunts before, leaving Yeezy fans in a constant state of restless anticipation. The events leading up to the drop of “The Life of Pablo," however, took the ridiculousness to a new level, even for Kanye. The album premiered at the Yeezy Season 3 clothing event in Madison Square Garden on Feb. 11, but the musical component of the show was comically underwhelming. Ye debuted his newest album via an aux cord connection, as fans in the half-filled arena listened and watched models show off Kanye’s newest clothing line, leaving listeners at home to experience a choppy live-stream of the show. The album did not sound spectacular, and no one quite knew when it actually concluded, with its strange ordering of bonus tracks, freestyles and intermissions. “The Life of Pablo” sounded half-baked. Kanye, unsurprisingly, waited to drop the album in full that evening, tinkering with the tracklist (expanding it from ten songs to seventeen to eighteen), mastering it, obliging the requests of featured artists, etc., until finally releasing it as a Tidal-exclusive on Feb. 14. Due to the restricted nature of its release, “The Life of Pablo” has quickly become one of the most pirated albums in music history.

The final version of 18-track “The Life of Pablo” is monumental in the evolution of Kanye West as a musician. His eighth full-length album is his first without a true theme, one that dictates the heartbeat of each song; there is no heartache present in every track like on “808s and Heartbreak” (2008), no incessant struggle between magnanimity and insecurity like on “Yeezus” (2013) no general sense of immaturity like on “The College Dropout” (2004).“The Life of Pablo” is supposedly a reaffirmation of Kanye’s legendary stature, and, in the album title, he equates himself to Saul of Tarsus, or Paul the Apostle, who taught Christianity to the first-century world and was one of the most influential men of the Apostolic Age.

The opener, “Ultralight Beam,” is spectacular in its blending of angelic vocals, futuristic production and guest verses. Chance The Rapper, especially, fits well here and gives the track a bit of relevancy. “The Life of Pablo” employs other artists such as Rihanna, Young Thug, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean and Kendrick Lamar in songs that highlight their skills, reminding listeners of their impact on Pop, Hip-Hop and R&B. This album is not about Kanye’s solo ascension and secure place on top as much as it is about his desire to share some of that spotlight with new artists that are on on top of their game.

The sampling on “The Life of Pablo” is more apparent than on any of his previous works; Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam” (1982) and Mr. Fingers’ “Mystery of Love” (1988) give “Famous” and “Fade”, respectively, ample fodder for successful remakes of classic songs.

Kanye’s lyrics on “The Life of Pablo” are, at times, hilarious and reinforce the belief that one should not always take Kanye West "too" seriously. In some spots, though, Ye’s lyrics are cringeworthy or just straight up mediocre. His bad behavior calls into question how much an artist can get away with. An artist can only receive so many free passes before being deemed an asshole, as Kanye can be when he is hindered by his giant ego. “I Love Kanye” and “30 Hours” are examples of good Kanye humor, whereas the infamous Taylor Swift line on “Famous” is a great example of bad Kanye humor.

There is more criticism to go around for “The Life of Pablo." Serious lulls in some areas make “The Life of Pablo” one of Kanye’s least consistent album to date. For most albums, the inconsistency and unfinished vibe permeating many songs would be enough to call it a flop. “TLOP," though, is a great album overall as the highs are so impactful that they elevate the product to a level in line with Kanye’s previous works. “FML” is an emotional track about Kanye’s devotion to his wife Kim. “Wolves” is a chilling song about Kanye’s demons, combining auto-tuned bars by Kanye and vocals from Caroline Shaw to create a tender masterpiece.Finally, “Real Friends” is a magnanimous track, arguably one of Kanye’s greatest musical achievements. It is one of the most introspective moments of Kanye West’s entire career with a beat that will make you look contemplatively in the distance. What is my true calling? What are my truest struggles? Who are my genuine companions? “Real Friends” provides the needle’s eye through which one should view and listen to the entirety of “The Life of Pablo."