by Ethan Clark

After three years, Kanye West has finally taken

a break from Twitter rants to release a full length album. After much anticipation through tweets and Kardashian endorsements, “The Life of Pablo” debuted on February 14th, as West’s seventh studio album.

As a follow-up to the far left-field “Yeezus” from

2013, which left many fans either disappointed or impressed, “The Life of Pablo” is another album certain to cause controversy.

Kanye West, self-proclaimed artist and God, delivers another unorthodox record to shake up the music industry. The first track, “Ultralight Beam,” a beautifully awkward song, sets the tone of the album very accurately. However, one sound is not maintained for very long on “The Life of Pablo.” Several more highlights from the album include tracks “FML,” “Real Friends,” “Wolves,” and “30 Hours.” The album is a lyrical roller coaster. One second Kanye is boasting about his sex life and fame, and the next second revealing how financially and emotionally poor he actually is. The few ‘full tracks’ that are on the album, which aren’t many, are well done. Kanye West does not ever disappoint when it comes to production, and this is the case once again. “The Life of Pablo” also features cameos by other artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, Future, The Weeknd, Chris Brown, Andre 3000, and many more.

Jonathan Castillo, a Tuscarora student and a Kanye West fan, was interviewed shortly after the release of “The Life of Pablo,” and he stated, “I didn’t enjoy much of it; I feel like Kanye will never be the same as he used to be.”

He went on to say, “I don’t understand why he keeps trying to sing, when he obviously can’t.”

Patrick Smith, from Urbana, explained, “I really love the style of this album, it’s so dark and emotional. I will definitely recommend it to anyone that appreciates music”.

This album can be described in one word: chaotic. It is not cohesive. The project is cluttered with random interludes and freestyles, most of which are distasteful. Parts of the album feel rushed and sloppy. However, this may have been an intentional aesthetic. It’s supposed to feel messy, because “The Life of Pablo” represents the inside of his head. Some will love the album for this reason, while for others, it may be the deterring factor. There is influence from all six of his previous albums, which create an initially startling, but incredible sound. If you are able to ignore the hype, and listen to this album for what it is, a simple man struggling with himself, you may come to enjoy it.

Photo credits:

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/kanye-west-life-pablo-review-2016-album-eclectic-pot-soul-emotions-nostalgia-1543936