As much as I wanted to hate WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, I have not stopped listening since the day it dropped. While Billie’s weirdness/quirkiness sometimes feels inauthentic or forced, this album convinced me that she is not just some young, internet sensation. She is here to stay.
I’ve been hearing significant buzz about Billie Eilish since as early as 2017 and up until 3 months ago, I refused to give her the time of day. Without really listening to her music or watching her interviews, I lumped her in with the Halseys and Hailee Steinfelds of the world – whiny pop singers with vague semblances of talent. I dismissed her persona as being fake and bought into the idea of Billie being an industry plant.
Then, in February, I stumbled upon a video (see below) of her covering “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” by Phantogram and I was immediately intrigued. Her voice may be conventionally “whiny pop”, but it is riddled with emotion that cannot be taught.
So now, the album. First of all, the concept is insanely cool. Every song is supposed to represent a different type of dream or nightmare a person could have. “bury a friend”, for example, is written from the perspective of the monster under your bed. From atypical song structure, to quotes from The Office, to strange sound effects (dental drill, fan, creepy laughs), this album is truly a mixed bag, but for the most part it works.
Tracklist
bad guy – a banger (DUH!), not a huge fan of the breakdown at the end, but overall really cool song
xanny – positive message, stereotypical Billie Eilish song, not amazing but not at all bad
you should see me in a crown – love the beat on the chorus, cool that she interpolates her own song (“Ocean Eyes”), again not amazing but not at all bad
all the good girls go to hell – great song with the exception of that high-pitched keyboard(?) in the chorus, has a nice bounce to it
wish you were gay – OBSESSED. relatable content. amazing beat drop. so cool how she incorporates countdowns into the verses.
when the party’s over – this grew on me over time. another stereotypical Billie Eilish song, but it’s inescapably catchy and is a great showcase of her ability to convey emotion
8 – in a word, cute. I love the pitching of the vocals. melodically and lyrically it’s pretty simple, but I don’t mind that at all
my strange addiction – i can’t decide if i like this one or not. it might be that each element on its own is cool (Office quotes, song concept and lyrics, beat), but together it doesn’t work as well. The bouncy beat clashes with the bouncy/complicated melody and the beat switch at the end is a bit much
bury a friend – OBSESSED. a lot if happening here too, but it seems to flow better. the panning drum line is dope. the deep/creepy voice is dope. the “ah-uh” stadium-like rallying cries are dope. the bridge is a great break from the action.
ilomilo – somewhat of a sleeper, but not bad
listen before i go – DO NOT LISTEN IF YOU’RE IN A GOOD MOOD. it’s so dark and depressing, but beautiful and simple. it’s crazy that “bury a friend” and this song can exist on the same album, but it works!!!
i love you – cool interpolation of “Hallelujah”, but still somewhat of a sleeper
goodbye – great way to close out the album (incorporates a lyric from every song on the album)
I won’t go so far as to say that Billie is a unique talent. She certainly has a beautiful voice, but most of her lyrics and all of the production is done by her brother and collaborator FINNEAS. Instead, she serves as a bright spot in today’s increasingly bland pop music and is a strong cultural representation of the power of being weird. If this is what Billie can do at a mere 17 years old, I’m excited to see what the future holds.
Grande’s newest album aptly named thank u, next is not bad, but certainly pales in comparison to her last album.
Let me start by saying I think Grande is an immensely talented vocalist and in just two short years has become nothing short of a superstar. I am a huge fan of her last album, Sweetener, which was largely produced by Pharrell Williams. thank u, next feels like an attempt at recreating the magic of Sweetener, but it falls flat. Sometimes personal tragedy, turmoil, and heartbreak can lead to some of the most beautiful music (see For Emma by Bon Iver) and Grande has experienced plenty of all three in the past year. However, the music does not reflect this in a way that is remotely thought-provoking; most of the lyrics throughout the album are contrived and devoid of any real meaning. Most of the songs on thank u, next are not bad, though. The two breakout singles from the album are absolute “bops”. TLDR:Despite the lackluster lyricism, this is a set of playful, uncontroversial, and cute pop songs. I’ll definitely keep listening, but I refuse to believe this is Grande at her best.
The good ones:
“thank u, next” – Infectiously catchy, everything I want in a breakup song, a rare moment of self-reflection and maturity on the album, top five song of 2018
“7 rings” – so this one obviously “draws inspiration” from other artists and songs, tbh I don’t really care because this song is so f**king good. Though it is not particularly lyrically strong, it’s soooo catchy and just a feel-good bop.
“imagine” – keeps you engaged throughout with cool melodic and percussion changes, great way to set the stage for the album
“bloodline” – a fun and easy listen.
“fake smile” – unoriginal but relatable lyrics. another fun and easy listen.
“break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” – get ready to shout the lyrics in frat basements for the next month. another fun one.
“needy” – this one grew on me. the dissonant chords create a cool dream-like effect on the song and the lyrics are actually pretty decent.
If you hate emotions like me, but you want to indulge in some hardcore wallowing, do as Jay-Z does and “make the song cry” for you. Here are the songs that always have me in my feelings:
Take It All – Adele
Another Lifetime – Nao
Make You Feel My Love – Adele
Sandcastles – Beyoncé
Sober II (Melodrama) – Lorde
Self Control – Frank Ocean
Ivy – Frank Ocean
Death & Taxes – Daniel Caesar
Ain’t No Sunshine – Michael Jackson
Woods – Bon Iver
00000 Million – Bon Iver
Kansas City – The New Basement Tapes
New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down – LCD Soundsystem
Especially given Kanye’s recent antics, many people are surprised to find out that he remains one of my favorite artists. Several music blogs and avid fans have attempted to rank Kanye’s albums. Here is my attempt to do the same. To make it a bit more interesting, I had my dad contribute some of his thoughts as we listened to all 9* albums together.
Criteria (on a scale of 1-10)
Replay value: Do I still listen __ years after the album was dropped?
Lyricism
Production/Musicality
Cultural Influence: To what degree was the album revolutionary? Did it influence other rap artists?
9. ye
Kanye’s newest solo album, ye, is fine. Nothing more, nothing less. The album was clearly rushed to meet the June 2018 deadline he set for himself. I did like the reflective and emotional overtones of ye as self-reflection is something we rarely see from Kanye these days.
Favorite tracks: Ghost Town Violent Crimes (070 Shake was the highlight of this album)
Replay value: 3 Lyricism: 5 Production/Musicality: 7 Cultural Influence: 3
8. 808s and Heartbreak
“It doesn’t suck me in like the other albums do.” Well said, Dad. The pain Kanye feels at the loss of his mother is definitely portrayed in the music (see: “Welcome to Heartbreak”), but just not in a way that is particularly captivating. For the most part, it’s background music. However, 808s influence on the future of hip-hop cannot be understated. Although the release of this album was met with great criticism, it sparked widespread usage of autotune and sing-rapping across hip-hop (see: Drake).
Kanye @ me
Favorite tracks: Say You Will (the drums are UNREAL) Heartless Amazing Street Lights (Note: my dad hated this one)
Least favorite tracks: Robocop See You In My Nightmares
Replay value: 5 Lyricisim: 3 Production/Musicality: 7 Cultural Influence: 9
7. The Life of Pablo
Although pretty low on the list, I don’t think Pablo is a bad album by any means; it’s actually quite good. It just doesn’t quite stack up to his other projects. I LOVE the gospel influences throughout. Clearly, he took a cue from collaborator and friend Chance the Rapper. Overall, the album feels too long and devoid of any real meaning with the exception of a few tracks.
Favorite tracks: Ultralight Beam (Chance's verse is golden) Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1 No More Parties in L.A. Waves (the production [not by Kanye] is so good) Saint Pablo Fade
Least favorite tracks: Freestyle 4 Facts (embarrasingly bad lyrics)
Replay value: 7 Lyricism: 5 Production/Musicality: 7 Cultural Influence: 5
6. KIDS SEE GHOSTS
As soon as I saw Takashi Murakami album artwork, I knew it had to be good. Produced by Kanye and co-starring the beloved Kid Cudi, this album redefines the conventions of rap music. KIDS SEE GHOSTS represents some of Kanye’s sharpest production since MBDTF and has the same gusto as Daytona. The album masterfully intertwines rock music, soul music, and rap into one cohesive body of work. I think we will look back at it in 5 years in the same way we look at Yeezus now; it seems like a huge pivot at the moment, but it will certainly influence the future of rap.
Favorite tracks: Reborn 4th Dimension (love the sample, love Kanye's verse) Freeee (therapeutic as hell)
Least favorite track: Kids See Ghosts
Replay value: 6 Lyricism: 6 Production/musicality: 9 Cultural Influence: 7
5. Late Registration
I realize you might be panicked by a) the fact that this album is ranked so low and b) the fact that I haven’t ranked Yeezus yet. Let me explain. First of all, let me preface by saying that it pains me to rank this at 5. Any album from here on out is amazing in my mind, but of his 3 earliest projects, I think this is easily Kanye’s worst. While Late Registration has its fair share of classics, it also has plenty of sleeper tracks. As my dad so aptly stated, “I don’t really feel Kanye’s presence on a lot of these songs.”
Favorite tracks: Gold Digger Roses Diamons From Sierra Leone (love when Kanye rhymes "falter"/"Gibraltar") Hey Mama Crack Music
Least favorite tracks: Drive Slow Addiction
Replay value: 8 Lyricism: 8 Production/Musicality: 7 Cultural Influence: 5
4. Yeezus
This is arguably Kanye’s most polarizing album: some people LOVE it and some people HATE it. I realize I may lose friends over the decision to rank Yeezus here, but I can’t hide it anymore. I LOVE YEEZUS! I see the top 4 albums as being reserved for those albums that are demonstrative of Kanye’s musical genius. In other words, the top 4 albums must be inimitable, original, and, at times, shocking. That’s how I would describe Yeezus in a nutshell. This is Kanye at his most Kanye; he’s cocky, reckless, and angry. With this album, he started to shift the definition of a rap album and made experimental rap culturally relevant. Still confused? Call/text/email me and we can discuss!
Favorite Tracks: Blood On The Leaves (Nina Simone sample = classic Kanye) Black Skinhead Hold My Liquor (Triple threat: Chief Keep, Bon Iver, and Kanye) Bound 2 On Sight
Least Favorites: I'm In It Send It Up
Replay value: 7 Lyricism: 7 Production/musicality: 9 Cultural Influence: 7
3. Graduation
Some of the most anthemic and memorable Kanye songs come from this album. Graduation is simply fun and clearly made for selling out arenas. It demonstrates Kanye’s ability to rap on and produce electronic/techno beats, a feat which he had not previously accomplished. Plus, I’m a sucker for the tribute to Jay-Z on “Big Brother”. Top to bottom this is a high-quality and timeless collection of songs.
“If the devil wear Prada, Adam n’ Eve wear nada”
Favorite tracks: Stronger Champion Good Life Can't Tell Me Nothing Flashing Lights Everything I Am
Least favorite tracks: Barry Bonds Drunk and Hot Girls
Replay value: 9 Lyricism: 7 Production/Musicality: 9 Cultural Influence: 7
2. The College Dropout
There are very few albums that I can safely say I never get sick of, but The College Dropout is one of them. From the intricately layered production and thoughtful sampling to Kanye’s airtight rapping and storytelling, it is obvious that this is a classic album that anyone (even my dad) can rally behind. These songs continually reignite my love for rap and hip-hop. It is so cohesive despite the fact that Kanye is able to cover topics spanning from Jesus to broken jaws to the American education system.
Favorite tracks: Never Let Me Down Through The Wire Family Business (**my dad shed a tear while listening to this**) Slow Jamz Jesus Walks
Least favorite track: Breathe In Breathe Out
Replay value: 10 Lyricism: 10 Production/musicality: 9 Cultural Influence: 8
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: The Best of Kanye West
Twisted Fantasy is Kanye’s Illmatic. Any time I begin to question Kanye’s legitimacy as an artist, I remember that this album exists. With this album, he delivered a true work of art. Every song is deeply complex, perfectly curated and mixed, and ridiculously Kanye. Not to mention that every single feature is outstanding. One listen through the 13-track album makes you wonder if you do, like Kanye himself, believe that Kanye is a god. After all, only Kanye can make a 9-minute 4-note song into a masterpiece. In one word: legendary.
Favorite tracks: LITERALLY ALL OF THEM.
Replay value: 10 Lyricism: 9 Production/musicality: 10 Cultural influence: 8
And there you have it. The truth is no matter which way you slice it, these are all quality albums and Kanye is undeniably a musical genius. While his public persona is divisive, his music unites us; we all aggressively head-bop to “POWER”, recite all the lyrics to “Gold Digger” on the dance floor, and chuckle at “I Love Kanye”. Here’s to hoping we get Yandhi soon!
*A note: I decided to only rank albums on which Kanye rapped and produced, so albums like Daytona by Pusha-T and Watch The Throne are not included. I also left out Cruel Summer because Kanye’s presence is lacking on it.
Headphones and Frocks 