The Kanye West Dare
Dan Howell: https://youtu.be/ljZuro77hbI?t=11m
John Green: https://www.facebook.com/JohnGreenfans/posts/10152947043469751
I was particularly
disappointed by John Green, but then, he also likes Catcher in the Rye and I
couldn’t stand that book. To each their own. I don’t know if it will still be
the top comment but go click on John’s post and read the essay someone named
Kate wrote. I read it, and my grudging reaction is that sure, Kanye West may
have some valid political points to make. And as John Green would say, it’s
always important to imagine people complexly. But my experience here is going
to be of the music, per Dan Howell’s request.
Most recently when my coworker came over to ask whether I’d
listened yet, and I repeated that I wanted to take this very seriously and
listen actively, she began defending Kanye again. I took notes on what she was saying so you can see:
So, in for a treat I expect. (I’m writing this intro before
going and listening to the album.) Now, the album I’m to listen to was
specified in the challenge. She wants me to listen to “Yeezus.” I’ve avoided
saying that thus far because my inherent bias is so strong that I don’t even
want to be known as someone who knows the name of that album. Yes, I’m going in
with considerable bias. But I am going to shed as much of that as I can and go
into this with the commitment to listen actively and experience the music and
decide for myself what I think.
Now, I’ve done this sort of thing before. Once, in college,
I listened to the entire collected works of MCR (My Chemical Romance) because
they were the favorite band of my best-college-friend, and I wanted to know why
she liked them. (My apologies to anyone who likes MCR for mentioning them in
the same blog post as Kanye.) I didn’t come out the other side of that liking
the songs, but it was definitely an interesting experience. That’s just not the
mood I want to live my life in. And that’s my biggest source of trepidation
about Kanye.
Well, here we go.
I’ve got Wikipedia open for the track listing. Looking
around YouTube (in an incognito tab) for track one, “On Sight.” I see this is
labeled “Explicit Version.” Okay. Well, I rather expected that. Click to open,
and I plan to minimize YouTube and not watch any videos, so as to focus on the
music. Play.
1. On Sight
Opening sounds a bit 80s tbh. Oh and there’s the rap. And
the explicit. The comparison to Catcher in the Rye was accurate. See, this is
just making me terribly terribly sad. What? Okay the note I read in that
comment about the music being “different” as you keep listening was accurate.
Dizzying more like it.
2. Black Skinhead
Different, definitely. Still angry. Defeatedly angry. Like
he’s angry but feels like he’s going to be angry forever so might as well not
be upset about it. And super explicit. But again I’m not supposed to be
listening to the words, right? Oh and now he’s a crow. Idk what’s going on.
3. I Am A God
Low rumble with tension behind it like he’s about to go
suddenly crazy on people. Yeah that’s accurate. And screaming and breathing
noises. So a descent into madness song. Got it. Very stressful to listen to
actually.
4. New Slaves
Yeah so he definitely has reason to be angry. Oh and there’s
the “worst lyric” Rachel warned me about. Meh. Yeah that was terrible but could
have been worse. Aaaaaand there’s the worse. *sigh* Just really angry this
whole time and it makes me sad. I acknowledge that he has reason to be angry.
But it seems to me that there could have been better ways to express it. What
is going on…. Are they auto-tuning a radio coming through a phone line now,
what.
5. Hold My Liquor
Singing instead of rapping, here’s a slight improvement. He
starts out sad instead of angry. And moves into glum arrogance. And back to
upbeat arrogance and rapping. Building to… hang on this sounds like the type of
melody behind it you’d play at a grand video game vista except sirens and
rapping. See, I can find nice bits of melody in a few places but then he keeps
murdering them. I liked the end best because he stopped saying anything and it
got slightly less angry.
6. I’m In It
Is he trying to count in French? Oh dear. Oh dear. This song
(lyrics and music and all of it) are just making me very uncomfortable. And
sorry for anyone on the receiving end of his serenading. Did he… did he really
just say “swaghili” at the end of that. Okay that made me laugh. At its
ridiculousness.
7. Blood on the Leaves
It’s definitely very sad. And I enjoy that he’s attempting
melody, but the 100% auto-tuning is a bit disconcerting and pulls me out of the
emotion. You’re rhyming one word with the same word a bazillion times. Sorry,
right, not paying attention to lyrics. Music: yeah except now he’s back to rap.
Angry. Uncomfortable. And more lugubrious auto-tune.
8. Guilt Trip
I guess I like auto-tuned Kanye better than rapping Kanye
but it’s still weird. More video game noises now? What about Chewbacca. Once
again idk what’s going on. What is this…. A sung line without auto tune? That
was brief and startling. At least the rapping in here was attempting to be
melodic. And it wasn't really angry. Kanye heartbroken is much more musically
interesting than Kanye furious at the world.
9. Send It Up
Air horns as musical instruments? Sounds like elephants. I’m
sorry that’s all I can concentrate on. I’m picturing a herd of dancing
elephants.
10. Bound 2
We’ve got a strange combination of broken records playing in
the background with Mr. West rapping over the top. They don’t really mesh; it
sounds like I’m listening to multiple things at once. The weirdest part is the
background bits are actually attempting to be happy? I thought some of the
other songs were scattered in intent but that was just… confusing.
Conclusion
Okay. Well now I've listened to an entire Kanye West album.
I have to say, I’m surprised I haven’t heard any of these on the radio. Not
that I want them there, it’s just Kanye West is such a huge name that I thought
he’d be sure to show up on the radio at least a little.
There weren't many surprises here. I knew there was going to
be a lot of profanity/obscenity, and I knew that I as a person don’t typically like
rap as a genre due to the predominant angry feeling. And yes, while there were
a few brief hiatuses, most of the album still felt really angry to me. Yes, I
understand that anger is a strong feeling and it’s strong feelings that move
people to create. But just as I don’t want to hang angry abstract art on my
living room wall, I don’t want to play angry music as part of my daily life. I’m
not an angry person.
Actually abstract art is a good comparison. I value the process, the creativity, and the outlet of expression, but I don't usually like the product.
To anyone reading this who was hoping for a more enlightened
music-savvy deconstruction, sorry. I don’t have that particular vocabulary. But
I know what I like and this isn't it. While I didn't end up liking it, I guess I’m glad I did try
it once. Make sure you know what you’re talking about before you say you don’t
like it.
Now, for the other half of the challenge, I challenge my
coworker to listen to an album that I do like. “Beatrix Runs” by Elizaveta.
Maybe once you listen to that, you will see why Kanye West is so different from
what I like! She is such a great singer that listening to Kanye West was
definitely, definitely worth it if I can get at least one more person to listen to
that whole album.
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