808s & Heartbreak

I have always liked Kanye West's singing voice, ever since I heard it on his first album, "The College Dropout," released in 2004.

It was the track entitled "Spaceship" where Mr. West shared his singing vocals to fans. So after the debut of his song, "Love Lockdown," at the 2008 VMAs on MTV, it was natural that others may have been skeptical of what direction West was taking his new album, "808s & Heartbreak." I, on the other hand, had no doubt of what was to come, and was excited.

An artist's work always seems to shine its brightest when that artist is in despair. This album follows the death of West's mother. In an interview, West described this album as a no boundaries project. After losing his mother and going through other personal issues, he explained he felt he had nothing to lose, thus he took chances on this album he may not have taken with his previous.

With that said, "808s & Heartbreak" distributes as West's canvas in which he paints his picture of sorrow and distress.

The album is all auto-tune. Hardly any rap at all, if any. Some songs let the music speak for itself, with scarce lyrics, so you find yourself engaging in beats and melodies rather than words on such tracks like "Bad News" or "Say You Will." But for West, it works. He knows how to coordinate the brass sounds of auto-tune and heavy drum beats to fit his voice, such as "Love Lockdown" and "Amazing."

"Heartless" is probably the only track with a hint of rap in it. It is one of the strongest lyrical pieces of the album. "Welcome to Heartbreak" features Kid Cudi, one of the few artists on the albums West collaborated with. This song greatly represents the theme of the album.

The album includes artists such as Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, and collaboration with Mr. Hudson.

This album offers something new, and there is a song on the album that would appeal to a wide audience, especially if you are experiencing some heartbreak. So that means everyone. It is a work of a true artist.