Very little can compare to Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak. This man brought the Roland Tr-808 back into major relevancy with the innovative way in which it was used. Kanye gave an entire fresh look at an emotional range that an artist can hit. Everything about 808s is amazing. But the song that does the most for me, the song that naturally came up as my Song of the Week is Ye's gem Coldest Winter.
Coldest Winter is everything I look for in a song, it is phenomenally different with each listen. And today I'm hearing this song in a way like I have never experienced. The needle pricking tick of Ye's 808s are adrenaline fueled. It's a use of 808s I haven't heard before or since. They make me feel like time is running out on love, on happiness, on the time needed to put my heart back together...on all things beautiful in the world. To me, those 808s are a compelling Shakespearean-esque love story before Kanye's dialogue is introduced and that's mind-blowing to me. The stern Taiko drums bring mammoth-sized stakes to the song. Kanye's vocals/sampled vocal structure from Tears for Fears' Memories Fade changed my reality altogether. The dire way it's sung shows Ye practically holding onto his last frozen shred of emotions, making me view my world like Frank Miller's Sin City. I view my world through that film noir style lens with emphasis on the dark shadows and stark backgrounds with my partial usage of color solely being red and blue as I listen. Kanye West's sadness, loneliness, and distant memories emit a Frankenstein affect and creep into our reality on Coldest Winter. Besides the outstanding production, and overall how fantastic a song this is, it clearly goes beyond simply being a song. Coldest Winter is something I feel. The production is something I admire, and it sits with me to my core. The range of emotions I can see and relive is spectacular. Mr. West's Coldest Winter allows me (and anyone) to feel human or completely numb to everything. That is Coldest Winter's absolute power, and that is Kanye West's musical genius. And it never should be forgotten.
Listen to Coldest Winter below.
Photo Creds: genius.com/pinterest.com
Video Cred: youtube.com
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