CHANGE: Kanye West’s newest release showcases a more sentimental side seldom seen.
By Joey Vangsness, Staff Writer
More than just a large, sparkly ball dropped on New Year’s Eve. The following morning, the world woke up in a groggy haze with strange recollections of alcohol-induced dance moves and a new Kanye West song. Titled “Only One,” the song featured West singing auto-tuned vocals and a surprise appearance of Sir Paul McCartney playing an electronic organ for the backing track.
With nothing more than McCartney’s keyboards, the song sounds almost haunting, reminiscent of West’s groundbreaking 2008 album 808s & Heartbreak. Lyrically, the song is uplifting and full of hopeful messages. West sings from the point of view of his mother, Dr. Donda West, who passed away in 2007. The lyrics contain encouraging reminders that “you’re not perfect but you’re not your mistakes” and “every road that leads to heaven’s right inside you.” The song is full of symbolism and references to West’s young daughter, North West, and his wife, Kim Kardashian-West. Through the lyrics, Mrs. West tells her son, “[God] said he sent you an angel […] You asked for one and you got two.” As the song fades to a close, West asks of her son to “tell Nori about me,” Nori being North’s nickname.
While most of the world was re-hydrating and cleaning up vomit from the night before, Kanye fanboys and music critics alike were taking to the internet to voice their opinions. Most praised the unusual pairing of superstars—West and McCartney—but some lamented the use of computer software to enhance West’s voice. This isn’t the first time artists of different genres have appeared on a Kanye record; Sir Elton John’s piano playing added an additional element of musicality to 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Also, indie folk singer Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver fame) contributed vocals on two of West’s albums, comedian Chris Rock and poet Gil Scott-Heron were featured on “Blame Game” and “Lost in the World,” respectively, and house music duo Daft Punk aided with production on multiple albums. The use of autotune is no new concept either, with 808s & Heartbreak and West’s latest album, Yeezus, featuring expansive use of the technology to give a robotic and frightening edge to the vocal tracks.
The song is great, and a typically surly Kanye making happy music is a wonderful thing. I can only hope the full-length album due to be released later this year will have more of the masterful production and beats characteristic of West’s music, and feature more complex songs than the delightfully simple “Only One.”