It all started with this Travi$ Scott Instagram post. When I clicked on the link just 10 minutes ago, the account had six followers.
A verified Kanye account had only six followers...
As I type this out, the account sits at over 5,000 followers.
What these 5,000 followers are finding are the first batch of tracks released from Mr. West since "Only One" dropped on New Years Day.
Now to the tracks themselves.
"When I See It" finds West taking a vocal swing on his own production, which was first introduced to us as The Weeknd's ungodly smooth "Tell Your Friends" off of Beauty Behind The Madness . We find him somewhere between the melodic cooing found on "Devil in a New Dress" and the genre-birthing vocals plastered throughout 808s and Heartbreak. This track is another in which West takes a step away from the stark industrialism of Yeezus and follows through on the promise he made to embrace music while visiting Power 105.
“[It’s gonna be] bars, songs, cookout music that just feels good … This album is embracing the music, joy. Being of service to the people. I just hope people like it and enjoy it.”
The next song we find on this mysteriously revealed Soundcloud is a re-vamp of 808s standout "Say You Will". This time around we find a combination of Caroline Shaw (as a featured artist) and a chorus of towering voices that bring this track to another level of emotional potency. This track is understated and massive simultaneously. That is the power of Kanye West.
The artwork used on both of these tracks is the same that was employed as promotional material for West's performance of 808s and Heartbreak last month at the Hollywood Bowl. And for now, it seems like artwork is not the only part of West's aesthetic that is trending back towards his 2008 masterpiece.
