Kanye West is a controversial man, to say the least. Over the last half-decade he has embedded himself into popular culture with incident after incident, making few friends along the way (just ask George W. Bush, Taylor Swift or even Matt Lauer).
"Fantasy" is a deeply introspective journey of an album, as the rapper probes himself, seeking explanations for his flaws and solutions to his problems. Needless to say, after a tumultuous year, he has plenty of material.
Such is the nature of the opening track, "Dark Fantasy," which features layered synths, keyboards and soaring backup vocals along with questions about superficial escape: "The plan was to drink until the pain was over / but what's worse, the pain or the hangover?" he asks in his second verse.
Indeed, West seems overwhelmed by guilt and shame about his past.
"Runaway" is a nine-minute-long apology that borders on self-abasement, in which West decides, over a staccato piano and heavy bass line, "I think it's time for us to have a toast / let's have a toast for the d-----bags."
On "All of the Lights," West takes a closer look at his past troubles as he and his star-studded supporting cast of no fewer than 11 featured artists sing and rap over a decidedly optimistic beat.
That tone is paralleled on "Gorgeous," in which West declares with introspectively lo-fi vocals over a buzzing guitar riff: "This is more than just my road to redemption," though he recognizes that there are "no more chances if you blow this."
On "Power," the album's first single, he flaunts his penchant both for songwriting and for spot-on production, as he mixes lyrics that both acknowledge and play to his flaws with a fast-paced beat built on eerie backing vocals, strong bass hits and insistent clapping.
"Lost in the World," the penultimate track, does much the same, masterfully sampling Bon Iver's "Woods" while exploring the contradictions and paradoxes of West's life and eschewing superficiality. The album then slips seamlessly into "Who Will Survive in America," a remix of Gil Scott-Heron's classic "Comment #1" that leaves listeners by repeatedly asking, "Who will survive in America?"
Ultimately, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" is aptly named indeed. It represents a deeply introspective journey that mixes consistent beauty in production, pervading darkness in its lyrics and the occasional twisted moment (it is, after all, Kanye). Most of all, though, West has created an album that is truly fantastic and that certainly deserves a listen.