fourth studio album american recording artist kanye_west released november recorded september october burbank california honolulu hawaii help producers conceived wake series personal events marked major musical departure west previous rap records instead featuring sparse electronic sound west singing auto tune vocal lyrics explored themes loss alienated fame album production abandoned conventional hip hop sounds favor minimalist sonic palette included prominent use titular drum machine despite varying responses audiences album received positive reviews critics named best records year end lists debuted number billboard selling copies week sold million copies united_states singles released promote record including hit singles love years release cited prominent influence subsequent hip hop pop music new wave rappers singers producers came adopt aspects style thematic content rolling_stone named groundbreaking albums time background following release studio album graduation remainder following year featured events profoundly affected kanye_west november west mother died complications arising surgery involving breast reduction procedure months later west fiancée ended engagement long term intermittent relationship begun time west struggled adapt newfound pop star status achieve subject media scrutiny loss loneliness longing sense served inspire west stated album lonely photograph taken west kissing mother cheek included album booklet liner notes west felt emotions fully expressed simply rapping said limitations melodies explained couldn stop west went classify pop album asserting disdain contemporary backlash concept pop music expressed admiration pop stars accomplished careers later stated wishes present music new genre called pop art aware visual art movement wished present musical equivalent pop pop art good later stated recording production album recorded span approximately weeks september october recording sessions took place burbank california honolulu hawaii implied title prominently features drum machine drawing inspiration 1980s electropop performers swan west felt instrument evoke emotion concept introduced jon west utilized sounds created manipulated pitch produce distorted electronic sound effect referred heartbreak felt characteristic sound representative state mind according west fact hawaii area code developed album title informed realization inspired pursue direction album terms musical direction west intentions according typical sound hip hop beat instead presence tribal drums overall west maintained minimal functional approach album studio production album makes prominent use voice audio technology west previously experimented technology background vocals jesus walks let lead vocals working remixes fell love producer explained end west enlisted pain coaching utilize technology west openly stated loved dismayed term commonly associated considers technology thing use compared situation child thought color pink cool told gay producing analogy views society rob people confidence self esteem later went state enjoyed electronic feel produced sought mechanical sounds traditional sounds drums choir monks signed west label contributed album songs young contributed rap verse track amazing duet singer songwriter provided female vocals found album credited birth wrote tracks appeared internet west responsibility upset leak occurred track unfinished version previously stated track expected receive additional treatment album release music lyrics radical departure west previous hip hop albums according writer graves avant garde electropop album rolling_stone_magazine called introspective album described west experimental pop record according independent west abandoned customary hip hop sound favor sparse drum machine based electropop pitchfork_media categorized album introspective minimal electro pop record added regret pain self examination typical kanye_west album music writer robert_christgau called slow sad ass self involved breakup album analyzed west choice pitch correct voice self importance adds physical reality tales alienated fame pure pity parties asserted final track story track bringing west loss girlfriend death mother surgery deep sure traces directly alienated fame wrote combat poured album prove divisive hip hop west singing characterized flat nearly detachment canadian writer viewed west shallow musical program designed eliminate produced personal album music draws heavily electronic elements particularly virtual synthesis drum machine explicitly auto tuned vocal tracks tracks album utilize step input drum machine synth bass parts step input product vintage devices limited recording individual notes popular music production 1980s available digital album music features production elements dense drums lengthy strings synths somber piano andy_kellman allmusic writes music tracks common bleak post punk albums cure pornography contemporary rap musical elements help convey moods despair reflect album subject matter critic wrote record stripped modern art pop iconic beats charismatic personalities hand selected melodies computer assisted vocals lyrics directed lover west refers treatment story told called little girl compared antagonist film misery welcome heartbreak west character faces crisis recounts sitting flight laughing family seated ahead late mother album penultimate track winter samples song memories fade release promotion september west announced finished album releasing november blog post wrote changed album november cause finished album felt like want hear soon possible west later stated album released november distributing label brought date forward day capitalize thanksgiving weekend released november united_kingdom philippines limited edition case released germany november special edition album released december contains album dual format features album artwork redone artist original cover october west released excerpt winter radio station power los_angeles track elements song memories fade band song paranoid later leaked internet features hudson chorus remixed version paranoid reported feature pop singer rihanna appearing prior release date amazing featuring featuring street lights welcome heartbreak bad news additional track story freestyle recorded live concert singapore included album request october west collaboration italian artist hosted promotional album listening event guests invited preview entirety guidance event featured approximately nude women wearing wool masks stood center room women illuminated lights change music progressed came time speak west stated fan work strong imagery saying liked idea nudity society told wear clothes certain point contacted month prior generated installation week admitted caught opportunity hear album heard things touched life days later promotional photos album photographer released images portrayed west wearing grey suit large glasses heart shaped pin october west scheduled embark tour starring kanye_west lady_gaga tour promotion west canceled october reason songs album performed west live vh1 performance amazing interim director directed additional promotional videos album welcome heartbreak featured artistic use liberal compression artifacts released june remixed version winter released february video featured woman wedding gown running away cult group forest public reaction release reaction mixed ranging anticipation indifference album concept unveiling lead single love mtv_video_music_awards music audiences taken production style presence negative feedback intensified west revealed entire album primarily sung focus themes love numerous hip hop fans certain rappers mocked west deemed upcoming experimental album comparisons drawn album recorded west close friend common mtv eventually interviewed common share thoughts views artistic direction album common expressed understanding support west intentions stating love tell artist wanna free feel cater audience got hey album called heartbreak know moment heard songs think fresh think people ready west received similar approval contributed album interview asked music today wayne stated everybody thing exciting everybody thing terrible love music right love passion bit isn despite approval rap superstars record breaking chart performances singles hip hop audiences remained indifferent album predicting flop responding reviews west stated didn care sales getting good ratings saying came heart matters asked current state hip hop west compared high school stating hip hop fearless standing afraid fitting commercial performance week sales reached number spot billboard selling units week week year sold copies jumping eleventh spot number billboard album moved following week selling units landing number january certified platinum recording_industry_association_of_america serving west fourth album ship million copies united_states june sold million copies according nielsen soundscan despite debate uncertainty surrounding album conception preceding singles demonstrated outstanding chart performances release lead single love debuted number billboard hot hot shot debut highest debut west career second highest debut hot year tenth song millennium debut grossing million copies itunes store single certified platinum riaa end year august certified triple platinum riaa shipments million units single met positive reviews music critics eventually culminating crowned song year time second single performed similarly second consecutive hot shot debut debuting number billboard hot certified double platinum riaa having shipped million units momentum produced album release certain tracks met chart success despite actually released singles tenth track hot shot debut peaking number number canada fourth track amazing charted hot following suit welcome heartbreak peaked number eighty seven pop critical reception received generally positive reviews critics metacritic assigns normalized rating reviews mainstream publications album received average score based reviews washington_post called information age masterpiece usa_today critic said west uses drum machine vocal effect channel feelings hurt anger doubt crafted lyrics times stated work heartbreak triumph departing commercially copper script far comfort zone rolling_stone commended west incorporation drum machine described album dear blood tracks song suite swings violently self pity self chicago_tribune greg_kot called west radical said west fans disappointed remains seen goes making records everybody popmatters critic impressed west song album construction way captures particular feeling unusual evocative carefully crafted music simple complex cold warm mechanical human melodic harsh writing robert_christgau found brilliant unique dark sound engaging tunes despite second half drop praised west use felt self importance adds physical reality tales alienated fame pure pity parties enthusiastic review independent found west personal misery uncomfortable commented stylistic quickly irritating allmusic editor andy_kellman stated matter album west spin criticized songs musical structures calling album long starts reaches ceremony slant_magazine panned west singing new_york_times singled weakness album ultimately remembered solid songs notwithstanding wrote best rough sketch great album ideas typically rendered complexity words synthesizer notes lean worst clumsy reminder ornamentation served purpose chicago_sun-times writer stated west interspersed mechanical tracks exact opposite simple piano provided old collaborators jon masterpiece instead merely given extremely intriguing sporadically gripping undeniably fearless altogether unexpected piece troubled soul accolades voted tenth best album annual poll prominent american critics album named best albums number publications including associated_press number number seven number observer number vibe order time number pitchfork_media named best album cited hip hop albums year jam named album chicago_sun-times writer included album list year best albums wrote listen personal tales loss grows deeper perfectly matched cold lonely robotic winning grooves accompany reflection brave daring star effort deserves heard fan adventurous pop music time new_york featured album list best worst albums magazine writer cited worst editor named best list calling album year misunderstood triumph despite accolades largely overlooked contender 52nd grammy awards according vibe magazine editor chief west controversial incident mtv_video_music_awards ensuing backlash west probably hurt perceived west stylistic change album primary reason nominated west received solo nomination duo group amazing nominations guest appearances work received nomination outstanding album 40th annual album received nomination best album awards rolling_stone ranked number list best album decade named decade best record similar lists slant_magazine popmatters ranked 42nd respectively legacy influence west designed pop album significant effect hip hop music decision sing love loneliness entirety album heavily criticized music audiences album predicted flop subsequent critical acclaim commercial success encouraged mainstream rappers greater creative risks music release blueprint new_york rap jay-z revealed studio album experimental effort stating gon album right wanna experimental album jay-z elaborated like west contemporary hip hop inspired indie like asserted belief indie rock movement play important role continued evolution hip hop album impacted hip hop laid new wave hip hop artists generally typical rap intimate subject matter including drake dubbed album chronic noting west effect hip hop sound different way synthesizer challenged boom early 90s fact described record art pop masterpiece broke generations hip hop rolling_stone journalist asserted record ahead time wrote article popular music finally caught revealed vulnerable work brilliant according greg_kot initiated wave inward looking sensitivity rappers late 2000s introspective hip hop man moon end day keyboards light mechanical beats british dub step consequence sound credited shaping subsequent developments indie electropop want flooded raw emotion isolated feelings carved brands today village_voice wrote album naked humanity practically set rap boom drake frank ocean traffic marcus scott giant said rappers drake followed west album similarly minded works citing west introspective emotional themes inspired music influences opinion billboard senior editor album equivalent bob going electric hear time hip hop outside hip hop drake far gone received comparisons critics los_angeles_times cited template essentially entirety drake young career wrote shares west love mood ending analysis interview drake cited west influential person shaping sound track listing songwriting credits production credits notes tracks adapted liner notes songwriting credits track adapted bmi notes producer embodies portions kissing rain written bad news contains sample recording line woman performed written bass winter embodies memories fade written personnel credits adapted allmusic charts certifications
808s & Heartbreak