beautiful dark twisted fantasy beautiful dark twisted fantasy fifth studio album american hip hop recording artist kanye_west released november following period public legal controversy west retreated self imposed exile hawaii worked album communal recording environment involved numerous contributing musicians producers album features guest appearances production led west alongside variety high profile record producers including critics aesthetic production quality themes incorporates aspects west previous works including soul baroque electro symphonic styles album deals themes excess celebrity explores issues consumer culture race promote west released free songs good series singles billboard hits power monster runaway international hit lights promoted short film set record music runaway album debuted number billboard certified platinum recording_industry_association_of_america sold copies beautiful dark twisted fantasy received widespread critical acclaim named best record numerous critics polls year end lists background album conceived west self imposed exile hawaii following period legal public image controversy amid mental state west later said fatigue led controversial mtv_video_music_awards disgust ensuing media response hiatus recording amid negative response incident scheduled tour recording artist lady_gaga promotion previous album cancelled october citing reason known good ass job tentatively good music artist second announce title album good ass job july kanye_west blog banner appeared reading dark twisted fantasy trailer july west announced new official twitter account album longer called good ass job bouncing couple titles official title announced october recording production recording sessions took place primarily honolulu hawaii additional recording burbank california platinum sound recording studios new_york_city reported west spent million expenses record label recording later explained initial recording process complex editor chief west time said hawaii favorite producers artists work inspire recording artists reported participated sessions included big sean drake common jay-z rihanna elton_john seal record producers participated sessions west included tip premier said beats album premier said beats ultimately discarded west previously recorded heartbreak block booked studio session rooms indefinitely work according visited west recording sessions hits creative wall heads studio room progress song worked night studio recording engineers present mixing board hours day recording afternoon west crew played games locals honolulu leisure smoked marijuana preparation worked worked weight room west held breakfast morning residence crew album development west producers musicians weigh music conversations contributions studio observing discussions visit noted despite assembled rarely clash talks productive contribute challenge inspire interview tip described process music committee elaborated significance sessions west work ethic check tell think speaks volumes sees views people person voice idea looking hear good bad beats rhymes offers committee invited strip add started end sessions transforms contributions greater sum parts real wizard said studio experience west definitely hip hop roots testing joints takes level musicians song played little beat real love way works goes room writing rhymes goes beat goes room love characterized album sounds found west methods unorthodox recording saying easily working song thinking mode hear sound like producer immediately turn attention sound mental sound belongs album goes straight song immediately premier said production comparison west previous work look kanye_west output actually lot bring sampling cool mainstream artist new album strictly hard beats rhyme totally electro gon surprised hear late hours album turned west called taylor studio look fashion pieces taylor struck friendship west good music family meeting west glow dark tour band studio taylor determined appearance west album tracks played attention eventually asked vocals tracks notably dark fantasy hell life recalling experience recording taylor stated time pretty verses remembers west room said taylor came intro chorus cuts admitted nervous letting west hear contributions tracks trying cover stating hadn studio long prevent material leaking internet west recording album secretive instituted talking rule sessions recalled west attitude interview rolling_stone saying happened leak remember like fuck going work going work hotel rooms west subsequently recorded hotel rooms watch throne album music lyrics beautiful dark twisted fantasy music noted writers incorporating elements west previous albums entertainment_weekly elements points luxurious soul college symphonic late registration graduation emotionally exhausted electro village_voice writes west absorb gifts collaborators occasionally previous studio albums noting collaborators elements jon late registration arranging orchestral majesty graduation adapted menace heartbreak melodies music described new_york_times took note east_coast hip hop elements pitchfork_media deemed culmination west past work musically album largely continues graduation left hip hop bent flashes comfort food sampling late registration baroque instrumentation seamlessly allmusic andy_kellman views culmination albums noting merely draw characteristics tracks fuse simultaneously consequently sonic emotional layers difficult apart denotes lights representative album contrasting elements contrast robert_christgau comments music grace college late registration sonic world beating return form album themes deal primarily excess celebrity touch sex wealth romance self self doubt notes album describes meditation fame west burden features open references drinking drug use west previous albums describes funny introspective fame obsessed noting highs lows emotionally album found themes uncertainty album west heart message reason major noting tracks hell life runaway examples greg_kot writing chicago_tribune said west displayed transparency allegiance expressing emotions opinion pitchfork_media exploration rich famous american spin said alternately production owed artist self ego destroy publicly music writer interprets west predominant theme crisis jet cosmopolitan exhausted cry new town chasing goal girl room fueled consumer culture relentless buzz finally left powers views songs work pornographic boasts romantic disaster stories devil haunted dark nights soul west uncertainty place world connected subject race stating west celebrates fantasy belongs feels isn personal problem curse author called exceptional black man embraced talents singled color skin songs album opening track dark fantasy introduced narrative attempting english accent serves retelling writer poetic introduces themes west plan drink pain worse pain lyrics track contain musical popular culture references including song mercy mercy ecology sports car rapper fashion designer short story legend hollow song sex fire singer television character lights incorporates drum bass breaks brass fanfare west lyrics contain reference death michael_jackson opening lines present narrative character abuses lover prison time new boyfriend subsequently absence child life song west enlisted guest vocalists including elton_john rihanna sings song hook interview mtv jackson said song vocal got layer vocals people basically wanted use favorite vocalists world create unique vocal texture record kind thing pick devil new dress built sample love tomorrow lyrics lust sexual religious imagery described critic bedroom prayer track production west features characteristic style manipulating pitch tempo classic soul samples runaway features piano based motif comprising series sustained descending half notes coda incorporates light strings singing west narrator self critical lyrics reflect personality character flaws cites song point album self chest beating noting west sung line gifted finding don like inspired year relationship model amber rose hell life contains psychedelic rock sample narrative marrying porn star according critic song attempts bend central drugs religion need noble pursuit song line fantasy reality sex romance love religion lines exist demons underneath fragile state help break apart song blame game low key track painful domestic dispute features piano producer additional vocals comedian lost world features tribal drums samples woods song originally written applied west centerpiece catchy communal features musical changes beginning frontman faint vocals followed drums gospel styled chorus increased tempo final measured tempo lost world transitions closing track survive america serves album coda built sample comment blunt piece delivered spoken word african american experience fated american dream original speech criticized 1960s failing recognize basic needs african american community edited reduced version track according music writer greg_kot retains essence african american male feels cut country culture contrast interprets album self little societal rejection release promotion october release date announced november prior release west initiated free music program good website august offering free download previously unreleased songs friday week portion included album titled imprint label good music program generated considerable publicity months leading album release online marketing coordinator said program retrospect genius idea point hated person music brought excitement friday releases originally intended continue december extended west january beautiful dark twisted fantasy released digital download list price coincided site promotional offer purchases valid release week following release album west performed headlining sets large festivals including described hollywood reporter greatest hip hop sets time promote west performed thanksgiving day parade singles unfinished version speculative single titled power leaked internet features additional vocals produced kanye_west official remix featuring jay-z premiered august hot single spent weeks peaked number billboard hot chart song nominated grammy award best rap solo performance presented 53rd grammy awards september west performed second single runaway mtv_video_music_awards weeks later october west performed song saturday night live power runaway officially released itunes_store october spent weeks billboard hot peaking number chart rolling_stone named best single year end list minute short film directed west containing song official music video released october filmed prague period days summer film stars west model features script written story written west west described video overall representation dreams parallel music career single monster sent radio september released itunes_store october song originally released august west music program friday spent weeks billboard hot peaking number chart rolling_stone ranked number list song performed jay-z home home concert september october west announced lights fourth official single prior release single debuted number billboard hot album release track dark fantasy entered chart number week single released january february reached number spent weeks billboard hot december sold digital units lights charted worldwide including number brazil number united_kingdom number ireland number scotland number south_korea certified platinum australian_recording_industry_association shipments copies australia gold recording_industry_association_of_new_zealand shipments new_zealand platinum recording_industry_association_of_america shipments million cover art october kanye_west revealed twitter rejected certain stores cover art artwork portrait shows west winged female phoenix characters depicted nude phoenix breasts visible artist later said wanted cover image banned painting centered thin yellow border red background artwork follows apparent theme album west music film runaway covers included purchase second cover painting posted pre order page intended original artwork runaway west photograph instead kanye_west met hours listened tapes music days paintings album portraits west extreme eyes sets teeth showed head crowned placed sideways white slab sword painting black painting crown sword grassy landscape scene naked west bed naked white female creature features wings arms long spotted tail original album cover according new_york new painting album priest completed described attempt bring depictions religious figures modern world reception beautiful dark twisted fantasy debuted number billboard albums chart selling copies united_states week west fourth consecutive number album debut week served fourth best sales week week digital sales copies served fourth highest sales week digitally downloaded album spent weeks billboard july sold copies united_states according nielsen_soundscan beautiful dark twisted fantasy received rave reviews critics metacritic assigns normalized rating reviews mainstream publications album received average score indicates universal acclaim based reviews independent called pop efforts recent years holds barred musical notion good taste abandoned door los_angeles_times found music like fulfilling mandate form texture color space suggest new ways viewing things time magazine viewed west lavish record said proved artists shared ability combine diverse elements highlighted west ability bring best collaborators finding comparable work writing rolling_stone called album west best wildly inspired album date claiming artist recording music dark sputnikmusic critic hailed album truly lived potential way rapper lyricist songwriter village_voice found album overwhelming produced song transitions like long night morning enthusiastic review guardian critical west lyrics women ruthless money flawed near masterpiece allmusic andy_kellman found rapping inconsistent nonetheless deeply fascinating accomplishment west catalogue cold heart sculpted album complex minute set songs ego ambition swells appeal importantly accolades beautiful dark twisted fantasy appeared numerous year end albums lists critics named best album including pitchfork_media rolling_stone spin beautiful dark twisted fantasy voted best album village_voice critics poll winning largest margin poll history singles power runaway monster voted singles list instance kanye_west album topped annual critics poll followed late registration eventually fourth metacritic reviews music albums named best reviewed album rolling_stone ranked album number list greatest albums time complex included list past decade deserve classic status entertainment_weekly named 8th best album time list october complex named best hip hop album years nme ranked album greatest albums time list august song runaway featuring ranked position pitchfork_media list best tracks released week publication named best album 2010s decade commenting west broke ground new decade brilliant architects built care channel orange good kid city don exist blueprint list ends decade truly begins critics site acclaimed music determined ranked record time best album lists grammy awards beautiful dark twisted fantasy won grammy award best rap album presented 54th grammy awards song lights nominated grammy awards song year winning categories nominated album year viewed outlets rejection watch throne west collaborative album jay-z category article time music journalist elaborated album acclaim called west nominations minor categories prizes stated far best reviewed album years critical community flipped like sold million far happened grammy overlooked gave sonic explored possible reasons including split votes concerns west past controversies commercially appealing nominees ultimately stated think going lack respect hip hop complexity people care music don know hip hop grammy tends pop friendly hip hop easily understood don understand hip hop pop regard meant insult merely music non genre released mature work west ignored los_angeles_times music journalist critical nominations 54th grammy awards particularly album year category noting exclusion critically acclaimed album year career defining record favor substantial albums west vocal displeasure past award responded onstage concert saying fault dropping watch throne year spaced little bit track listing track notes signifies producer signifies additional producer dark fantasy features background vocals additional vocals amber rose gorgeous features background vocals power features additional vocals lights features additional vocals rihanna elton_john drake runaway features background vocals additional vocals hell life features additional vocals blame game features additional vocals lost world survive america feature additional vocals dark fantasy contains samples high places written performed gorgeous contains portions elements composition showed written performed turtles power contains elements thing performed elements written performed continent number material sampled 21st century composed performed appalled contains samples written performed devil new dress contains samples love tomorrow written performed runaway contains sample expo written performed excerpts hell life contains samples baby written performed samples stud spider portions iron man written performed blame game contains elements 14th written performed lost world contains portions soul written sample think written performed samples woods written performed samples comment written performed survive america contains samples comment performed personnel credits adapted allmusic musicians production charts chart succession certifications
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy