808s & Heartbreak Tracklist
808s & Heartbreak is Kanye West’s fourth studio album, released on November 24th, 2008, and it was a base breaker as far as fans were concerned.
The album was formed off the back of an extremely difficult time for West; his mother died due to complications after cosmetic surgery, his relationship with on-and-off again girlfriend/fiancé Alexis Phifer finally ended for good, and Kanye was struggling to adapt to his celebrity status, often being criticized from the media. Emotionally drained and feeling somewhat lost, Kanye dealt with his pain by channeling it into a sonically stripped-down album, one dominated by his use of the titular Roland TR-808 drum machine and Auto-Tune. Kanye said:
It was just what was in my heart. The type of ideas that it was coming up with, the melodies that were in me — what was in me I couldn’t stop.
The album is heavily influenced by 1980s synthpop and electropop. Kanye used the “808” sound and altered its pitch to create the unique distorted and electronic sound you hear throughout the album. He called this effect the “heartbreak,” and said that it was ‘representative of his state of mind’.
Kanye had previously used auto-tune, for example on his 2004 hit “Jesus Walks”, but it was never a focal point of the music. Kanye was taught how to use auto-tune by T-Pain.
Kanye also credited up and coming rapper Kid Cudi who had recently signed with his label, G.O.O.D. Music. He became a fan after receiving a copy of his 2008 mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. Kanye flew Cudi out to Hawaii to work on the album. He was eventually featured on the album’s second track, “Welcome To Heartbreak.”
On September 18th, 2008, Kanye released the album’s lead single, “Love Lockdown.”
Kanye first announced the album’s release date on September 24th, 2008, saying:
I changed my album to November something cause I finished the album and I felt like it..I want y'all to hear it as soon as possible.
On October 16th, 2008, Kanye teased a portion of “Coldest Winter.”
On November 4th, 2008, he released the album’s second single, “Heartless.”
The album had a major influence on modern hip-hop music, having influenced most notably Drake, Future and Travis Scott.
“808s & Heartbreak” Q&A
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Translations
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What have the artists said about the album?
In an interview with MTV, Kanye said,
It’s a little bit of autotune and a whole lot of fucked up life. This album was therapeutic – it’s lonely at the top.
In the book Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Story Behind The Song, Kanye explained the self-reflection that led to the album,
It was a tough year after the breakup with my fiancée and losing my mom. This whole album was a poignant reality. I opened myself up to new ideas. I was heartbroken and deflated, lauded and idolized all at the same time. It was a time of the highest highs and the lowest lows. Kanye West has become a global brand. What I have had to learn is how to seperate myself from that and be Kanye, the person who can have a real life and be able to go to soccer games with my kids.
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How did this album do among critics?
Based on 36 reviews from mainstream sources, it received generally positive reviews and an average Metacritic rating of 75. Writing for The Guardian, Alex Macpherson said:
It is the stylised, minimal music that lends the album its power, and which helps West convince as a man beset by demons and femmes fatales.
Writing for USA Today, Steve Jones said:
West deftly uses the 808 drum machine and Auto-Tune vocal effect to channel his feelings of hurt, anger and doubt through his well-crafted lyrics.
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How did this album chart?
This album debuted at #1 on the US Billboard 200, selling 450,000 copies.
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Did this album receive any accolades?
Yes, it was included in many ‘Best Albums of 2008’ lists, including Pazz & Jop, Time, and Pitchfork.
It was also nominated at the Grammy Awards for ‘Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group’ for “Amazing.”
Additionally, Rolling Stone ranked it at 63 on their list of the ‘100 Best Albums of the Decade’, and then in 2014 named it one of the most groundbreaking albums of all time..
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Does this album have any certifications?
Yes! On January 27, 2009, 808s and Heartbreak officially went RIAA Platinum, being certified for over 1,000,000 album units.
The album also went Platinum in the UK, Ireland, and Canada.
