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Rating:
A sparse and minimal foundation welcomes us into the world of broken hearts.
We are not talking about classic stories of American colleges that start badly and end (if possible) even worse. No, no straightened fringes and custom suits. Just a man who has lost the two most important loves of his life. His mother and his girlfriend. The first, considered like a beacon in the middle of nowhere, a fixed point of reference, snatched from poverty and a life of hardship by the prodigal son. A new home, a new life, a new image. Sacrifices, as we know, are rewarded. Mr. West has never forgotten the sacrifices his mother made to get him to where he is now. He repays her for everything, and why not, he even gives her a hand when it comes to the aches and pains of aging. A breast perhaps a little too prominent that now causes problems, and a surgical operation to reduce it. And the mother who dies on the operating table.
Welcome To Heartbreak.
Two loves, it was said, lost suddenly.
Gone are the carefree Hip-pop atmospheres and dancefloor hits, Mr. West completely strips off all designer clothes and sports cars, to fully succumb to the pain. Lugubrious and cold atmospheres dominate this album that has absolutely nothing of Hip-pop. It's a sort of journey into electronic Soul, with a voice rendered even colder and robotic by autotune. 12 shamelessly anti-commercial, introspective, and whispered tracks.
It's an atypical album that only Kanye West could afford to make, amidst the depressing landscape of today's American Nigga-blood artists. All sporty cars and giant gold chains. Only Kanye West could afford to release as a single the tribal "Love Lockdown", an anthem to (here we go again) lost love.
It's an album that contains engaging Soul moments ("Heartbreak"), and real ballads (The beautiful "Streets Light"). Few collaborations (which could have been avoided) that take a back seat. It's the album of solitude and intimacy. The journey continues with the atypical "Robocop", a bolt from the blue, and with the very Black piano of "Bad News". And the circle closes with the last 2 gems, "Coldest Winter", a song on the album admittedly dedicated to his mother, and with the Freestyle Live of "Pinocchio Story".
And the circle closes. The heart-shaped balloon deflates.
And everyone goes home.
Beautiful album.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 Heartless (03:31)
In the night I hear 'em talk,
The coldest story ever told,
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul
To a woman so heartless...
How could you be so heartless... oh
How could you be so heartless?
How could you be so,
Cold as the winter wind when it breeze yo
Just remember that you talking to me though
You need to watch the way you talking to me yo
I mean after all the things that we been through
I mean after all the things we got into
And yo I know of some things that you ain't told me
And yo I did some things but that's the old me
And now you wanna get me back
And you gon' show me
So you walk around like you don't know me
You got a new friend
Well I got homies
But in the end it's still so lonely
In the night I hear 'em talk,
The coldest story ever told,
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul
To a woman so heartless...
How could you be so heartless... oh
How could you be so heartless?
How could you be so Dr. Evil
You're bringing out a side of me that I don't know
I decided we weren't gonna speak so why we up 3 a.m. on the phone
Why does she be so mad at me for, homie I don't know she's hot and cold
I won't stop, won't mess my groove up cause I already know how this thing goes,
You run and tell your friends that you're leavin' me
They say that they don't see what you see in me
You wait a couple months then you gon' see,
You'll never find nobody better than me
In the night I hear 'em talk,
The coldest story ever told,
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul
To a woman so heartless...
How could you be so heartless... oh
How could you be so heartless?
Talkin', talkin', talkin', talk,
Baby lets just knock it off
They don't know what we been through
They don't know 'bout me and you
So I got something new to see
And you just gon' keep hatin' me
And we just gon' be enemies
I know you can't believe
I could just leave it wrong
and you can't make it right
Im gon' take off tonight
In to the night...
In the night I hear 'em talk,
The coldest story ever told,
Somewhere far along this road
He lost his soul
To a woman so heartless...
How could you be so heartless... oh
How could you be so heartless? *2 times
05 Love Lockdown (04:30)
I'm not lovin you, way I wanted to
What I had to do, had to run from you
I'm in love with you, but the vibe is wrong
And that haunted me, all the way home
So ya never know, never, never know
Never know enough, til it's over love
Til we lose control, system overload
Screamin no, no, no, no, no
I'm not lovin you, way I wanted to
See I wanna move, but can't escape from you
So I keep it low, keep a secret code
So everybody else don't have to know
So keep ya love locked down, ya love locked down
Now keep ya love locked down, ya love locked down
Now keep ya love locked down, ya love locked down
You keep ya love locked down, you lose
I'm not lovin you, the way I wanted to
I can't keep my cool, so I keep it true
I got somethin' to lose, so I gotta move
I can't keep myself, and still keep you too
So I keep in mind, when I'm on my own
Somewhere far from home, In the danger zone
How many times did I take fo' it finally got through
you lose, you lose
I'm aint lovin you, way I wanted to
See I had to go, see I had to move
No more wastin' time, you can't wait for life
which is wastin' time, where's the finish line
So keep ya love locked down, ya love locked down
Keepin ya love locked down, ya love locked down
Now keep ya love locked down, ya love locked down
You keep ya love locked down, you lose
I'm not lovin you, the way I wanted to
I met no one new, I got no one new
I know I said I'm through, but got love for you
But I'm not lovin you, the way I wanted to
Gotta keep it goin, keep the lovin gone
Keep it on a roll, only god knows
If I be with you, baby I'm confused
You choose, you choose
I'm not lovin you, way I wanted to
When i wanna go, I dont need you
I been down this road, too many times before
I'm not lovin you, way I wanted to
So keep ya love locked down, ya love locked down
Keepin ya love locked down, ya love locked down
Now keep ya love locked down, ya love locked down
Now keep ya love locked down, you lose, you lose, you lose
11 Coldest Winter (02:44)
On lonely nights I start to fade (on lonely nights I start to fade)
Her love's a thousand miles away (her loves a thousand miles away)
Memories made in the coldest winter
Goodbye my friend
Will I ever love again?
Memories made in the coldest winter
It's 4 A.M and I can't sleep (It's 4 A.M and I can't sleep)
Her love is all that I can see (Her love is all that I can see)
Memories made in the coldest winter
Goodbye my friend
Will I ever love again?
Memories made in the coldest winter
Winter
Winter
Oh!
Goodbye my friend
Will I ever love again?
Goodbye my friend
Will I ever love again?
Goodbye my friend
Will I ever love again?
If spring can take the snow away (If spring can take the snow away)
Can it melt away all our mistakes? (Can it melt away all our mistakes?)
Memories made in the coldest winter
Goodbye my friend
I won't ever love again
Never Again
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