Kanye West Has a New Single, I Like It

Luckily for me, over the past few years it has become perfect acceptable, heck it’s become expected, for me to ironically enjoy Kanye West. I’m only kidding of course, I would never let “them” dictate my superb and completely uninfluenced tastes (I’m kidding again). But let’s get serious for a second: Kanye West, I won’t introduce him or even make his name a link as is customary in our world of hypertext-journalism, because you already know who he is.

He has a new song, and he’s released it for everyone to listen to on his personal blog while it’s still in demo form essentially (a re-recorded, slightly more fleshed out version now replaces the original which sounded like a Garageband recording). I can dig that, because I’m all for alternate means of distribution in our ever-changing musical landscape, and frankly the fact that his label let him get away with it is impressive. However, none of this means anything if the song itself isn’t good. It is good, it’s very good – it’s extremely addictive and I’ve listened to it close to ten times since yesterday afternoon.

Let’s get something straight: this song, it’s not musically impressive in any way. It’s elements were all composed with a computer and a keyboard, and it’s vocals are all completely autouned (overly so, for effect, just because Kanye enjoys the sound of his voice roboticized…or not roboticized). It’s pop music though, it’s mainstream, modern pop music for people with short attention spans and little musical knowledge (I don’t mean that condescendingly) and I like it. Much in the same way, I suspect, that people who know how to cook (I don’t) enjoy eating cheap and greasy food every once in a while.

I won’t post an mp3 of the song, because I know it would only end in legal troubles, but I will point you in the direction of Kanye’s blog, where you can hear it. Listen here.

Who cares about the Grammy’s?

I sure don’t (as evidenced by my posting about them two days later, I guess). What was once a greatly revered ceremony is really quite meaningless now. In 2015, when there is one major label left to house all the heavy hitters, and everyone else is self-releasing or starting their own indies, what will become of the Grammy’s then? Will anyone care?

I tried to watch the Grammy telecast but every time I caught a glimpse of the most ego-tistical man in the universe (look up) I just couldn’t stand it. It was nice to see Amy Winehouse take some home, who I’ve actually taken a small liking to recently, and even more surreal to see Bright Eyes win a golden gramophone (for Cassadaga’s packaging).

So, in closing, did you watch them? Did you care about them? Will you watch them next year?

[mp3] Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good (Remix)
[mp3] Bright Eyes – Soul Singer in a Session Band