The time has come. It is the eve of the release of Kanye West’s new album, TLOP. What does TLOP mean? Well, we have no idea. At least, not yet. Buuuttttt, it appears that Yeezy has finally settled on the name of his highly-anticipated album after toying first with So Help Me God, then Swish and, finally, Waves. And so, the release of Ye’s seventh studio record (eight if you count his collab with Jay-Z on Watch the Throne), is set to debut to an eager, but indignant audience.
Kanye has made a name of openly expressing how he feels, even if that opinion is extremely unpopular. Most recently, Yeezy endorsed Bill Cosby’s innocence on Twitter, much to the dismay of even his most loyal fans. With TLOP just hours away, it might be challenging to get behind the controversial artist after reading that tweet. You’ll have to think back to why you like Kanye West in the first place. And no matter how many annoying instances of Kanye’s actions flash through your head, you’ll always come back to one thing: the music.
So come with us and time travel throughout Kanye West’s discography. From his College Dropout days to the avant-garde Yeezus, each album has had its share of exceptional music. Below lies the best single song from each of his last seven albums:
The College Dropout - ‘All Falls Down’
As you’ll quickly realize throughout each album, it’s maddeningly difficult to choose just one song from each album. 'Through the Wire' and 'Jesus Walks' might be easy bets on a lesser record, but 'All Falls Down' takes the crown thanks to its infectious beat and relevant discussion of black womanhood.
Late Registration - ‘Roses’
Instead of suffering from a typical sophomore slump, Kanye delivered an arguably better effort the second time around. There are many gems on this album (including 'Diamonds From Sierra Leone'), but 'Roses' wins out thanks to the powerful opening verse and soulful sample.
Graduation - ‘I Wonder’
First off, this might be the best Kanye West beat of all-time. Now a full-blown superstar, Kanye used 'I Wonder' to reflect back on his hopes and fears, brought together by the inspirational bridge towards the end of the song.
808s & Heartbreak - ‘Say You Will’
With the record that changed everything, it’s fitting to name the opening track as the best on the album. 'Say You Will' is dark, melodic and beautiful in a haunting way. The song was the perfect choice to introduce us to this new, heartbroken version of Kanye.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - ‘Lost in the World’
808s would eventually come to be revered as an influential body of work, but in the wake of the controversial release, Kanye needed something to get back into the public’s favor. MBDTF was just the album, hallmarked by a return to Ye’s roots in sampling. 'Lost in the World' offered a perfect balance of old and new, utilizing Gil Scott-Heron’s voice partnered with a auto-tone chorus.
Watch the Throne - ‘Gotta Have It’
The best track on this album is ironically the shortest one, but that’s not a reflection of the entire record. The collaborative project with fellow heavyweight Jay-Z was overwhelmingly successful, spawning hits like 'Ni**as in Paris' and 'Otis.' The back and forth wordplay between Ye and Jay on 'Gotta Have It,' however, is worthy of taking the prize.
Yeezus - ‘Bound 2’
The last album Kanye released was met with equally divise critical acclaim and disdain. Regardless of which side of the fence you fell on, Kanye is best when he sticks to his bread and butter - sampling. 'Bound 2' is a masterful use of the technique - it’s a shame we had to wait until the very end of Yeezus to listen to it.
