The Life Of Pablo
by Kanye West
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2238 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,797 out of 2238
  2. Mixed: 179 out of 2238
  3. Negative: 262 out of 2238
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  1. todaywasagooday
    Dec 1, 2022
    5
    Appreciate the effort, but this is a 5/10 for me. Believe me, I tried to listen to this album more than once and I tried to force myself to like the songs but I can't. Some of the tracks are good, other tracks are just unlistenable. Overall, it's a 5 for me.
  2. ChunkDump
    Dec 22, 2020
    4
    a 4 at best when the "new Kanye" was coming in full effect. it needed something that was missing. only liked a few songs (Waves and real friends) and by the way that song waves should of been chance the rappers version but Ye was being Ye and said nay.
  3. Ricko
    Nov 11, 2020
    6
    There were some great tracks here, up with Kanye's very best tracks. Equally, there is plenty that I just skipped over the first time round and these days when I revisit I just hit the songs I like. The hour or so length of the album is just too patchy especially in a genre that I can take or leave. Ultimately a disappointing follow up to the focused and mercurial "Yeezus".
  4. QuintonKnight
    Jul 23, 2020
    6
    A lot of fluff and filler. A lot is a waste of time while there are genuine bops and nice sounding mixes also. Im torn, so I'll go with a 6.
  5. markosaric
    Nov 2, 2019
    6
    Even though The Life Of Pablo has some intense and godly bangers, Kanye seems distracted half the time with the short snippets throughout the album.
  6. RobotoMr
    Jun 18, 2019
    6
    People might think this rating is harsh but trust me I'm not just 'hater'. I've loved every album up to this one.
    Like a few other people have said, it sounds like he doesn't have much to say at all. I think I remember 1 good line out of 18 songs, that's not a good sign.
    I like about 2-3 songs out of the whole album, the rest sound either unfinished or filler. Lyrically when Kanye DOES    People might think this rating is harsh but trust me I'm not just 'hater'. I've loved every album up to this one.
    Like a few other people have said, it sounds like he doesn't have much to say at all. I think I remember 1 good line out of 18 songs, that's not a good sign.
    I like about 2-3 songs out of the whole album, the rest sound either unfinished or filler.
    Lyrically when Kanye DOES say anything all it sounds like is tiny jabs at others, not that calling others out is bad or new to this genre of music but at least try when you do so. The rest of the lyrics are just about either his shoes or how kim is a saint.
    Overall It's a bit disappointing but at least Ultralight Beam, Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1, Famous came out of this. The beats on a few of the other songs e.g. Waves, Wolves, 30 Hours sounded quite new and catchy but unfortunately ruined by cringey lyrics.    … Expand
  7. TheReviewr
    Aug 13, 2018
    6
    The Life of Pablo used to be one of my favorite projects from Kanye (ignoring like 10 songs) but it was way to long for its own good. If he were to cut the song's 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16 and 19, this may as well have been his best project to date.

    1. Ultralight Beam, Kanye really brought us to church with this one 8/10 2. Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1, the better of the 2 parts, and    The Life of Pablo used to be one of my favorite projects from Kanye (ignoring like 10 songs) but it was way to long for its own good. If he were to cut the song's 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 14, 15, 16 and 19, this may as well have been his best project to date.

    1. Ultralight Beam, Kanye really brought us to church with this one 8/10
    2. Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1, the better of the 2 parts, and the best song of the album 10/10
    3. Pt. 2, Desiigner really hurt this song quality-wise... either a whole verse or nothing 7/10
    4. Famous, Rihanna can never do wrong... but Kanye made it a little awkward to listen to 9/10
    5. Feedback, skip this.. the beat is wayyy to annoying to ever listen to 3/10
    6. Low Lights, its bad and we don't even get a Kanye verse on this good beat 3/10
    7. Highlights, not at all a highlight of his album but its bearable 5/10
    8. Freestyle 4, another song ruined by Desiigner thank god he isn't popular anymore 0/10
    9. I Love Kanye, now this is a good Interlude i like this a lot 8/10
    10. Waves, Chris Brown did good on this and the intro is sooo funny its great 9/10
    11. FML, its just a filler but with The Weeknd, it should have been cut honestly 6/10
    12. Real Friends, strait fire and Ty Dolla $ign kills this song, it was fun to listen to on soundcloud 10/10
    13. Wolves, this song is amazing and deserves many more views than it has on youtube 10/10
    14. Frank's Track, its not even in the official song 3/10
    15. Siiiiiiiiilver Surffffeeeeer Intermission, its pointless why is this on the album 0/10
    16. 30 Hours, the last soundcloud banger from the boy Kanye 7/10
    17. No More Parties In LA, the 2nd soundcloud banger with one of Kendricks best verse ever 10/10
    18. Facts (Charlie Heat Version), the worse version of Facts that somehow made it to the album 6/10
    19. Fade, Posty and Ty Dolla $ign disappoint.... its the most overrated of the album 2/10
    20. Saint Pablo, a great addition to a overcrowded album, but a good one nonetheless 10/10

    Standouts are Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1, No More Parties In LA & Saint Pablo

    Overall: 6.3 (rounded down to 6) as this album may be amazing, it has a lot of songs that would have been better off if they were left off the album. Maybe he could have released a mixtape with the deleted songs (that mixtape would be bad but the fans would have it).    … Expand
  8. EdenIsNotHere
    Feb 4, 2018
    5
    Upon its initial release and even with all the tweaks, changes and features in the album, still feels disjointed, with many songs that are incredible and very personal, warming, charming, relatable, with incredible production and awesome features, like Ultralight Beam or No More Parties in L.A., then we have filler, unnecesary songs that don't add anything to the album more than justUpon its initial release and even with all the tweaks, changes and features in the album, still feels disjointed, with many songs that are incredible and very personal, warming, charming, relatable, with incredible production and awesome features, like Ultralight Beam or No More Parties in L.A., then we have filler, unnecesary songs that don't add anything to the album more than just making it worse or feeling very fragmented and erratic. The mixing has made better with the last update but it is the album from Kanye with the worst mixing and sometimes with very lazy sampling and production like Feedback or Wolves. Some song on here are just instantaneously skippable because, I reiterate, they add little or nothing to album experience. As an statment of art, this is beautiful and Kanye will never left him, however I prefer a more cohesive, more praising, more enjoyable record instead a poorly intent for being artsy and off-the-wall (and yes, I don't want a Desiigner's Panda remix with Kanye's autotuned vocal riff and gospel samples). This album goes everywhere and it is more a hit-or-miss record. Delete or tweaks a few songs here and there and you'll have a fantastic record.

    FAV TRACKS: Ultralight Beam, Father Stretch my Hands (except for the bleached **** line), Famous, Freestyle 4, Waves?, FML, Real Friends, No More Parties in L.A., Saint Pablo.

    FILLER/UNNECESARY TRACKS: Pt. 2, Feedback, Low Lights, I Love Kanye (funny at first listen, but c'mon), Highlights, Wolves, Frank's Track (it feels like a weird detour or interlude), Silver Surfer Transmission, Facts (Charlie Heat Version), Fade (probably the worst song on the record).    … Expand
  9. djdenzel777
    Mar 24, 2017
    5
    This project was one of the most hyped up projects of 2016 and surely didn't deliver. While it can be appreciated that Kanye tries to be "interesting" too often is this used as an excuse for poorly executed songs, which this album has plenty of. That being said, there are some highlights on the project such as "Wolves" where Kanye sings over a haunting beat that makes you feel as if youThis project was one of the most hyped up projects of 2016 and surely didn't deliver. While it can be appreciated that Kanye tries to be "interesting" too often is this used as an excuse for poorly executed songs, which this album has plenty of. That being said, there are some highlights on the project such as "Wolves" where Kanye sings over a haunting beat that makes you feel as if you are in the Hunger Games. Another standout being "Real Friends" where Kanye raps over a beautiful beat, and actually sounds like the "old Kanye." Overall, this project felt rushed and very poorly put together.… Expand
  10. thedaywalker
    Jan 5, 2017
    6
    I really did not hear the appeal, pretty sure people just praising it because its Kanye West, another rapper less popular and this would have been thrown in the been
  11. Wael
    Aug 27, 2016
    5
    Except for a couple of songs like "Real Friends", "Ultralight Beam", and "Facts", The Life of Pablo is extremely forgettable, and makes for an unejoyable, even annoying listen.
    Very overrated and totally not worth the hype it got. This album was rushed, and it feels like Kanye released it without really finalizing it (title changes and tracklist editing in the last minute as we saw).    Except for a couple of songs like "Real Friends", "Ultralight Beam", and "Facts", The Life of Pablo is extremely forgettable, and makes for an unejoyable, even annoying listen.
    Very overrated and totally not worth the hype it got. This album was rushed, and it feels like Kanye released it without really finalizing it (title changes and tracklist editing in the last minute as we saw).
    Let's hope 'Ye steps his game back up to its greatness with the next one.    … Expand
  12. dlmmusic
    Jul 25, 2016
    5
    Majority of the songs on this album consist of other artists work/ songs and add on's, with Kanye West commentating with his verses. Now, some of the songs sounds pretty good ( for example Famous, Pt 2) and obviously there are strong connotations and underlining meanings within the songs that are incredibly powerful. Overall my thoughts are that this album is one of his worst.
  13. RadioheadLuv17
    Jul 11, 2016
    5
    As high as its highs are (FML, Real Friends, ultralight beam, no more parties in LA, etc...) a lot of the Life Of Pablo is plagued by terrible rapping, half baked song ideas, and a lack of originality. For one of the busiest perfectionists in popular music, this album (3 years in the making) seems strangely last-minute.
  14. raywithajay
    Jun 3, 2016
    5
    While this record does have a few bright moments, it is overall rough and incoherent. The production is mostly mediocre, although some songs such as Ultra Light Beam and No More Parties in LA (produced by Madlib) are produced masterfully. Kanye doesn't really have anything interesting to say anymore. This is his worst lyrical work as he resorts to rapping about getting skin bleach on hisWhile this record does have a few bright moments, it is overall rough and incoherent. The production is mostly mediocre, although some songs such as Ultra Light Beam and No More Parties in LA (produced by Madlib) are produced masterfully. Kanye doesn't really have anything interesting to say anymore. This is his worst lyrical work as he resorts to rapping about getting skin bleach on his t-shirt from having sex with a model, putting a GoPro on his penis, and several other strange sexual topics. TLOP is not nearly as cohesive as any of his other projects; it sounds like a random assortment of songs thrown together. The production style varies greatly from song to song and there is no common theme found in the subpar lyrics. In my opinion, the most enjoyable aspect of this album is the production, which isn't totally consistent. However, I did think that Real Friends, No More Parties in LA, and Ultra Light Beam were all stellar tracks. I enjoyed TLOP more than Yeezus, but maybe I hard a hard time enjoying TLOP because Kanye's earlier works set a high standard for me… Expand
  15. Teoneyra
    May 8, 2016
    5
    Kanye is on my top ten MC's and when the life of Pablo came out i was excited like this is going to be fire but it was good.. u know, i think we did to much hype and then when it came out it was not what we expected but still we already knew that Ye its never afraid to be different but this didn't work for me personally.. still the album has some good songs, ain't going lie.
    Famous, No    Kanye is on my top ten MC's and when the life of Pablo came out i was excited like this is going to be fire but it was good.. u know, i think we did to much hype and then when it came out it was not what we expected but still we already knew that Ye its never afraid to be different but this didn't work for me personally.. still the album has some good songs, ain't going lie.
    Famous, No more parties in LA, 30 hours, Ultralight Beam and pt1 & pt2 (trap songs) were actually pretty good, so i give the album 5 because even tho it is he weakest album still the production and some of the lyrics and features help with my decision.    … Expand
  16. dopelean
    Apr 26, 2016
    5
    The worst Kanye project I've listened to, everyone featured on this album did a better job than him. Ye's lyrics can be described in one word - BASIC.
  17. BasedFrieza
    Apr 11, 2016
    4
    "If I **** this model
    She just bleached her ****
    If I get bleach on my tshirt Im going to feel like an ****" These 4 lines pretty much sum up how lyrically bland and corny this entire album is. The production on many of these tracks sounds like something that anyone on pro tools could make within 2 hours. Kanye is out of his moment, thus why he has to feature so many artists on this    "If I **** this model
    She just bleached her ****
    If I get bleach on my tshirt
    Im going to feel like an ****"

    These 4 lines pretty much sum up how lyrically bland and corny this entire album is. The production on many of these tracks sounds like something that anyone on pro tools could make within 2 hours. Kanye is out of his moment, thus why he has to feature so many artists on this album. This album is just plain bad.    … Expand
  18. SchroederRock
    Apr 11, 2016
    5
    I'll be happier the day someone willingly slays Kanye West and uses his skin to line a limited edition douche canoe. That being said, he always manages a few good tracks per album. On the whole? Kanye is not a consistent artist and constantly tries to step out what really works for him and offers crappy alternative rap tracks. I hate that I enjoy any of his music at all - as a personI'll be happier the day someone willingly slays Kanye West and uses his skin to line a limited edition douche canoe. That being said, he always manages a few good tracks per album. On the whole? Kanye is not a consistent artist and constantly tries to step out what really works for him and offers crappy alternative rap tracks. I hate that I enjoy any of his music at all - as a person Kanye is pretty low on the human race totem pole. If he was still killing it like he was back on Graduation... I'd still hate him as a person but wouldn't feel so ashamed for liking a track or two per album.… Expand
  19. TheBison24
    Apr 6, 2016
    6
    This album showcases the fact that Kanye is one of the best producers in the business because almost all the songs in this album have great beats. Unfortunately Kanye hasn't produced good enough rapping to match the beats: many of the songs are just speaking not rapping. And of course then there's always loads of autotune when you're talking about Kanye and it's no difference in thisThis album showcases the fact that Kanye is one of the best producers in the business because almost all the songs in this album have great beats. Unfortunately Kanye hasn't produced good enough rapping to match the beats: many of the songs are just speaking not rapping. And of course then there's always loads of autotune when you're talking about Kanye and it's no difference in this album. Overall the album is a bit of a disapointment for me at least but few of the songs are really good, for example FML which is for me the highlight of the album.… Expand
  20. BrushedRed
    Apr 5, 2016
    6
    Not bad, but not that great either. There are some good songs like "Feedback" and "Father Stretch My Hands," but a lot of this album is just a mess. It's kind of all over the place and rough around the edges. I understand that that's kind of the vibe he was going for, but it just didn't suit my taste. Some of the moments of this album are cringeworthy too ("Low Lights" for example). Not toNot bad, but not that great either. There are some good songs like "Feedback" and "Father Stretch My Hands," but a lot of this album is just a mess. It's kind of all over the place and rough around the edges. I understand that that's kind of the vibe he was going for, but it just didn't suit my taste. Some of the moments of this album are cringeworthy too ("Low Lights" for example). Not to mention the lyrics are awful at parts too. I'll admit I liked some of Kanye's work in the past, but this one didn't thrill me.… Expand
  21. MetricStation3
    Apr 4, 2016
    4
    This album reminded me that I'd rather be listening to Chance the Rapper, Frank Ocean, or Kendrick Lamar. The featured artists are the real highlight here, where the rest of the album falls flat. 2/5
  22. Swishalicious29
    Apr 1, 2016
    6
    I was incredibly skeptical heading into this album. Kanye was constantly changing the track-list, the cover art, and lyrics so much that it sounded like he was unsure of the product he was putting out. It's a better album than Yeezus, but still doesn't reach the heights that an album like The College Dropout does.

    Productionwise this album is all over the place. There are bangers like    I was incredibly skeptical heading into this album. Kanye was constantly changing the track-list, the cover art, and lyrics so much that it sounded like he was unsure of the product he was putting out. It's a better album than Yeezus, but still doesn't reach the heights that an album like The College Dropout does.

    Productionwise this album is all over the place. There are bangers like "Famous" and "Facts" and there is classy production with "Real Friends" and "No More Parties in L.A.". Then there is the completely bizarre and insane "Fresstyle 4" which is a true highlight on this album. "FML" with the Weeknd is also a standout with great progression and an incredible ending.

    The quality is all over the place as well. Being one of the most infamous and celebrated hip-hop artists, the fact that Chris Brown gets a full chorus while Andre 3000 just hums on his song is totally egregious. "Low Lights" could be removed and no difference would be made. "Father Stretch My Hands" has some pretty terrible lyrics and aside from the great start to the beat, it becomes annoying after a while.

    The Life of Pablo sounds like a compilation more than a coherent piece of work. It works at times, but at some points its just an experiment that didn't go over all that well. It's definitely a fun listen, but doesn't reach the same heights that his first three LP's did.    … Expand
  23. matttyc123
    Mar 28, 2016
    5
    After getting crazy excited after hearing Real Friends and No More Parties, I was expecting a return to form for Kanye after being underwhelmed by Yeezus. But I left feeling left down, feeling like I needed something more. I wanted to like this album, I really did. Besides a few standout tracks here and there, this album is bogged down in average production, little to no lyricalAfter getting crazy excited after hearing Real Friends and No More Parties, I was expecting a return to form for Kanye after being underwhelmed by Yeezus. But I left feeling left down, feeling like I needed something more. I wanted to like this album, I really did. Besides a few standout tracks here and there, this album is bogged down in average production, little to no lyrical highlights, and Kanye's standard zest for himself. Strong features throughout the album though, as there always seems to be on a Kanye record. And seriously, how do you get one of the best lyricists of all time in 3 stacks to just say 'thirty hours' for a few minutes? Give the man the verse he deserves!!!

    Fave Tracks: Ultralight Beam, Real Friends, No More Parties in LA    … Expand
  24. DadEsquire
    Mar 18, 2016
    6
    I’d like to get one thing out of the way; everything about this album is a train wreck. I mean that in the best possible way

    The Life of Pablo is Kanye West’s seventh studio album, and the hotly anticipated follow-up to his mercurial 2013 release Yeezus. The amount of build-up and hype leading up to the release of this album is unlike any other album I’ve seen, and it’s apparently gone    I’d like to get one thing out of the way; everything about this album is a train wreck. I mean that in the best possible way

    The Life of Pablo is Kanye West’s seventh studio album, and the hotly anticipated follow-up to his mercurial 2013 release Yeezus. The amount of build-up and hype leading up to the release of this album is unlike any other album I’ve seen, and it’s apparently gone through several different variations (in 2014, actor Seth Rogen claimed Kanye rapped the entire album to him in the back of a limo). Ultimately, what we got was a collection of 18 messy, eclectic tracks.

    There is little to no coherence in the flow of the album, save for the two-part tracks like “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1/Pt. 2,” “Low Lights/Highlights,” and “Real Friends” and “Wolves.” This disorganization plays a huge role in making this album look and feel like a train wreck. As with most train wrecks, you know it’s terrible, but there’s something about it that captures your attention. For me, it’s that this album sounds like a man that is losing his mind. Kanye’s played the part of the paranoid before (much of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was this version of Kanye), but on TLOP, he actually sounds like he’s going insane.

    Consider the track “Freestyle 4;” it opens with sample of the incredibly eerie strings in Goldfrapp’s “Human,” and Kanye rapping in short, choppy sentences. The drums and record scratch give off the feeling of unintentional nervous twitches and ticks. As the track goes on, Kanye descends deeper and deeper into madness.

    There’s a huge disparity in the quality of the tracks, too. Around half of the tracks feel half-baked, and with only a few feeling like a finished product. “Real Friends” and “No More Parties in LA” both shine brighter on the album than they did as singles simply because the quality of most tracks pale in comparison. Opener “Ultra Light Beam” sets the bar in terms of polish very high for the rest of the tracks, and the album suffers because of it. Many of the unfinished feeling tracks have good ideas in the beats and production, but don’t seem fully realized or suffer from very poor lyrics from Kanye.

    Lyrically and thematically, TLOP mostly addresses relationships and family. On “Real Friends,” Kanye talks about how a cousin of his stole his laptop and held it for a bribe. We hear Kanye get choked up as he’s rapping about this betrayal, showing emotion that we haven’t seen much of since 808’s & Heartbreak. However, the one-liners are among his worst, with just about every track having something to groan about. On Yeezus, most of these lewd quips were amusing and even laughable, but here they feel gross, crass, and unnecessary.

    The Life of Pablo is an unbelievably frustrating album for me to listen to. When it’s good, it’s really good; when it’s bad, it’s bad (but it’s a Kanye West album, so even the bad is still engaging). The beats and production on a lot of the tracks is very enjoyable, but the album is derailed by a half-finished feel, unfunny and unnecessary one-liners, and general malaise. It’s erratic and scatterbrained, a perfect portrait of Kanye as an artist. It’s just unfortunate that it’s not a better portrait.    … Expand
  25. AlexHeyns
    Mar 8, 2016
    6
    One can definitely admire West's marketing skills, but did the album ultimately live up to the hype?

    Stylistically and emotionally this album is all over the place, but I think that was the intention - to give each listener an opportunity to interpret the album differently. Even though most of the tracks stand well on their own, I feel as if this album was meant to be listened from    One can definitely admire West's marketing skills, but did the album ultimately live up to the hype?

    Stylistically and emotionally this album is all over the place, but I think that was the intention - to give each listener an opportunity to interpret the album differently. Even though most of the tracks stand well on their own, I feel as if this album was meant to be listened from start to finish in one sitting.

    Production-wise the album is varied. There's lots of experimentation going on here, but unfortunately some of the tracks feel very incomplete. That doesn't stop the album from shining at certain points though. It makes up for it with good vocal work from featured guest artists and a few standout tracks, but tracks that feel like pointless filler still plague the entire LP.

    Even though the tracks are all over the show in terms of style and rhythm, I feel as if the album manages to achieve a solid flow throughout, keeping the listener gripped from start to finish. Tracks like 'Real Friends' and 'No More Parties in LA' (featuring some great bars by Kendrick Lamar, a real highlight) are some great standouts.

    'The Life of Pablo' was meant to confuse and challenge the listener, but some of the attempts to try and make this album sound more (for lack of a better word) deep or innovative, just end up feeling tacked on and cheap. In terms of lyrical content some of Kanye's bars are downright cringe-worthy and just sound awful.

    Overall, the good outshines the bad, but only by a slight margin. Poor production and lyrics on some of the tracks prevent the album from being truly great. Not a bad LP at all, but nothing truly spectacular either.

    Personal favourites from the LP: 'Famous', 'Real Friends' and 'No More Parties in LA'.

    - Alex Heyns. Cape Town, South Africa    … Expand
  26. agibbons_96
    Mar 8, 2016
    5
    Up until now, it's been possible to separate Kanye's music from the egotistical personality that created it, but this is the first album of his that you can't really tell the artist from the art. An experimental album in every sense of the word, West's seventh album (eighth if you include “Watch the Throne” with Jay-Z) is his most wide ranging to date with its origins dating back as far asUp until now, it's been possible to separate Kanye's music from the egotistical personality that created it, but this is the first album of his that you can't really tell the artist from the art. An experimental album in every sense of the word, West's seventh album (eighth if you include “Watch the Throne” with Jay-Z) is his most wide ranging to date with its origins dating back as far as the “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” sessions in 2009. For anyone reading this who hasn't heard this record yet, note that “The Life of Pablo”
    (previously “So Help Me God”, “SWISH” and “Waves”) is NOTHING like the impressively cohesive work of any of West's previous albums, and is in fact, very messy. However, it appears that West wanted to do something
    that was not typically him, and wished to create a chaotic record, which to his credit, he has achieved. There are some amazing moments here without question, such as the gospel-inspired opener "Ultralight Beam", the more traditional “Real Friends” and the G-Funk laced “No
    More Parties in L.A.”, but for every great song here, there is almost always two bad tracks (or failed experiments, to be impartial about it) to go with the good ones. "Siiiiiiiiilver Surffffeeeeer Intermission" is the most pointless track on the album, and though only a minute long, it feels like an f*cking eternity. “Facts” and “Fade” are God awful, with only the production being the saving grace on both tracks. When Kanye isn't being brilliant or awful, he's being either completely mad in his decisions or hilarious (and not in a good way). It almost impossible not to laugh hysterically at the “bleached a**hole” verse on “Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1” or West's reference to Taylor Swift on “Famous”. However, the “I Love Kanye” skit is actually a moment of genuine laughter which plays on the joke on Kanye
    loving himself, but does so from the third person angle very cleverly. Guest vocalists dominate the album, which include Rihanna, The Weeknd. Chance the Rapper, Kendrick Lamar and Kid Cudi (to be honest, after “Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven”, a brave call). In fairness, most of the guest vocalists (including Cudi) do a great job during their brief
    cameos on the album, with Rihanna's contribution to “Famous”, The Weeknd on “FML” and Lamar on “No More Parties in L.A.” being highlights. The album's second half is rather consistent in quality, with “30 Hours” being a pure chill-out tune, though the phone call at the end of the song could have been cut. “Wolves” is another good
    track, with Frank Ocean's vocals being among the best on the entire album, but “No More Parties in L.A.” is a gem! West and Lamar brings the G-Funk styled hip hop of the 90's back in style. Lamar's verse is the best moment on an extremely inconsistent album. There are so many
    points, both good AND bad about this album that it could be the musical epitome of Marmite – some will love it, others will never want to hear it again, and there are those (like myself) who'll love what's good about “The Life of Pablo”, but will despise its flaws. It would also be the first record from West that you would wonder whether his ego has finally influenced his work in a negative way. Overall, one of the weakest albums West has released to date, but it does, and will lead you to wonder “Where on Earth will he go from here?”.

    Album Highlights - "Ultralight Beam", “Real Friends”, “Wolves”, “30 Hours” and “No More Parties in L.A.”.    … Expand
  27. swagkonyjohnson
    Mar 2, 2016
    6
    While The Life of Pablo ultimately is an overall decent project when compared to many other modern hip hop albums, it lacks the certain it-factors that made Kanye’s past albums so great, and while there are great moments on this record, there were also just as many cringe-worthy moments uncharacteristic of Kanye West’s music that weighed this album down.
  28. Srmlt1014
    Feb 23, 2016
    4
    Production wise this album is nothing short of the flawlessness you'd expect from a Ye album . Lyrically it is not awe insiring but blunt and in your face. While its up to the indivigual to decide whether or not they appreciate it or not. It seems to be disconnected from the average listener on the surface with songs like the controversial Famous. Underneath is a masterfully designed asProduction wise this album is nothing short of the flawlessness you'd expect from a Ye album . Lyrically it is not awe insiring but blunt and in your face. While its up to the indivigual to decide whether or not they appreciate it or not. It seems to be disconnected from the average listener on the surface with songs like the controversial Famous. Underneath is a masterfully designed as a perfectly scripted fight of the ego and conscious. This being said while these elements are melded beautifully at the close of each song and even the album as a whole I'm left wanting more. Its hard to know if this album is representing the ever conflicting parts of Kanye or if its supposed to leave that lingering feeling of emptiness. If thats the intent then I congratulate Mr. West on a job well done . But as most people have enough on their plates its hard to swallow the very public 58 million dollars worth of angst and molly popping piled into this album.… Expand
  29. zb1928
    Feb 23, 2016
    4
    A few songs on this album were ok. Besides those few albums it was all over the place and not in a good way. production was also just ok. The lyrics Kanye randomly throws into some of the songs make them unlistenable to me.
  30. Allion
    Feb 23, 2016
    6
    am going to break down each track on this album and give an overall “review”/final impression of it. I got a lot to say, so here it goes:

    L: Liked D: Disliked I: Indifferent 1. Ultra Light Beams: Fantastic song, and a great way to start the album. I guess this is where Kanye’s “gospel album” idea stems from. I think The Dream and Kelly Price’s vocals perfectly complement this song,    am going to break down each track on this album and give an overall “review”/final impression of it. I got a lot to say, so here it goes:

    L: Liked D: Disliked I: Indifferent

    1. Ultra Light Beams: Fantastic song, and a great way to start the album. I guess this is where Kanye’s “gospel album” idea stems from. I think The Dream and Kelly Price’s vocals perfectly complement this song, and Chance The Rapper’s verse was great. I actually didn’t like Acid Rap or Chance for that matter, but this verse made me a fan. This song was great, but it felt like a Chance feat. Kanye song, not the other way around. L

    2. Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1: This song starts off nicely, and it feels like something off of MBDTF. Sadly, it takes a deep nose dive when Kanye starts talking about bleached **** SMH. D

    3. Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 2: I really like the hook on this song, and to my surprise, it wasn’t Future who was on it, it was some random guy named Desiigner. I decided to look him up, and played the first track I found, “Panda”. I was confused, because it was the SAME as Pt. 2. I think this song should be renamed to “Panda Remix”, because that’s all it is, a remix. I

    4. Famous: I like the samples on this song, and the instrumentation was nice. That’s about it. I didn’t like the lyrics one bit, and I think Kanye should grow up. He is still talking about an incident that happened years ago, and he basically went back on his apology. Once again, SMH. I

    5. Feedback: This song sounds exactly like something off of Yeezus. It’s ok. D

    6. Low Lights: This was kind of like an interlude to the next song, Highlights. It had an interesting sample. Not a song though. It reminds me of MBDTF. I

    7. Highlights: This song carried on the feel from the previous interlude, and I thought it was a decent track. Those lines about the go-pro **** were horrible. L

    8. Freestyle 4: I really liked the beat on this song, it feels like something Denzel Curry would go in on. Once again, fake Future makes an appearance, although his 4 bars were cool. L

    **9. I Love Kanye: **Not a song, more of a freestyle kind of thing. It was hilarious though, and shows that Kanye is self aware of the memes made about him, lol. L

    10: Waves: I liked this song, but I feel like this was more of Chris Brown’s song than it was Kanye’s. The hook is nice, but I think the song would’ve benefited from a second verse from Kanye at the end. L

    11. FML: The Weeknd killed it, but the song felt a little bare bones to me. I was hoping that The Weeknd would have a bigger part, like his own verse and not just the hook. The sample towards the end was great, it fit the song. L

    12. Real Friends: Everything about this song is great. Kanye sounds more introspective than he has on the rest of the album, and the Ty Dolla $ign was cool too. I gotta look up the sample on here, but I like it too. When this song came out last month, I was hoping that the rest of the album would sound like this. Sadly it doesn’t, but that doesn’t take anything away from this song. L

    13. Wolves: I hate this song. I don’t know why, I just hate it. Actually wait, I know why. “You left your fridge open, and someone took a sandwich”. BARS. D

    14. Silver Surfer Intermission: I don’t see the point of this, there was no need for it. Kanye didn’t even name the album “Waves”, so why did he get Max B’s “blessing”? D

    15. 30 Hours: I liked the first half of this song, but I feel like the second half should’ve been replaced with a feature or just removed. It actually sounded like Late Registration Kanye to me. I

    16. No More Parties In LA: This is getting heavy play on my phone. Kendrick Lamar was amazing as usual, and Kanye was equally amazing on here. This has to be my favourite song on here. L

    17. Facts: I didn’t like the previous version of this song as it sounded too much like “Jumpman”. This new version is OK though. I

    18. Fade: I didn’t like this song at all. This beat sounded too much like pop for my taste. D

    Of the 18 tracks, I would only deem 15 of them as actual songs, and from those 15 songs, I only liked 7 of them. For that reason, I will say that this album is a decent album, and definitely an improvement over Yeezus, but TLOP will not be getting any regular plays from me. I feel almost disappointed, but I feel like Kanye is beginning a descend just like Kid Cudi experienced. I think I’ll stick to his pre-2012 projects. I think this album is a 6-6.5/10.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Most Discussed Album of 2016
4
#4 Most Shared Album of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. Under The Radar
    Apr 6, 2016
    55
    There is plenty here to suggest that West's magic has not entirely left him, but as a statement of art or true intent, this is a significant misstep from an artist with so much to praise.
    Read full review
  2. The Telegraph (UK)
    Apr 1, 2016
    60
    There is much to be admired here, rather less to be enjoyed.
    Read full review
  3. Uncut
    Mar 22, 2016
    70
    For better or worse, no-one else is making records quite like this. [May 2016, p.82]
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