User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2238 Ratings

User score distribution:
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  1. Feb 18, 2016
    9
    I thought this was one of Kanye's worst albums at first, but after giving it many more listens, I'm not sure that's true anymore. The lyrics seem misplaced in a few songs, but perhaps this is intentional to reflect the theme of the album which can be seen on the cover: family versus decadence. They are nevertheless not near the level of what we're used to seeing from him on a lot of songs.I thought this was one of Kanye's worst albums at first, but after giving it many more listens, I'm not sure that's true anymore. The lyrics seem misplaced in a few songs, but perhaps this is intentional to reflect the theme of the album which can be seen on the cover: family versus decadence. They are nevertheless not near the level of what we're used to seeing from him on a lot of songs. A number of songs are a strong exception, but there seems to be a lack of consistency. After all, this album did seem rushed and this is apparently not even the final version. Perhaps he devoted too much time to his fashion line instead of giving the album his full attention like he usually does. Of course, his natural talent for production shines through and helps carry many songs to excellence. Many great collaborations are also present. In its own right, it's still a great album. Collapse Expand
  2. Feb 18, 2016
    7
    The album starts off decent, but with pointless intermissions and many filler tracks, the album loses its focus and cohesion.

    Favorite Tracks: Ultralight Beam, Pt. 2, Famous, Feedback, I Love Kanye, FML, Real Friends, and No More Parties in LA.
  3. Feb 18, 2016
    4
    I'm absolutely perplexed how people can be giving this album good reviews. There are a couple of really good songs, the rest is some of the worst stuff I've ever heard. For example if you can't freestyle, don't put it on your album. It is probably the worst freestyle I've ever heard, here's an excerpt, and the rest of it is like this:

    What the f*** right now? What the f*** right
    I'm absolutely perplexed how people can be giving this album good reviews. There are a couple of really good songs, the rest is some of the worst stuff I've ever heard. For example if you can't freestyle, don't put it on your album. It is probably the worst freestyle I've ever heard, here's an excerpt, and the rest of it is like this:

    What the f*** right now?
    What the f*** right now?
    What the, What the f*** right now?
    What if we f*** right now?
    What if we f***ed right in the middle
    Of this motherf***in' dinner table?
    What if we f***ed at the Vogue party?
    Would we be the life of the whole party?
    Shut down the whole party
    Would everybody start f***in'?
    Would everybody start f***in'?
    Would everybody start f***in'?

    If rhyming a line with the exact same line is talent then I'm a rap god.
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  4. Feb 18, 2016
    8
    If you took all Kanye’s previous albums, dropped it in a pot and cooked it, The Life Of Pablo is what you will get. The Life Of Pablo is messy in a good way, noisy in a beautiful way and all over the place in an orderly way (I dont even know what that means but it sounds good right?) This album is sonically out of this world as you would expect a Kante album to be, the album however fallIf you took all Kanye’s previous albums, dropped it in a pot and cooked it, The Life Of Pablo is what you will get. The Life Of Pablo is messy in a good way, noisy in a beautiful way and all over the place in an orderly way (I dont even know what that means but it sounds good right?) This album is sonically out of this world as you would expect a Kante album to be, the album however fall shorts in terms of great lyricism -sybt.tv Expand
  5. Feb 18, 2016
    10
    Overall, great album. A sonic masterpiece. While Kanye has never been the most amazing lyricist, he has always provided clever and memorable lines which he does throughout the album. The production throughout the album is amazing and Kanye truly has a gift for combining so many different types of sounds, samples, artists, etc. into such an amazing project. Songs like Ultralight Beam,Overall, great album. A sonic masterpiece. While Kanye has never been the most amazing lyricist, he has always provided clever and memorable lines which he does throughout the album. The production throughout the album is amazing and Kanye truly has a gift for combining so many different types of sounds, samples, artists, etc. into such an amazing project. Songs like Ultralight Beam, Father Stretch My Hands Pt.1 & 2, Famous, Feedback, Waves, FML, Real Friends, and 30 Hours are my favorites, but I like all of the other songs too. If I have any complaint about the album it's that some of the songs start out too slow, but if you let them build up you are in for a rewarding experience. Expand
  6. Feb 18, 2016
    10
    This isn't Hip Hop it's just pure beautiful music. Kanye is at his best and he doesn't seem like stop anytime soon. He might be a distraction in the public but the music trumps everything.
  7. Feb 18, 2016
    9
    Some tracks are unnecessary and sound like they were added at the last minute (Facts, Freestyle 4, I Love Kanye - I do like ILK though) and the album is probably SLIGHTLY longer than it needs to be, but it really is Kanye West at the top of his game and... well, being Kanye West. Best tracks: Ultralight Beam, Famous, Real Friends, FML, Wolves, Fade, Highlights.
  8. Feb 18, 2016
    9
    The album presents itself to somewhat artistic, revealing a spiritually elusive sonic ambiance. Of all the intended album titles, TLOP interprets the aberrational and con-jointed musical effort of his publicly unacceptable persona and the younger novel Kanye West.

    Just like @JeffGoldblum said; no two Kanye albums sounds alike. If you are finding difficulties liking this album, Read up
    The album presents itself to somewhat artistic, revealing a spiritually elusive sonic ambiance. Of all the intended album titles, TLOP interprets the aberrational and con-jointed musical effort of his publicly unacceptable persona and the younger novel Kanye West.

    Just like @JeffGoldblum said; no two Kanye albums sounds alike. If you are finding difficulties liking this album, Read up on Pablo Picasso and see how he started off with the generally acceptable form of art and grew up to be more personal, expressional and deviant.

    Some reviewers think its an incomplete sound, Kanye has taken a impressionist approach to how "beautiful" is defined. Take a cue from his clothing line; appreciating ugliness as an aesthetic defiance is the mode he has been creating music upon, not having to be the harmoniously balanced keys of Marvin Gaye.

    The overly collective mix of different sounds and samples suggests Kanye's ability to extract rhythm and combine a generational ascension of sounds.

    The -1 from my score is the harmful image the lyrical contents adds to his personality. He tries to reinvigorate the humorous Kanye to which he poorly misrepresented into something harsh and intense.
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  9. Feb 18, 2016
    1
    A bunch of unfinished drafts shuffled together don't make a good album. I listened to this album twice - the second time around it got even worse so I deleted it to where it deserves to be.
  10. wbz
    Feb 17, 2016
    10
    This isn't Fantasy. This isn't quite Late Registration. But damn it's good. Even though the whole thing feels a bit messy, he manages to coalesce a variety of sounds into a distinct feel.
  11. Feb 17, 2016
    0
    I have a feeling that Kanye is paying people to post reviews of his album because this album is horrible. It's like if you took two pieces of crap, slapped a piece of crap between them and made a crap sandwich.
  12. Feb 17, 2016
    9
    Em primeiro lugar o religioso 'So Help Me God', em segundo lugar o curto 'SWISH', em terceiro o sutil 'Waves' e enfim o misterioso 'The Life Of Pablo'.

    The Life Of Pablo é o sétimo álbum solo de estúdio do rapper Kanye West. Lançado oficialmente em 12 de Janeiro. Após uma longa pausa de 3 anos, enfim Kanye West está de volta. Após alguns singles e desfiles, ele volta com tudo, enfim
    Em primeiro lugar o religioso 'So Help Me God', em segundo lugar o curto 'SWISH', em terceiro o sutil 'Waves' e enfim o misterioso 'The Life Of Pablo'.

    The Life Of Pablo é o sétimo álbum solo de estúdio do rapper Kanye West. Lançado oficialmente em 12 de Janeiro.

    Após uma longa pausa de 3 anos, enfim Kanye West está de volta. Após alguns singles e desfiles, ele volta com tudo, enfim com um relacionamento sem turbulência, ele recebe de Deus seus dois novos anjos e suas roupas em total evidência. Kanye West apresenta nesse novo álbum uma nova pessoa, um Kanye que nós ainda não tínhamos conhecimento.

    O álbum conta com participações de Chance The Rapper, Chris Brown, Desiigner, Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, Kirk Franklin, Post Malone, Rihanna, Sia, Ty Dolla $ign, Vic Mensa, The Weeknd & Young Thug. UFA!

    E nas produções destaco; Cashmere Cat, Kanye West, Madlib, Metro Boomin & Rick Rubin.

    A Pitchfork compara Kanye a Picasso, aqui nesse texto comparo o álbum ao quadro de Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.

    Les Demoiselles d'Avignon: A composição de Picasso, 'As Senhoritas de Avignon', levou nove meses para ser feita, vindo a se tornar uma das obras responsáveis por revolucionar a história da arte, formando a base para o cubismo e a pintura abstrata. O Álbum é complexo, como é a pintura. As participações do álbum são como as cores da pintura, todas estão distribuídas perfeitamente, não há excessos, e todos estão em seus devidos lugares.

    Como a pintura, o álbum trocou de nome diversas vezes. A pintura foi incompreendida pelos amigos de Picasso, e o álbum está sendo incompreendido por alguns não fãs. Kanye referiu-se ao álbum como o álbum da vida, já Picasso referiu-se a pintura como sua primeira verdadeira pintura. Ambos também tem influencias da cultura africana. Picasso relatou que a pintura se retrata de tudo que ocorreu/correrá em 50 anos, o álbum retrata tudo que ocorreu na vida do Kanye e tudo o que ele deseja ocorrer. Muitos estilos em uma única tela. Muitos estilos musicais em único álbum. A possibilidade de fazer tudo que vem a sua mente. A possibilidade de rimar sobre qualquer assunto. A ousadia de Picasso. A ousadia de Kanye em 'Famous', 'Feedback' 'Freestyle 4' & 'FACTS'.

    O álbum não é de fácil entendimento como 'Graduation', você levará algumas semanas para admitir que é um bom álbum. O que Kanye passou para mim é que, ele fez o álbum expondo tudo que viveu e para seus fieis fãs. O álbum não se prende em só em um estilo, ele varia, o que é ótimo. Porém, Kanye deveria ter realizado a distribuição de faixas com mais delicadeza, algo que sempre o destacou. As letras estão no ponto, com rimas fortes e letras emocionantes tais como; 'Ultralight Beam', 'Real Friends' & 'Wolves'. Produção também é um destaque, conta com a lenda Rick Rubin, o produtor do momento, Metro Boomin e também o seu fiel companheiro Mike Dean, que produz conjunto desde Graduation. Como praxe, Kanye dá uma aula de samples no álbum, contendo samples de 'Stand Up and Shout About Love' por Larry Graham Jr, 'Do What You Gotta Do' pela Nina Simone, elementos sonoros do jogo 'Street Fighter II' e '(I Know) I'm Losing You' de Rare Earth.

    Enfim, é um bom álbum. Não se compara ao clássico 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'. porém está em um alto nível. Kanye West nunca decepciona.

    Músicas de destaque: 'Ultralight Beam', 'Real Friends' & 'No More Parties in L.A.'
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  13. Feb 17, 2016
    5
    Good: changing the music...new sounds...reinvention....Kayne can still snap on a track
    Bad: the changed music too far from an entirely good album.....new sounds are not all good, particularly if you are in hip hop....reinvention leads to overall subpar sh*t on more of these tracks....Kanye's rap is lost in the production, rarely putting together something to nod your head to while
    Good: changing the music...new sounds...reinvention....Kayne can still snap on a track
    Bad: the changed music too far from an entirely good album.....new sounds are not all good, particularly if you are in hip hop....reinvention leads to overall subpar sh*t on more of these tracks....Kanye's rap is lost in the production, rarely putting together something to nod your head to while spittin' some raw.
    Overall a disappointment for true hip hop heads. Kanye's best efforts are behind him.
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  14. Feb 17, 2016
    10
    This album at first may sounds confusing and I know a lot of people say this but it takes a couple listens to really get it this is Kanyes first album in a long time not to have a full message behind it yeezus was a political message my beautiful dark twisted fantasy was his response to the Taylor swift incident and 808 was a response to him losing his mother and fiancé this is KanyesThis album at first may sounds confusing and I know a lot of people say this but it takes a couple listens to really get it this is Kanyes first album in a long time not to have a full message behind it yeezus was a political message my beautiful dark twisted fantasy was his response to the Taylor swift incident and 808 was a response to him losing his mother and fiancé this is Kanyes first album without a backing message since graduation! I must say I was surprised as most songs are upbeat rather than Kanyes darker tone on recent albums it's him simply being him and takes many tones similar to his past efferts such as electronic minimalist tracks such (wolves) soul sample songs that wouldn't sound out of place on graduation or the college dropout ( no more parties in la & father stretch my hands) along with more instructial efforts such as (feedback, fade or freestyle 4) this album does not feature as much rapping as yeezus it features Kanyes style evolving more into a permanent stance witch you well recognize on most tracks recurring themes but more a less Kanye is in danger of becoming more known for his personal life than his music like Michael Jackson none the less this album is so far the best album of 2016 with its amazing production and at times deeply personal lyrics none the less I will review each track individually note not including interloads

    1. Ultra light beam (Ft Chance the rapper & Kelly price)
    A deep religious number with Kanye saying to reject the depressing ways of Satan and pray for more joy also with an amazing religious themed verse from chance the rapper and a calming Minimalist beat rating 8/10

    2.father stretch my hands pt1 &2 (ft kid cudi)
    Starting off with a soul sample before changing into a more yeezus style track witch is becoming more Kanyes signature with Kanyes auto verse talking about random subjects such as anal bleaching this track is one of the more polarizing tracks on the album but a strong chorus from kid cudi a good beat and a very fitting sample of desiigners panda this track is a calming song to drive too rating 7/10

    3. Famous ( ft Rihanna & Swizz beats)
    The track that caused world wide controversy due to Kanyes lyrics (I feel like
    Me and Taylor may still have sex I mad that **** famous) the origin of the lyrics seem unknown due to some saying Taylor oked the lyrics others saying otherwise but none the less the song is the most normal on the album with a hip hop beat and a good Chorus from Rihanna of her sample Nina Simone's and some adlibs from Swizz beats and a great sample of the reggae song bang bang you might know from the interview it's one of the more "normal" songs on the album rating 8.5/10

    4. Feedback
    This song was first heard when arcade fires front man previewed it at a dj set it's a very yeezus style instruial track with a strange but good beat with Kanye showing off some
    Good bars such as (name one genius who ain't crazy) or ( if hov j every Jordan need a rodman) rating 9/10

    5.highlights (ft el de barge Young thug & the dream)

    The young thug featuring banger features both rappers going full autotune along with a great outro from the dream and good beat rating 9/10

    6. Freestyle 4 (ft designer)
    Probably the strangest songs on the album with a menacing beat this song has Kanye go full yeezus describing what he wants to do to Kim at a vogue party rating 9.5/10

    7. Waves (ft Chris brown & kid cudi)
    Most admit I must thank chance for making Kanye put this on the album a thundering unexpected chorus from Chris brown and Kanye shooting some poetic over a futuristic trap beat remicent somewhat of 808 rating 10/10

    8. FML (ft the weeknd )

    Starts off with Kanye deleviring a deep personal intro along with the weeknds strong chorus and Kanyes quick verse over a dark beat this song has Everything the album has to over rating 8/10

    9. Real friends (ft ty Dolla $ign$
    Possibly the most lyrically strong song on the album features Kanye delivering a similar message too welcome to heart break over a drake like beat it's defienltly a grower and the most radio friendly song on the album rating 8/10

    10. Wolves (ft Frank ocean)
    With sia and Vic Mensa gone it features Kanye and frank ocean delivering lyrics about hard ships and growth over an ambient along with Kanyes lone verse reminiscent of runaway rating 9/10

    11. 30 hours
    A song with help from Andre 3000 drake and pharrel can never fail with lyrics of Kanyes past over a smooth beat a for sure can't miss rating 9.5/10

    12. No more parties in la ( ft k dot)
    A very throwback song features the rappers
    Throwing some hard bars over a sample heavy beat rating 7.5/10

    13. Facts
    This Charlie Heat beat is much better than the original with some
    Nike dissing lyrics this jumpman sister track wouldn't be out of place on any future album rating 8/10

    14. fade ( ft ty Dolla $ign & post Malone)
    Over one of the best beats Kanyes ever produced over a mr fingers sample Kanye post and ty deliver smooth lyrics rt 10/1
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  15. Feb 17, 2016
    7
    I listened to only some tracks of his new work because I don't have a TIdal account so I listened all tracks but not all. I really like the first singles out like No More Parties In LA. Kanye is back with a kind of Old School Rap....
  16. Feb 17, 2016
    8
    Its amazing how Kanye can creates a flows in his music that envolves you from the beggining to the end of the album. He tells in a mesmerizing way his scathing and bruising message. The sound is pure and simple. No exaggerations. Although he uses a lot of samples and participations, it is just enough to enrich his songs. An interessant experimental work, without border the smug. It'sIts amazing how Kanye can creates a flows in his music that envolves you from the beggining to the end of the album. He tells in a mesmerizing way his scathing and bruising message. The sound is pure and simple. No exaggerations. Although he uses a lot of samples and participations, it is just enough to enrich his songs. An interessant experimental work, without border the smug. It's just pure good music. Expand
  17. Feb 17, 2016
    10
    If you can't see the CREATIVE GENIUS in this album, problably you're an idiot. This album is something amazing, he changed the game yet another time. Love this crazy egocentric psychopath
  18. Feb 17, 2016
    9
    Wouldn't go as far to say it's Kanye's "White Album", but I can understand the comparison. It's not perfect, but there is a perfect album in there somewhere, mostly within the first half. Everything after "Silver Surfer Intermission" is strictly bonus in my opinion, which helps maintain any sense of consistency and flow among the rest of the album. There are elements of old, including theWouldn't go as far to say it's Kanye's "White Album", but I can understand the comparison. It's not perfect, but there is a perfect album in there somewhere, mostly within the first half. Everything after "Silver Surfer Intermission" is strictly bonus in my opinion, which helps maintain any sense of consistency and flow among the rest of the album. There are elements of old, including the auto-tune throwback to "808's" and heavily sampled flow of early Kanye with tracks such as "No More Parties in L.A.". The vicious "Yeezus"-era sound is apparent in "Feedback" and "Freestyle 4". What's new and progressive here is the occasional use of modern trap sounds, apparent in "Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 2", and this type of loose structure/quick cut theme is new to Kanye. We're so used to having cohesive albums from Kanye that this jumping around from idea to idea is both distracting and thrilling. Kind of like the erratic lead-up to Pablo's release, this album as a whole is pretty erratic, yet entertaining and undoubtably sonically appealing. Kanye continues to reign as a producer, while throwing his blunt jabs that one can either find hilarious or offensive. Expand
  19. Feb 17, 2016
    9
    Some of the beat switches got on my nerves initially and could have been executed more smoothly in my opinion. I have started to get used to them after multiple listens and can really enjoy almost every single song on this album (freestyle 4 aside). Ultralight Beam is amazing. Fantastic album with many highs.
  20. Feb 17, 2016
    10
    Best. Kanye. Album. Ever. Every listen gets better. Waves is now the best song, soon to be replaced by Real Friends. Ultralight beams. The depth of the music. The layers. Moving into Dr. Dre mode, bring in all the guests you want, its the underlying music thats the feature. Don't buy the mainstream media trying to bring Kanye down. This album is amazing. 30 Hours is as good asBest. Kanye. Album. Ever. Every listen gets better. Waves is now the best song, soon to be replaced by Real Friends. Ultralight beams. The depth of the music. The layers. Moving into Dr. Dre mode, bring in all the guests you want, its the underlying music thats the feature. Don't buy the mainstream media trying to bring Kanye down. This album is amazing. 30 Hours is as good as Last Call on The College Dropout. And thats saying something. Expand
  21. Feb 17, 2016
    8
    Somewhere in here it feels like there's an amazing album that just isn't polished or fully formed. TLOP is a bit chaotic in nature with a few tracks that feel both unfinished and like filler. There are 8-9 truly wonderful songs on the track list, a few of those such as Feedback or Fade STILL feel like they could probably be more than what they are even though their current state is stillSomewhere in here it feels like there's an amazing album that just isn't polished or fully formed. TLOP is a bit chaotic in nature with a few tracks that feel both unfinished and like filler. There are 8-9 truly wonderful songs on the track list, a few of those such as Feedback or Fade STILL feel like they could probably be more than what they are even though their current state is still extremely replayable. Overall, this is still a very exceptional album that can feel a bit exhausting at times, but it does grow with each listen. Expand
  22. Feb 17, 2016
    9
    Production is on par with MBDTF, maybe even better. 10/10. The lyrics have their moments, but they're kind of lazy and hold it back from being a 10 for me. They're not any worse than you'll find on other albums, but the production is so good that it makes it look like the flow can't keep up by comparison.
  23. Feb 17, 2016
    1
    All these ten reviews are completely absurd. Either people have been paid to promote this drivel or the kanye bandwagon has officially made people lose their minds and act like a religious cult. This is Kanye worst work yet as he drifts closer and closer to ending up in a psych ward.
  24. Feb 17, 2016
    10
    A masterpiece in its own right, the album isn't meant for those who cant stomach this kind of music. Kanye isn't making music so that you'd like him or so you can take him seriously, he's making music that he wants to make for fun and making it sound amazing as well. We shouldn't analyze everything he says because really all he's doing is giving us his opinions, humor and own experiencesA masterpiece in its own right, the album isn't meant for those who cant stomach this kind of music. Kanye isn't making music so that you'd like him or so you can take him seriously, he's making music that he wants to make for fun and making it sound amazing as well. We shouldn't analyze everything he says because really all he's doing is giving us his opinions, humor and own experiences on a sliver platter with flawless production behind it. Its a perfect mess. Expand
  25. Feb 17, 2016
    9
    Look! This record is downright relevant, alive, interesting, full...I've never been a huge Kayne fan, but this record has changed that for me. It's amazing, fun, sad, just downright great. Sorry haters, Kayne is real, real good with The Life Of Pablo.
  26. Feb 17, 2016
    9
    To enjoy this album, give it a second listen. It underscores Kanye's desire to explore a wide variety of sounds and produce a chaotic album that makes more sense as you listen to it more. For those looking for experimental music with complementary lyrics and voices this is a good one.
  27. Feb 17, 2016
    10
    Kanye did it again, This was not a consistent album, but it was done intentionally. A perfect mixture of many music genres. You start off with a gospel like song, then you just drop into bass with nice vocals of kid cudi. The rest is history.
  28. Feb 17, 2016
    10
    This album is absolutely stellar, from the first song up to the last song it's just an art, Kanye isn't afraid of using avante garde background music, and thought provoking vocals to produce something that transcends not only hip hop into great music, but also great music into artefact status.
  29. Feb 16, 2016
    0
    I have to fill in the requirements but honestly this is a big no. Its a good 6 but you guys are seriously giving this "man" (cause he is no god) too much credit. He is an okay rapper who just loops and takes things from other songs.
  30. Feb 16, 2016
    6
    The creativity of To Pimp a Butterfly combined with the brains and voice of Donald Trump.

    Kanye West is really good at producing music and that continues with this album. Just don't listen to it expecting to be challenged or inspired.
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 35
  2. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. 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.
  2. 60
    There is much to be admired here, rather less to be enjoyed.
  3. Uncut
    Mar 22, 2016
    70
    For better or worse, no-one else is making records quite like this. [May 2016, p.82]