The Bottom Line
Kanye West returns with one of the strongest singles of his career. He seamlessly throws together rap, rock anchored by a classic sample, and something that seems a bit like a field holler. Lyrically, the song is a meditation on where Kanye West has been the past couple of years telling off the haters as usual. Once again very few artists can blend musical styles in a such a powerful mix while delivering words that make listeners think. Kanye West proves once again that his statements of his own musical prowess carry a significant amount of truth.
Pros
- Powerful emtional lyrics
- Inspired "21st Century Schizoid Man" sample
- Creepy but beautiful closing choruses
Cons
- No major negatives
Description
- Written by Kanye West, Larry Griffin, Andwele Gardner, Ken Lewis, Francois Bernheim, Jean Pierre Lang, Boris Bergman, Mike Dean, Jeff Bhasker, Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald, and Peter Sinfield
- Produced by S1, Kanye West, Jeff Bhasker, and Mike Dean
- Released June 2010 by Roc-a-Fella
Guide Review - Kanye West - "Power" featuring Dwele
Has an emotional meltdown in song ever felt this...uh...powerful? Kanye West throws himself back into the pop mainstream with a return to rapping amid rock sounds that lend an intensity that is hard to ignore. Like many times before he speaks in grandiose terms about his own skills, but there is a palpable sense of things falling apart or being barely held together until the song closes with unexpectedly gentle choruses about a "beautiful death."
"Power" is anchored by a sample from King Crimson's 1969 classic "21st Century Schizoid Man." The crunchy guitar sound also floats in and out at various moments of the backing track. The result is one of the most overtly rock edged of Kanye West's singles. "Power" would fit comfortably across a wide rang of musical genres.
As Kanye West winds his way lyrically through "Power," we are told in no uncertain terms that he knows exactly what he is doing to entertain an audience. He also explains that approaching him as "the abomination of Obama's nation" is quite frankly a "bad way to start the conversation." Most any other artist would be possible to dismiss with a sense they had committed career suicide following the notorious Taylor Swift VMA incident. Kanye West just seems to feed on the fallout and be challenged to produce ever more potent music.
The detour into "pop art" with 808s and Heartbreak seems far in the past as Kanye West launches himself back into rap with all guns blazing. The shift in approach for Eminem recently heralded a triumphant return with the album Recovery selling over a million in just two weeks. Will music fans ultimately follow "Power" into massive sales for Kanye's upcoming Good Ass Job? We will all be eagerly watching.
