The Bottom Line
Led by an army of 808s and heartbeats, "Love Lockdown" sets us up for Kanye West's curious 4th album, titled (what else?) 808s & Heartbreak.
Pros
- Brilliant production
- Infusion of techno-pop and hip-hop
Cons
- Singing is not Kanye's strength
Description
- "Love Lockdown" is the lead single from 808s & Heartbreak
- "Love Lockdown"'s music video was inspired by the movie American Psycho
- Kanye made "stems" of "Love Lockdown" available for download on his blog, thus sparking a remix craze
Guide Review - Kanye West - "Love Lockdown" (Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam)
So what's the problem here? His singing? His blatant reliance on Auto-Tune? His voice, all monotonous and flat? His foray into techno-pop? The way his pitch rises to a vibrating point on "system overload"? Irrespective of perception, Kanye ensures that his tired tropes of vulnerability stay that way because, as far as he's concerned, art exceeds reality. And all this I pinned down after being locked in by the thumping heartbeat, thunderous bass, synthesizer shower, tingling piano licks, and arena-rap percussion of "Love Lockdown." You too will wonder what exactly is supposed to be wrong here.
