Throughout the past 15 years, the ever-controversial Kanye West has dominated the music industry. The artist has many accolades to his name, including 22 Grammys and 75 Grammy nominations. West has a lot of well-known songs that are beautifully crafted. He is credited as one of the most influential musicians of today.
West will go down as one of the greatest rappers ever not just because of his rich lyrics and great flows, but because of his ability to combine those with music surrounding the sounds. The sample soundtracks found in West’s songs are crafted to fit the tone. The volume of the music and lyrics are both just right, allowing for his lyrics to work together with the music to enhance the listening experience. From “Gold Digger” to “Stronger,” West’s anthems are heard around the world. Here are the best 15 Kanye West Songs and their respective albums.
- “Devil In A New Dress” (from “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” 2010)
According to West, the entire Twisted Fantasy album felt like an apology to the public. This was in the wake of his incident with Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMA Awards Ceremony. The iconic moment was publicly disapproved of by then-president Barack Obama, former president Jimmy Carter and millions more. West understood that he was not in the good graces of the public any more and created the Twisted Fantasy album in order to win back the world. He was successful. The album received a Grammy for the best rap album. One of the album’s defining songs, “Devil In a New Dress” is amazing because of its sonic beat, guitar solo, verse by Rick Ross and sample of Smokey Robinson’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” West presents himself as a celebrity “stunting on a jumbotron” and a regular on the receiving end of text message breakups.
- “Blood On The Leaves” (from “Yeezus,” 2013)
“Yeezus” is a 10-song narrative album, meaning that it is a story. This particular story follows an arrogant ultra-celebrity known by the audience as Yeezus. “Blood On The Leaves” is the seventh song in the album and is certainly the climax of the story. During the first minute of the song, West seems to be asking a possible partner for more time to pay them, realizing their relationship is not meant to be. He seems to be angry and at one minute and seven seconds, the building pressure explodes. The captivating lyrics and tense music give this song an unfamiliar feel. Even with the angry rapping throughout the song, “Blood On The Leaves” is a beautifully executed chapter in the Yeezus narrative.
- “Jesus Walks” (from “The College Dropout,” 2004)
“Jesus Walks” earned the title of best rap song at the 47th Grammy Awards Ceremony. The song uses a gospel sounding sample, enforcing the religious sound suggested by the title. West professes the injustices of modern society before saying, “My mama used to say only Jesus can save us.” This leads into the chorus where West raps about his fear of God and longing to reconnect with him. West is clearly passionate about the message in “Jesus Walks.” His passion and performance carried the song to peak at No. 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
- “All Falls Down” (from “The College Dropout,” 2004)
“All Falls Down” is the second song from “The College Dropout” album on this list. Like in “Jesus Walks,” West uses his distinctive voice to identify twisted truths in today’s society. Certain lyrics pack a huge punch like, “It seem like we living the American Dream but the people highest up got the lowest self esteem.” These two bars paired with Syleena Johnson’s voice singing “Oh when it all, yeah it all falls down,” make the listener ponder the truths we have learned about society. The offputting lyrics do not seem to fit the upbeat sound of the music. The song achieved platinum status in the United States, proving its success. West does not just talk about the faults of society on the track, He also admits his own faults, proving he knows he is not a perfect human but is still working on himself.
- “Ni**as In Paris” (from “Watch The Throne,” 2011)
This party anthem is not as pointless as it seems. West is not just known for his work in the music industry, but in the fashion industry as well. This song was inspired by West’s trips to Paris for crazy fashion shows. The song seems to tell the whole world to mind their own business. User Wad0cash on Song Meanings compares the track to Ernest Hemingway’s famous novel, “The Sun Also Rises,” which takes place in Paris after World War I. The user drew parallels between the book and the song.“The characters in the novel all struggle with deep-seeded insecurities concerning their masculinity and social superiority over others, and spend most of their time getting drunk and displaying narcissistic, arrogant behavior to try and impress the most prominent female character in the book,” he wrote. Sound familiar? West and Jay-Z act the exact same in “Ni**as in Paris.” Their performance on the song was noticed as it won best rap performance and best rap song at the 2013 Grammy Awards.
- “Violent Crimes” (from “ye,” 2018)
In this song, West shows the father side of his life. He struggles with his rockstar status and past treatment of women as he tries to raise his daughter. He takes the role as a father raising his daughter in the presence of pimps and players that have the ability to change her life in a negative way. The vocals from Ty Dolla $ign and 070 Shake make “Violent Crimes” a powerful and wholesome song despite the use of vulgar language throughout the track.
- “Heartless” (from “808s & Heartbreak,” 2008)
“Heartless” is a song dedicated to West’s break up with ex-fiance Alexis Phifer. It features electric music and excessive use of auto-tune during the chorus. In this chorus, West raps about a story of a man who lost his soul to a heartless woman. He finishes the chorus with an angry question, saying, “How could you be so heartless?” The track discusses some of the details of the break-up, but a casual listener could easily mistake the song for a fun fantasy.
- “I Wonder” (from “Graduation,” 2007)
“I Wonder” is a song that truly means what it says. In an interview, West said he just zoned out and let the beat come to him in order to make this hit. The emotional song is about finding one’s dreams and inspires listeners to go out and follow their dreams. The song combines strings, piano and samples to give the song an immense feeling. “I Wonder” follows the generally upbeat and innocent tone of the “Graduation” album. When West wrote this album, he was still new to the music and fashion industries but was naive to the unfair topics discussed in later albums.
- “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” (from “Graduation,” 2007)
“Can’t Tell Me Nothing” is a call out to all of West’s haters. “I guess the money should’ve changed him, I guess I should’ve forgot where I came from” is a line that shows how many believe money is the solution to all problems. West is saying that the common belief is money should make you a more successful person and that people should leave their old lives behind once they make it. West does not follow this belief. He did not forget where he came from and chose to be a nonconformist. “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” is often overlooked by more popular songs, but the soulful music and painstaking lyrics give this song a special kind of energy that is only found on the “Graduation” album.
- “Ultralight Beam” (from “The Life Of Pablo,” 2016)
“Ultralight Beam” draws connections between “The Life of Pablo” and Saint Paul the Apostle. Paul was on his way to persecute Christians when he was blinded by a light beam. This caused him to go blind. He miraculously regained his sight three days later and decided to serve the lord again. Paul went on to be a devout Christian, writing 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament. “Ultralight Beam” serves as the tipping point in West’s religious life. In the album before, “Yeezus,” an exaggerated version of West known as Yeezus lived a sinful and narcissistic life for most of the album. One song from the album is called “I Am A God,” which breaks one of Christianity’s Ten Commandments. “The Life Of Pablo” and “Ultralight Beam” specifically represent Kanye’s acknowledgement of his sinful actions, and we see him want to change for the better. Then, three years later, West released his first gospel album, “JESUS IS KING.” The song’s story is not why it is number six on the list. The vocals from Kelley Price, The-Dream, Natlalie Green, Somaria Green, the choir and verses from Chance The Rapper and Kirk Franklin make song number six.
- “New Slaves” (from “Yeezus,” 2013)
Yeezus takes on cultural addictions to material goods that all of us “New Slaves” to the very selective group of white billionares that control a large percentge of the wealth in the U.S. West uses menacing dissonance in the introduction to increase tension. The dissonance continues to increase, reaching a peak before the synth drops away completely, leaving only West’s voice. His first line is “My momma was raised in the era when clean water was only served to the fairer skin.” The era referred to in these lyrics was when segregation was legal, which leads the audience to think about the slaves mentioned in the title. He then continues on saying,
“”What you want, a Bentley? Fur coat? A diamond chain?
All you blacks want all the same things”
Used to only be ni**as, now everybody playin’
Spendin’ everything on Alexander Wang
New slaves”
The first part of the quote refers to the black gangster stereotype, implying that all African Americans want certain items like fur coats and diamond chains. The following line implies that the discrimination was only towards blacks, and now it is towards a huge majority of the population; everybody is spending money on fashion designer Alexander Wangs clothing. Everyone is a slave of this broken world that is led by the rich few.
- “Flashing Lights” (from “Graduation,” 2007)
The soothing beat is akin to many found on the “Graduation” album. The song can be described as something in between “I Wonder” and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing.” “Flashing Lights” is another song about fame and its effect on West’s romantic life. If you close your eyes and listen, you can almost imagine the cameras flashing from every angle as you walk down the red carpet. This famous lifestyle is desirable for many, including the romantic partner discussed in the song. The first words in the first verse are “She don’t believe in shootin’ stars,/ But she believe in shoes and cars” which immediately show the partner’s desire for material goods instead of the somewhat trivial things in life that can mean more than money. As this line immediately sets the environment for the song, West goes deeper into his relationships with the woman and discusses the effect a woman who desires fame can have on his lifestyle and relationship with others around him.
- “Ghost Town” (from “ye,” 2018)
Similar to how “Blood On The Leaves” is the climax of West’s “Yeezus” album, “Ghost Town” is the sonic climax of this album. The cover art for “ye” is a picture of Jackson Hole’s mountains, where West stayed during the creation of the album. Text centered on the picture reads, “I hate being Bi-Polar it’s awesome.” The sentence reflects topics covered in the songs such as mental health and addiction. “Ghost Town” is a very unique song because the meaning of the lyrics is not as clear and single minded as it is in most of West’s songs. The sample and music long for freedom, but freedom from what? It could be freedom from the limelight, a recurring theme in West’s music. It could also be escape from his own head, which makes sense with the album cover in mind. The track is open to interpretation from the listener and allows them to focus on the instruments that created the hopeful song.
- “Runaway” (from “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” 2010)
This nine minute song from the “Twisted Fantasy” album is one of West’s most personal pieces. According to Wikipedia Runaway “was listed amongst the best songs of the year by several publications, including MTV, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Complex, New York Post, amongst others.” The song is about his relationship with the public and ex-girlfriend, Amber Rose. In the Pre-Chorus West sings, “I’m so gifted at finding what I don’t like the most,” showing his perfectionist tendencies and focus on the negative. This pessimistic mindset makes it seem as though nothing is good enough, whether it be the flashing lights of the public eye or his own girlfriend, Kanye West cannot ever be satisfied. The song is a painstaking reminder that even though West realizes his imperfections, he cannot change himself. Contributors from genius get at the main message from the track:
“While “Runaway” is a public apology for Kanye’s personality, the song further implies that he can’t change the way he is – the world will have to learn to live with Kanye, or run away.”
- “Bound 2” (from “Yeezus,” 2013)
“Bound 2” is part of the “Yeezus” narrative. It is the final song on the album, signifying that it is the resolution to the story. In the beginning of the story, Yeezus was a gangster that enjoyed taking advantage of girls, a sort of anti-hero. Throughout the album, he discovered that he could become happy as a member of society, and “Bound 2” represents his new life. It is a love song directed at Kim Kardashian. Yeezus is, as the sample says, bound to falling in love. It is filled with soulful samples and compelling lyrics that signify a brighter future for the once anti-hero.
Kanye West’s music is unique and filled with passion. It’s what makes the songs so special. West truly cares about the topics he writes music about. There is much more to the man than what is shown on news headlines, and his music may be the key to his true emotions.
