Following the well warranted successes of his first two studio albums, a young Kanye West took a moment to reflect on the rise to fame that he had experienced over the previous 3.5 years. He viewed it as him “graduating” into the upper echelons of musicians, leading to the apt name of “Graduation” for his third album. Lyrically, West reflects on his new life over a series of beats much more electronic, compared to his previous beats known for sampling soul and orchestral music.
Good Morning is not only the album’s first track, but a part of a larger metaphor. The song title is a reference to how Kanye awoke in a world of new fame. The whole song is just his first reactions to fame, reflecting on memories of his past and talking about hopes for his present and future.
Sampling Labi Siffre’s My Song, Kanye West creates the beat for I Wonder, one of his most enduring hits. The song itself is West taking a moment to emotionally celebrate the success that finally came after years of work.
Flashing Lights is a built up metaphor that compares an ex-girlfriend to his public audience. He feels that he has to cater to the whims of both, even when they’re at ends with each other.
My Rating: 8.5/10
Appropriate album for this week!