Words: E-S0$a
When I first heard this song without seeing the music video it was super dystopian. This song was a clear message sent about Kanye’s interpretation of the times that we are in. The song talks about the importance of focusing on the fact that Black People are currently in need of a saviour. Black people have been slaves. Black people have been washed in the blood of senseless killings and targeted genocide. I think the song has some interesting points for sure. I think that Travis Scott being put on this song as a feature adds to the chaotic sound of the song itself.
I think the video was super ugly in a purposeful way. The video stitched a bunch of things together. It took clips of protests videos, coronavirus patients, wild extremists who were doing donuts and hitting people, extreme video game montages, and a bunch of other wild scenes to make the video. The only image of Kanye in this video was the continuous scene where he has his face deconstructing and reconstructing through this digital black mask.
Overall I think there are great things in this video. It is a really simple and dark message displayed. It effectively communicates the “nastiness” of this world we are in. The beat itself was not smooth at all. It was chaotic. This played a great part in the overall story telling of the song. I think this will be inspiring a new wave of music and art aesthetic for the time being. With the times, it feels more fitting for darker and more dystopian art to be made. The unfinished and rugged nature of music and creative direction will grow more.