In comparison, 808s was much darker, bleaker and more emotionally distressing, which perfectly depicted Kanye’s state of mind around that time. The instrumentals feature icy piano keys, mournful string sections and of course, a boatload of 808s. Kanye’s lyrics are forlorn, vulnerable and depressive. The central theme of the album is about loss, failed-relationships or just heartbreak in general. Granted, Kanye wasn’t the first to come up with the idea of heavily using Auto-Tune, in fact, he was inspired by singer T-Pain to do so in the first place but it’s the way Kanye utilized Auto-Tune that pretty much opened the floodgates.Īnd West’s vocals are soaked in Auto-Tune, a technology that would later become heavily used by a variety of artists all across different genres. And another major influence for Kanye during the recording process of 808s would be Kid Cudi, an artist who was on the brink of reaching superstar status himself back then. Kid Cudi’s musical style, which also explores themes such as loneliness contributed to the album’s looming sense of melancholy and dread.

Upon initial release, 808s was a controversial album.

Kanye’s fan-base was split right in the middle and many criticized him for his use of auto-tune and the overall Pop-centric aesthetic of the album. #KANYE WEST 808S AND HEARTBREAK ALBUM ZIP SERIES#īut considering where it stands today and the sheer level of influence it has had on the entire music industry at large, the biggest takeaway from the album would be that it was simply far too ahead of its time.

808s and heartbreak zip