History Music / MyBeautifulDarkTwistedFantasy

* SpecialGuest: The album features appearances by [[Music/WuTangClan Raekwon]], [[Music/WuTangClan RZA]], Pusha T, Music/RickRoss, Charlie Wilson, Music/BigSean, Cyhi the Prynce, Swizz Beatz, Dwele, Music/NickiMinaj, Music/{{Drake}}, Music/TeyanaTaylor, Music/JayZ, Music/JohnLegend, [[Music/TheBlackEyedPeas Fergie]], Music/{{Rihanna}}, The-Dream, Ryan Leslie, Music/EltonJohn, Music/{{MIA}}, [[Music/BonIver Justin Vernon]], Music/KidCudi, Music/{{Beyonce}}, Music/AliciaKeys, [[Music/LaRoux Elly Jackson]], Creator/ChrisRock and Tony Williams. [[Music/ATribeCalledQuest Q-Tip]], DJ Premier, Madlib and Pete Rock helped with the recording sessions.

* SpecialGuest: The album features appearances by [[Music/WuTangClan Raekwon]], [[Music/WuTangClan RZA]], Pusha T, Music/RickRoss, Charlie Wilson, Big Sean, Cyhi the Prynce, Swizz Beatz, Dwele, Music/NickiMinaj, T.I., Music/{{Drake}}, Teyana Taylor, Music/{{Common}}, Music/JayZ, Music/JohnLegend, [[Music/TheBlackEyedPeas Fergie]], Music/{{Rihanna}}, The-Dream, Ryan Leslie, Music/EltonJohn, Music/{{MIA}}, [[Music/BonIver Justin Vernon]], Music/{{Seal}}, Music/{{Beyonce}}, Kid Cudi, Mos Def, Music/{{Santigold}}, Music/AliciaKeys, [[Music/LaRoux Elly Jackson]], Creator/ChrisRock and Tony Williams. [[Music/ATribeCalledQuest Q-Tip]], DJ Premier, Madlib and Pete Rock helped with the recording sessions.

* SpecialGuest: The album features appearances by [[Music/WuTangClan Raekwon]], [[Music/WuTangClan RZA]], Pusha T, Music/RickRoss, Charlie Wilson, Big Sean, Cyhi the Prynce, Swizz Beatz, Dwele, Music/NickiMinaj, T.I., Music/{{Drake}}, Teyana Taylor, Music/{{Common}}, Music/{{JayZ}}, Music/LilWayne, Music/JohnLegend, [[Music/TheBlackEyedPeas Fergie]], Music/{{Rihanna}}, The-Dream, Ryan Leslie, Music/EltonJohn, Music/{{MIA}}, [[Music/BonIver Justin Vernon]], Music/{{Seal}}, Music/{{Beyonce}}, Kid Cudi, Mos Def, Music/{{Santigold}}, Music/AliciaKeys, [[Music/LaRoux Elly Jackson]], Creator/ChrisRock and Tony Williams. [[Music/ATribeCalledQuest Q-Tip]], DJ Premier, Madlib and Pete Rock helped with the recording sessions.

* SpecialGuest: The album features appearances by Raekwon, [[Music/WuTangClan RZA]], Pusha T, Rick Ross, Charlie Wilson, Big Sean, Cyhi the Prince, Swizz Beatz, Dwele, Music/NickiMinaj, T.I., Drake, Teyana Taylor, Common, Music/JayZi check and e, Music/LilWayne, John Legend, [[Music/TheBlackEyedPeas Fergie]], Music/{{Rihanna}}, The-Dream, Ryan Leslie, Music/EltonJohn, Music/{{MIA}}, Justin Vernon, Music/{{Seal}}, Music/{{Beyonce}}, Kid Cudi, Mos Def, Music/{{Santigold}}, Music/AliciaKeys, [[Music/LaRoux Elly Jackson]], Creator/ChrisRock and Tony Williams. [[Music/ATribeCalledQuest Q-Tip]], RZA, DJ Premier, Madlib and Pete Rock helped with the recording sessions.

** "So Appalled" has samples from "You Are-I Am" by Music/ManfredMannsEarthBand.

* TakeThat: In "Power", Kanye references UsefulNotes/BarackObama, who called him a "jackass" for claiming that Music/TaylorSwift hadn't won her award fairly during the MTV Awards.

** In the same song, he delivers one to Series/SaturdayNightLive:

** "Hell of a Life" has a sample of "She's My Bahy" by The Mojo Men, "Stud-Spider" by Tony Joe White and "Iron Man" by Music/BlackSabbath from ''Music/{{Paranoid}}''.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Upwards of 90 staff! For one album! [[AuteurLicense Few could get away with it,]] [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools fewer still could make it work.]]

By the end of 2009, Kanye was likely the single most hated man in American pop culture on account of him infamously interrupting Music/TaylorSwift at the MTV Video Music Awards of that year. In the face of the titanic public backlash and negative media coverage, the latter of which disgusted him particularly, Kanye cancelled a scheduled tour with Music/LadyGaga for his previous album ''808s & Heartbreak'' without explanation, instead going on a self-imposed exile in Oahu, Hawaii.

The album was recorded across 2009 and 2010 primarily at Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, where Kanye block-booked the three session rooms indefinitely and worked practically around the clock, with additional sessions at Electric Lady Studios and Platinum Sound Recording in New York and Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, with the help of a {{long list}} of rappers, producers, singers, engineers, and session musicians ([[SerialEscalation more than ninety!]]). Alongside single releases, the album was marketed through a weekly series of free music releases entitled ''GOOD Fridays'' alongside a 35-minute short film named after the track "Runaway".

''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' is American rapper and musician Music/KanyeWest's fifth album, released on November 22, 2010.

* ContemptibleCover: Seen above. There is a version of the cover with the risque image pixelated out, as well as alternate versions with different images entirely.

-->--"Runaway"

The album won three UsefulNotes/{{Grammy Award}}s for Best Rap Album, as well as Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("All of the Lights"). However, there was mass controversy over the album not being nominated for Album of the Year alongside ''Watch the Throne'' (Kanye's collaborative album with Music/JayZ), which many felt was an AwardSnub. Kanye has stated that this was his own doing due to releasing the two albums in the same year.

# "Dark Fantasy"
# "Gorgeous"
# "Power"
# "All of the Lights" (Interlude)
# "All of the Lights"
# "Monster"
# "So Appalled"
# "Devil in a New Dress"
# "Runaway"
# "Hell of a Life"
# "Blame Game"
# "Lost in the World"
# "Who Will Survive in America?"

The album was initially planned as a continuation of his trilogy of college-based albums (''The College Dropout'', ''Late Registration'', and ''Graduation'') to be named ''Good-Ass Job'', but the concept was eventually discarded. The story behind its creation is now something of music legend.

The album was initially planned as a continuation of his trilogy of college-based albums (''The College Dropout'', ''Late Registration'', and ''Graduation'') to be named ''Good-Ass Job'', but the concept was eventually discarded. The story behind its true impetus is now something of music legend.

--> ''They say I'm the abomination of Obama's nation... Well, that's a pretty bad way to start the conversation.''

--> ''Fuck [=SNL=] and their whole cast''
--> ''Tell 'em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass''
--> ''More specifically, they can kiss my asshole''
--> ''I'm an asshole? You niggas got jokes!''

By the end of 2009, Kanye was likely the single most hated man in American pop culture on account of him infamously interrupting Music/TaylorSwift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. In the face of the titanic public backlash and negative media coverage, the latter of which disgusted him particularly, Kanye cancelled a scheduled tour with Music/LadyGaga for his previous album ''808s & Heartbreak'' without explanation, instead going on a self-imposed exile in Oahu, Hawaii.

''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' received rave reviews, with critics applauding the album's musical range, production and thematic material. It was a go-to for the #1 spot of many publications' year-end lists, and has gone on to be considered one of the best albums of the 2010s and of all time, with individual songs like "All of the Lights", "Runaway", "Power", and "Monster" taking equally high positions in song rankings.

The album won three UsefulNotes/{{Grammy Award}}s for Best Rap Album, as well as Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("All of the Lights"). However, there was mass controversy over the album not being nominated for Album of the Year alongside ''Watch the Throne'' (Kanye's collab album with Music/JayZ), which many felt was an AwardSnub. Kanye has stated that this was his own doing due to releasing the two albums in the same year.

''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' is American rapper and musician Music/KanyeWest's fifth album, released on November 22, 2010. The album was initially planned as a continuation of his trilogy of college-based albums (''The College Dropout'', ''Late Registration'', and ''Graduation'') to be named ''Good-Ass Job'', but the concept was eventually discarded.

The story behind its creation is now something of music legend. By the end of 2009, Kanye was likely the single most hated man in American pop culture on account of him infamously interrupting Music/TaylorSwift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. In the face of the titanic public backlash and negative media coverage, the latter of which disgusted him particularly, Kanye cancelled a scheduled tour with Music/LadyGaga for his previous album ''808s & Heartbreak'' without explanation, instead going on a self-imposed exile in Oahu, Hawaii.

The album was listed at #17 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='=]s most recent (September 2020) list of the [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], making it the second highest-placing hip-hop album on the list (behind ''Music/ItTakesANationOfMillionsToHoldUsBack'' by Music/PublicEnemy at #15), as well as the highest-placing album from the 21st century. It’s also the album with one of the biggest jump between the last time they updated the list in 2012, where it was #353. It also got an incredibly rare initial score rating of 10/10 from Pitchfork, making it one of only 12 albums in the site's history to achieve that rating.

''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' received rave reviews, with critics applauding the album's musical range, production and thematic material. It was a go-to for the #1 spot of many publications' year-end lists, and has gone on to be considered one of the best albums of the 2010s and of all time, with individual songs like "All of the Lights", "Runaway", "Power", and "Monster" taking equally high positions in song rankings.

The album won three UsefulNotes/{{Grammy Award}}s for Best Rap Album, as well as Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("All of the Lights"). However, there was mass controversy over the album not being nominated for Album of the Year alongside ''Watch the Throne'' (Kanye's collab album with Music/JayZ), which many felt was an AwardSnub. Kanye has stated that this was his own doing due to releasing the two albums in the same year.

The album was listed at #17 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='=]s most recent (September 2020) list of the [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], making it the second highest-placing hip-hop album on the list (behind ''Music/ItTakesANationOfMillionsToHoldUsBack'' by Music/PublicEnemy at #15), as well as the highest-placing album from the 21st century. It’s also the album with one of the biggest jump between the last time they updated the list in 2012, where it was #353. It also got an incredibly rare initial score rating of 10/10 from Pitchfork, making it one of only 12 albums in the site's history to achieve that rating.

** "Dark Fantasy" references "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" by Music/MarvinGaye from ''Music/WhatsGoingOn'', ''Literature/TheLegendOfSleepyHollow'', the song "Sex On Fire" by Music/KingsOfLeon, Music/CelineDion, Music/LeonaLewis and Steve Urkel from ''Series/FamilyMatters''.
--> ''So much head, I woke up in Sleepy Hollow''
--> ''Too many Urkels on your team, that's why your wins low'' [[note]]making a pun on the family name of the Winslows in ''Series/FamilyMatters'', who were always bugged by Steve Urkel coming by.[[/note]]

''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' received rave reviews, being ranked as one of the best albums of 2010 and going to be considered one of the best of the 2010s and of all time, with individual songs like "All of the Lights", "Runaway", "Power", and "Monster" taking equally high positions in song rankings. Critics applauded the album's musical ranges, production, and thematic material, and the album won three UsefulNotes/{{Grammy Award}}s for Best Rap Album, as well as Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("All of the Lights").

However, there was mass controversy over the album not being nominated for Album of the Year alongside ''Watch the Throne'' (Kanye's collab album with Music/JayZ), which many felt was an AwardSnub. Kanye has stated that this was his own doing due to releasing the two albums in the same year.

* AutoTune: This album uses it in a great example of Administrivia/TropesAreTools. "Runaway" uses Autotune to distort Kanye's voice heavily for the last three minutes or so to mimic a guitar solo (it's been compared to Music/KingCrimson's Robert Fripp). A number of critics have speculated that this is intended to be a metaphor for Kanye's difficulties in expressing himself verbally.

* BookEnds: The album begins and ends with instances of SpokenWordInMusic, similarly to Kanye's debut ''The College Dropout''. There are also two thematically important questions asked by other performers, "[[Music/MikeOldfield Can we get much higher?]]" and "[[Music/GilScottHeron Who will survive in America?]]".

--> ''The plan was to drink until the pain was over''
--> ''But what's worse, the pain or the hangover''

* TakeThat: In "Power", Kanye West references UsefulNotes/BarackObama who called West a "jackass" for claiming that Music/TaylorSwift hadn't won her award fairly during the MTV Awards.

''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' is HipHop messiah Music/KanyeWest's fifth album, released on 22 November 2010. The album was initially planned as a continuation of his College Trilogy (''The College Dropout'', ''Late Registration'', and ''Graduation'') to be named ''Good-Ass Job'', but the concept was eventually discarded.

The album was recorded across 2009 and 2010 primarily at Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, where Kanye block-booked the three session rooms indefinitely and worked practically around the clock, with additional sessions at Electric Lady Studios and Platinum Sound Recording in New York and Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, with the help of a SerialEscalation LongList of rappers, producers, singers, engineers, and session musicians (more than ninety!).

''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' received rave reviews, being ranked as one of the best albums of 2010 and of all time, with individual songs like "All of the Lights", "Runaway", "Power", and "Monster" taking equally high positions in song rankings.

Critics applauded the album's musical ranges, production, and thematic material, and the album won three UsefulNotes/{{Grammy Award}}s for Best Rap Album, as well as Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration ("All of the Lights"). However, there was mass controversy over the album not being nominated for Album of the Year alongside ''Watch the Throne'' (Kanye's collab album with Music/JayZ), which many felt was an AwardSnub. Kanye has stated that this was his own doing due to releasing the two albums in the same year.

The album was listed at #17 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='=]s most recent (September 2020) list of the [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], making it the second highest-placing hip-hop album on the list (behind ''Music/ItTakesANationOfMillionsToHoldUsBack'' by Music/PublicEnemy at #15), as well as the highest-placing album from the 21st century. It’s also the album with one of the biggest jump between the last time they updated the list in 2012, where it was #353. It also got an incredibly rare initial score rating of 10/10 from Pitchfork; one of only 12 albums in the sites history to achieve that rating.

The album was listed at #17 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='=]s most recent (September 2020) list of the [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], making it the second highest-placing hip-hop album on the list (behind ''Music/ItTakesANationOfMillionsToHoldUsBack'' by Music/PublicEnemy at #15), as well as the highest-placing album from the 21st century. It’s also the album with the biggest jump between the last time they updated the list in 2012, where it was #353. It also got an incredibly rare initial score rating of 10/10 from Pitchfork; one of only 12 albums in the sites history to achieve that rating.

* AlbumFiller: "Blame Game" is stretched up to seven minutes, due to comedian Creator/ChrisRock delivering a telephone conversation with the supposed past lover of Kanye West, which goes on for five minutes, full with profanity and sexual comments. This is amusing to listen to the first two times you play the song, but can get rather tedious afterwards. Arguably justified, though - it's the phone conversation Kanye refers to in his last few lines.

** "Dark Fantasy" contains samples of "In High Places" by Music/MikeOldfield.

The album was listed at #17 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='=]s most recent (September 2020) list of the [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], making it the second highest-placing hip-hop album on the list (behind ''Music/ItTakesANationOfMillionsToHoldUsBack'' by Music/PublicEnemy at #15), as well as the highest-placing album from the 21st century. It’s also the album with the biggest jump between the last time they updated the list in 2012, where it was #353.
It also got an incredibly rare initial score rating of 10/10 from Pitchfork; one of only 12 albums in the sites history to achieve that rating.

The album was listed at #17 in ''Magazine/RollingStone''[='=]s most recent (September 2020) list of the [[Music/RollingStone500GreatestAlbumsOfAllTime2020 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], making it the second highest-placing hip-hop album on the list (behind ''Music/ItTakesANationOfMillionsToHoldUsBack'' by Music/PublicEnemy at #15), as well as the highest-placing album from the 21st century. It’s also the album with the biggest jump between the last time they updated the list in 2012, where it was #353.