By Tony Johnson, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Though world renown artist Kanye West took a leave of absence for quite some time after the 2009 VMA incident seen around the world and replayed over and over again on Youtube, he’s back after a knockout performance back in September’s VMA’s, pushing himself even further than before. His highly anticipated upcoming album, entitled Power, is set to release in November, and no matter how many Taylor Swift worshipers there are in the world, it is going to sell.
“He’s Kanye West, people are gonna buy his album,” junior Baylie Braverman said. “But some people aren’t gonna buy his album. Some people are gonna buy Taylor Swift’s album, and some people aren’t. It’s just the way it is.”
As for the 2009 VMA incident, the past is the past.
“Kanye West is a character,” junior Meghan Cantu said. “I don’t think he intended it for her to get her feelings hurt or anything, I think it was just a gesture for him to say how he felt about Beyonce and her video. I don’t think he meant it to be as offensive as people perceived it to be.”
Though it was a moment that did change the way fans and non-fans alike felt about him as a person, it did not change the way they felt about him as a musician.
“If he writes his own music, he’s a very intelligent person,” Braverman said. “And all singers who write their own music are very intelligent people. But he abuses the intelligence.”
If his fans want to see his intelligent and multi-talented he can really be, they can dive deeper into what he has to offer in his first ever feature film, Runaway, his nearly 35 minute long music video debuted on October 23 on Mtv, and combines bits and pieces of tracks from his upcoming album while venting his feelings and telling a story.
“It was strange, but that’s just because he’s a creative person,” junior Matt Reynolds said. “The underlying message was not to judge people on how they are, [but] to just look at everyone on who they are, instead of what they look like.”
It’s a new idea for a musician to direct their own music videos and make them into lengthy stories, but a welcomed one.
“I think it was really cool for the fans, because none of us have seen anything from him since the whole Taylor Swift thing,” Reynolds said. “For him to make a whole movie, which I don’t know what other artist has done that, is pretty cool.”
Those curious to see his movie can go on Youtube and see the whole thing via the Vevo channel, and for loyal fans just counting down till his album release won’t have to wait much longer and will not be disappointed.
“I admire him for his uniqueness and being able to come up with new ways to promote his album,” Cantu said. “I think if it’s what his fans want, ultimately it’s [his decision] to make his album more progressive.”
See the new Kayne West video for yourself.
