The Life of Pablo

Despite (or perhaps thanks to) its turbulent gestation, The Life of Pablo crackles with twitchy genius. Kanye described his seventh record as a “gospel album with a lot of cussing” and spiritual inflections course through its best moments: “Ultralight Beam” is a celestial slow-burn that anoints the guesting Chance the Rapper Kanye’s chosen one, he casts Kim and himself as Mary and Joseph on the haunting “Wolves”, while the quickly infamous “Famous” has Rihanna and Nina Simone take it church. It’s a luminescent glimpse into Kanye’s constantly evolving worldview.