My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is the fifth studio album by the American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 22, 2010. Retreating to a self-imposed exile in Hawaii after a period of controversy in 2009 following his interruption at the MTV Video Music Awards, he recorded the album at Honolulu's Avex Recording Studio in a communal environment involving numerous musicians. Additional recording sessions took place at Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, California, and the New York City studios Electric Lady and Platinum Sound.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Original artwork. The central image is pixelated on censored versions of the cover. The censored cover is used on digital versions of the album.
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 22, 2010 (2010-11-22)
Recorded2009–2010
Studio
  • Avex Recording (Honolulu)
  • Electric Lady (New York)
  • Platinum Sound (New York)
  • Glenwood Place (Burbank)
Genre
Length68:39
Label
Producer
Kanye West chronology
VH1 Storytellers
(2010)
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
(2010)
Watch the Throne
(2011)
Alternate cover
Physical release sold in retail stores
Singles from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
  1. "Power"
    Released: July 1, 2010
  2. "Runaway"
    Released: October 4, 2010
  3. "Monster"
    Released: October 23, 2010
  4. "All of the Lights"
    Released: January 18, 2011

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was mainly produced by West, alongside a variety of high-profile producers such as Mike Dean, No I.D., Jeff Bhasker, RZA, Bink, and DJ Frank E. Critics noted the music's maximalist aesthetic and opulent production style that utilizes various elements from West's previous work, including soul, pop, baroque, electro, and symphonic sounds, as well as progressive rock influences. The album's lyrics explore themes such as West's celebrity status, consumer culture, self-aggrandizement, and the idealism of the American Dream. Guest vocalists include Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Pusha T, Rick Ross, Kid Cudi, John Legend, Bon Iver, and Elton John.

During the album's marketing, West released free songs through his weekly GOOD Fridays series, as well as four singles, including "Power" and "All of the Lights", with all of them becoming top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. West also released an accompanying musical short film, Runaway (2010). The album was an immediate and widespread critical success, with music critics lauding the maximalism, and was listed as the best album of 2010 in many publications' year-end lists. It was awarded Best Rap Album at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, alongside winning CD of the Year at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, while reaching the top 10 in five other countries, including also topping the Canadian Albums Chart. It eventually registered a triple platinum certification in the United States from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), alongside sales certifications in a few other territories. Widely considered West's best album, it is ranked in several curated lists as the best album of the 2010s and among the greatest of all time.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.