Kanye's 'disturbing' 'Monster' music video
A preview for the rapper's latest attempt at mass outrage features horror film imagery and lots of dead girls in lingerie
The video: Kanye West "sells his albums based on the aggregate of controversy and buzz," his fellow musician and frequent collaborator John Legend has said. West gave a fresh demonstration this week with the release of a 30-second video clip that provoked an outpouring of comment from critics and fans. The clip is a sneak peek at the music video for the song "Monster" from West's "universally acclaimed" new album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It features Kanye rapping alongside scantily clad girls who appear to be dead, more dead girls hanging by chains from the ceiling, and rapper Nicki Minaj crawling on the floor in apparent pain... and a black thong.
The reaction: It seems Kanye is "now dabbling in the horror genre," says Jason Lipshutz in Billboard. The result is "stylishly scary" and "truly disturbing." Yes, it's "pure creepiness," says Megan Gibson in Time. I'm "nervous" to see the full-length video, "but it's a jittery, fun kind of nervous." I don't think it's so fun, says Kate Eastman in Ology. With all the dead girls and Nicki Minaj on all fours — "just let the lady stand up while raps!" — this video might "ruin" one of my favorite tracks on the album. See the snippet for yourself, below:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Climate change is driving Indian women to choose sterilization
under the radar Faced with losing their jobs, they are making a life-altering decision
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
'A great culture will be lost if the EV brigade gets its way'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published