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:
