You can call him cocky, arrogant, or egotistical. Or try uppity, conceited, or presumptuous. Call him whatever you like; just don’t say that Kanye West doesn’t create incredible music.

West’s new album, 808s and Heartbreaks, was released on Nov. 24th. I woke up extra early that morning (on purpose!) to get to Target when they opened to make sure I got my copy. I’d been excited about the release for months.

This album’s content is completely unlike that of any of West’s three previous albums: The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation. A lot has changed since 2007, when Graduation was released.

At the end of 2007, West’s mother died following complications after cosmetic surgery. In early 2008, he split from his long-time fiancée Alexis Phifer. He’s had his fair share of heartache in a short amount of time, which is (surprise!) the album’s central theme.

The song selection suggests a not-so-subtle send off to his ex-fiancée. The album starts out with “Say You Will,” which I understood to be about commitments and broken promises. The next track, “Welcome to Heartbreak,” introduces the rest of the album and illustrates the loneliness that haunts him post-break up. In it, he sings, “my friend showed me pictures of his kids, and all I could show him were pictures of my cribs.”

808s and Heartbreaks has one pretty major characteristic that sets it apart from the rest of West’s discography: there’s virtually no rapping. I heard about this the week before the album’s release and admittedly, I was skeptical. But once I listened to it in it’s entirety, I ate my words.

He does a great deal of singing, which is accentuated by a machine known as an Auto-Tune, which alters the pitch and creates a sort of warbled effect on the voice. In addition to the Auto-Tune, on each song, West utilized a machine called the TR-808 (which is half of the inspiration for the album’s title), which is a device that electronically produces a variety of percussion sounds rather than a real drum set.

I like the unconventional musical techniques employed on this record, they give the album a personal and simplistic vibe by putting the focus on the message while still delivering the animated beats West is known for. (That said, this doesn’t really have danceable party favorites like “Stronger” or “Gold Digger,” so don’t expect too many upbeat and fun tracks!)

The themes of heartbreak, and finding himself again in the midst of it all, are very prominent and are executed on all 11 tracks beautifully. West sings with such heartfelt passion, something that probably would have not sounded as sincere had he been rapping. It could have come out as aggressive and angry but instead the lyrics are able to shine and the raw emotion that is hidden within each song captures the listener and doesn’t let go. This album is the real deal.

The songs are powerful and West makes listeners able to really feel what he’s feeling. One of my favorite songs is “Heartless,” which is also his current single. “Heartless” tells a story about a man who “somewhere far along this road, lost his soul to a woman so heartless.” To some, he may sound bitter but it’s just an honest message from a heartbroken man who wants to open up to the rest of the world.

Another one of my favorites is “Amazing,” a song where West finds some optimism in spite of his pain. Young Jeezy makes an appearance on the track and leaves us with this: “Look what he’s been through, he deserves an applause.” He’s come a long way since College Dropout, and it is indeed amazing.