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This clearly isn't the official video for the song, and that's because it's brand new. Mixes keep appearing on Kanye's official site, people aren't sure if this is the proper final version, and yet it is selling downloads like the hottest of hot pies.

Now, to the question of whether Kanye actually is a genius or not. Here's all the evidence as I see it.

ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR:

Even if this was released without Kanye's voice on it, it would still be a remarkable production. You could literally put any contemporary musical artiste over this music, and it would still be great. Synth pulse gives way to frantic martial drumming, it's understated AND overstated (and very probably wombling free) at the same time, and is 100% better than sampling a chunk of someone else's dance tune and claiming it as your own.

Also, the very fact that he's a rapper who is attempting to sing is automatically impressive. He's left his comfort zone, and no-one was asking him to do it. So, y'know, props.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST:

Leaving aside the protestations of the Real Music brigade, auto-tune is a valid tool in the studio. It's a way of making sure that your impassioned vocal take with the perfect phrasing isn't spoiled by being off-key. It is NOT a way to disguise a voice that you are uncharacteristically embarrassed of, by making it sound like like a Cyberman doing karaoke. People can see through this clever ruse, you know.

Also, a disguised voice is a disguised voice. We still don't know what Kanye's singing is really like, so how can we embrace this new musical direction?

Well, by deciding whether the song is good enough to carry this annoying quirk. If the song still works overall, we'll let it go, if not...BEGONE, FOUL STENCH!

IN CONCLUSION:

He's probably not as much of a genius as he thinks he is. Even Mozart wasn't as much of a genius as Kanye West seems to think he is. But he's trying, and this should be applauded, even if he does sound like Sean Kingston at times.

Download: Out now

(Fraser McAlpine)