‘The Life of Pablo’ lives up to hype

Yeezy has returned.

…on TIDAL, a music service exclusive to subscribers, for $19.99 a month.

Kanye West came back from a near ly three-year absence by releasing his widely awaited album, “The Life of Pablo (TLOP),” on Feb. 14, and it is sure to wow those who can get their hands on it.

West originally aimed to release his album on TIDAL one week before it would be released to other music platforms. However, on Feb. 15, West announced on Twitter that he had changed his plans and would only make TLOP available on TIDAL, without further explanation — a decision that sparked outrage.

Anyone who was looking forward to listen to West’s new album on iTunes or Spotify would have to find another way to hear it.

As a result, many fans have taken to simply illegally torrenting his album instead of paying for it on TIDAL, so any money West had planned to gain from releasing his album only on TIDAL has not materialized.

Still, the music itself is excellent — a definite turnaround from his subpar 2013 album, “Yeezus.”

With the single releases of “Real Friends” and “No More Parties in LA” before the album release, many fans were wondering if the rest of the album could live up to the high expectations the two songs set. But TLOP exceeded these expectations, especially with its unique and calming “Ultralight Beam,” one of the best songs of the album.

TLOP combines many aspects of what made Kanye West the successful artist that he is today. From the soothing chords of “FML” to the upbeat flow of “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1,” Kanye West displays every element of the broad hip-hop spectrum.

TLOP is more than an album; it is a story. Each track is a meaningful piece of art that reveals something new every time it is played.

TLOP is on pace to be one of the most successful albums of the year. Hopefully, Kanye West will use different, more accessible platforms for TLOP so everyone can listen to his masterpiece.