At least Kanye West’s new video for “Hurricane” is better than the one he temporarily put out for “Eazy.” Continuing his theme of using deconstructed, surrealistic imagery, the animated video uses CGI to depict a few striking visuals, chiefly among them a tableau of a fortress resting near a body of water atop what looks like a chessboard with a dragon attached the underside, which sets the stage for a jailbreak of faceless figures who rush into the sea for something resembling a religious revival.
The whole thing certainly builds on the visual motifs that have come to define Kanye’s Donda era, which has seen him obfuscate his identity with a series of full-face masks. He seems to be making a commentary on how the public perception of art subsumes the artist; he’s made other allusions to feeling like he’s being silenced — despite, y’know, being one of the most successful artists in the world who can reasonably get away with charging fans $200 for an album on a Raspberry Pi — and having his true self overshadowed by gossip and fans’ projections about him (which, sorry, has been driven largely by his own antics).
Despite the source, Kanye’s messaging doesn’t feel too off-the-mark, and the imagery that pervades the “Hurricane” video — including the suggestiveness of the dragon appearing to be the source of the light his faceless jailbreakers can’t help but be drawn to — gives viewers something to think about. “Jesus Walks” it isn’t, but it’s still a visual feast for fans who haven’t yet given up on the idea that Mr. West is an artistic genius. Watch the video for “Hurricane” above.