When you think about it, KIDS SEE GHOSTS is something of a strange project. Sure, Kanye has made a collab album in the past, and he’s friends with Kid Cudi, so it would make sense for them to work on a project together, but a short, borderline non-rap, and spiritual ye successor? At first, you’re kind of left wondering how this came to be. The first time I listened to KIDS SEE GHOSTS, I thought it was decent, but I certainly did not see the masterpiece that so many do. However, I eventually decided to throw it on again since it’s so short, and suffice to say, I became a big fan. I just haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since; it’s such an intriguing project all around. I’ve listened to the album in full countless times since, and it’s become a top 5 in Kanye’s discography for me. If it were a bit lengthier, it would likely enter top 3 territory. I don’t write about music much, so when I do, it’s because I’ve developed a true love with the project and feel a desire to discuss it in depth.

KIDS SEE GHOSTS was the third in a series of five albums entirely produced by Kanye, releasing after Pusha T’s Daytona and his own ye. It released just a week after ye, and as I already mentioned, they work together very well, and not just because of this album’s continuation of ‘Ghost Town’, which already serves as a strong connection between the two, but because Cudi is featured on that ye song, singing “I’ve been trying to make you love me/But everything I try just takes you further from me“. Is it a coincidence that the first track on KIDS SEE GHOSTS is titled ‘Feel the Love’? Honestly, I think it’s better to listen to both at once and treat it as one normal-length album, as there’s so many parallels between the two. They share a very similar thematic structure, and when put together, they reveal one long story of Kanye going from considering murder and suicide to seeking out God in order to avoid this fate. ye is a subdued and dark album focusing on Kanye’s mental health, and shows his desire to be a better person to those important to him, especially his daughter. The album’s message is very clear, and is more about what’s happening around Kanye; KIDS SEE GHOSTS is a very spiritual project that focuses more on feelings. I feel it is important to comment on the connection between the two albums before reviewing one; while they do both stand on their own as individual works, there are so many ties that I almost have to discuss ye to discuss KIDS SEE GHOSTS.

I think that KIDS SEE GHOSTS is possibly the most interesting Kanye album to listen to from a production standpoint. He’s always been one of the best producers of his time, but somehow, this project still stands out from the rest of his work so much. A couple of its tracks have a very grungy feel, as if they’d be at home on a Nirvana album, while some are very supernatural and ethereal in a way that I can’t quite describe. When I reviewed Igor, I recommended you listen to that album before reading the article, as the narrative is such an important part of it, but I’m not going to say the same thing for this. Of course, I still encourage you to check it out, but it’s not like I’m going to spoil anything for you like I would have for Igor. The narrative is here, but a lot of it is unclear and up to the interpretation of the listener, and the production is so unique and creative that you won’t even know what to expect after reading me describe it. Now, you’ve probably already noticed a very strong Kanye bias in this article, and I’m not going to deny its truth. I am not a fan of Kanye as a person based off of his many, many questionable statements, but I still enjoy his music, and I have never listened to a full Kid Cudi album before. That’s something that I’d like to remedy someday, but at the moment, I’m probably going to talk about Kanye more. However, that’s not to say that Cudi’s performance here isn’t incredible; his singing is very impressive and shows off a lot of range, and is often the most beautiful part of the album. As much as Kanye has proven his singing ability, I don’t think this would work nearly the same as a solo album. I’ve become interested in Cudi’s music because of KIDS SEE GHOSTS, and I have a feeling that I’ll start his discography soon. As for Kanye, his performance really is unlike anything else we’ve ever seen from him; he does rap and sing like his usual self, but there are a few instances here where he sounds absolutely manic. This element just adds to my overall interest in this album; it blends so many different kinds of production, lyricism, and vocal performances together, and it works so well because of it.

Track 1: ‘Feel the Love’

The first song on KIDS SEE GHOSTS opens with a low-key beat and Cudi singing about how he can “Still feel the love”; this lyric’s meaning is left up to interpretation. I already mentioned the potential connection to ‘Ghost Town’, but it’s also possible that this is discussing Kanye and Cudi’s relationship- the two have been friends for a long time, but there was some controversy between the two for a few years after Cudi left Kanye’s G.O.O.D. music label. Both were going through a lot of mental health issues during that span of time, with Kanye getting a lot of backlash for his controversial statements and actions, and Cudi’s music getting a very middling reception. It’s possible that they’re commenting on the love they still hold for each other as friends after all this time, and that they’ve rekindled their friendship. Shortly after the opening, fellow G.O.O.D. music artist and Daytona collaborator Pusha T delivers the only rap verse on this song, where he draws a few connections between this record and Daytona. Shortly after, Kanye comes out of nowhere, aggressively yelling sounds that resemble gunshots. I’m fascinated by this choice; it’s so sudden and loud, and each one hits you like a bullet. I would presume that the ‘gunshots’ resemble the negativity aimed at the two over the years before this album’s release, and yet , they can still ‘feel the love’ through it, whether that be from their fans, family, or just between the two of them.

‘Feel the Love’ can be a bit of a jarring opener on a first listen, and I believe that it’s one of the reasons I wasn’t too crazy about the album my first time. However, I’ve grown to love the song; it’s weird and creative, shows off some vocal talents, and sets the tone perfectly. It lets you know that this isn’t going to be a normal Kanye project right off the bat, and prepares you for the more experimental project that KIDS SEE GHOSTS is. Honestly, my only complaint with this song is that it’s too short. It’s effective, sure, but I would have maybe liked to see a proper Cudi or Kanye verse, as both of them are very much one-trick ponies on this track. It definitely doesn’t reach the highs that many other songs do, but this is still a great opener.

Track 2: ‘Fire’

‘Fire’ is the first of the more grungy tracks I described; there are a lot of fun guitar riffs and twangs here, and I love the vibe of it. The beat mixes in some percussion in what seems to be a tambourine to create a catchy and consistent flow throughout the song. This track shows Kanye and Cudi bringing up the large amount of hate they receive  and how they choose to ignore it; Kanye begins the song by telling us that he “loves all your sh*t talkin”, and asks if we have nothing better to do with ourselves. In the rest of his verse, Kanye says that he’s back to ruling himself, meaning that he doesn’t give haters validation anymore. He makes an allusion to cocaine, which could be a reference to Cudi’s known use of it in the past, as Kanye has never publicly admitted to using the drug; just another instance of the two bringing up their struggles. He closes out the verse by rapping “Through with mixed messages, through with the mail / Only a few in the field, little bit off for the real”. Kanye seems to be stating how he wants to be direct with his audience, and that he’s through with the mixed messages, and that he and Cudi are a couple of the dwindling number of ‘real’ people left.

Cudi begins his verse by opening up about his mental health struggles; he says that he prayed to God on many days, and it seems that he was able to work through his issues with his strong religious connection that he’s discussed throughout his career. He also states how he had “All this pain, I couldn’t seem to find the way”; Cudi has been very public about his journey through depression, anxiety, and drug abuse, and he’s addressing them again in this song, further driving home the themes of the track. He once again makes a reference to the hate he and Kanye have received and calls out the fakes, saying that they could never make something like this album. Cudi closes out ‘Fire’ by singing about scars he’s left behind, and repeatedly asks Heaven to lift him up. While both performances on this song shine, Cudi’s singing really is beautiful; the outro in particular displays so much talent. If ‘Feel the Love’ was the track that reunited Cudi and Kanye, ‘Fire’ is the track to address their recent issues and how they’ve dealt with them. I find that this song is often forgotten when discussing the album, and I find that quite unfortunate. It’s very short, but has an incredible flow, and touches on so many important aspects of the two rappers’ lives in the years that came before this album.

Track 3: ‘4th Dimension’

This is a classic Kanye beat; the production of ‘4th Dimension’ just screams Kanye. It utilizes a very old Christmas song called ‘What Will Santa Claus Say’ to create a catchy, haunting, and simply genius rhythm. This is possibly the most popular song on the album, and it’s easy to understand why. The beat mixed with Kanye’s rapping and frequent ‘uh-uh’s make it a very easy listen. Kanye’s verse here is by far the most graphic of the album; he uses several metaphors for sexual acts. However, I find one of his final lines in the song to be very interesting; “Might need an intervention for this new dimension”. To me, it seems that there are two possible meanings for this line: he’s saying that sex is some sort of otherworldly experience (hence the wordplay and title of the track), or he’s saying that this new style of music he’s ventured into for KIDS SEE GHOSTS is so experimental and unique that others would want to set up an intervention to question what he was thinking. It definitely seems like a double entendre to me, and serves as a more clever way to end his verse as opposed to the almost laughably obvious meaning behind his earlier lyrics.

Cudi’s verse shows off some rapping that almost outdoes Kanye’s on this track; its meaning isn’t much deeper than Kanye’s offerings, but it’s still a great flow. The line “this the theme song, this the theme song” is always very striking to me whenever I listen to this song- it commands so much attention, and I love how well it mixes with the rest of his rapping. Aside from this, Cudi once again brings up how other rappers cannot touch him and Kanye, his mental health struggles, and similar metaphors to Kanye’s. While ‘4th Dimension’ doesn’t offer the depth or emotional significance that other tracks on the album do, it’s still a standout among an album full of standouts. Like I said, the production shows off so much of that trademark Kanye creativity that we all love, and is the best example of this album’s expertly crafted overall production. Plus, while it isn’t very deep, I think that the idea behind the song is pretty interesting. The metaphor I brought up earlier of sex as some sort of other dimension is worth discussing, even if the lyrics are more raunchy than introspective.

Track 4: ‘Freeee (Ghost Town Pt 2)’

This is definitely the weirdest song of the bunch; the delivery and off-beat guitar can be quite offputting at first, and I did not like this song initially. While it’s still my least favorite of the album, I’ve grown to realize that it’s a great song. This serves as a sequel to Ye‘s standout track ‘Ghost Town’, but it completely changes up the vibe and genre. ‘Ghost Town’ was an emotional, nostalgic, and moving song with no real coherent story; it’s more a collection of ramblings and thoughts that create a very impactful listening experience. It’s the kind of song that you belt out the lyrics to while driving around late at night. ‘Freeee’ is another grunge and rock-inspired song, this time featuring a clunky guitar riff and the repeated claims that Kanye and Cudi feel “FREEEEEE!”. I really have to respect the swing this track takes; it’s the second part of one of Kanye’s most acclaimed songs ever, and turns it into a choppy grunge/rock song with weird vocals. Every time one of the two yells “I feel FREEEEEE”, I feel like I’m endlessly falling into some sort of bottomless pit- it’s a really interesting choice that I’ve grown to really dig. This is the song where Cudi and Kanye truly accept that they’ve made mistakes in the past, and now that they have accepted this, they feel free. Just like in ‘Ghost Town’, they touch on how they can’t feel pain anymore, which is another example of how they’ve attempted to move past the depression and scrutiny; they’ve been through so much that they can’t even feel it anymore. It even starts with a snippet of a speech from Marcus Garvey, who states “When man becomes possessor of the knowledge of himself, he becomes the master of his environment”. This is yet another way of Kanye and Cudi explaining how they’ve tried to free themselves of their burden now that they know it can be done. This one definitely has to grow on you, but when it does, ‘Freeee (Ghost Town Pt 2)’ becomes a worthy addition to the evolving themes present throughout the album.

Track 5: ‘Reborn’

‘Reborn’ makes for a very peaceful break from the continuously fast-paced previous tracks on this album. Most of the lyrics have been about Kanye and Cudi acknowledging their seemingly endless controversies and struggles; ‘Feel the Love’ saw the return of the duo as they reunite after a few years of beef, ‘Fire’ showed them coming to a realization about how deep in it they were, and ‘Freeee’ brought them both to a beaten down state where Kanye and Cudi had been through so much that they no longer felt pain. ‘Reborn’ is the conclusion to this arc; they’ve both been reborn, and have moved past that era of their lives. Cudi begins the track by repeatedly mumbling “I’m wide awake”, as if he’s just awoken from a long period where he didn’t feel as if he was consciously making his own decisions. The day after Kid Cudi checked into rehab in 2016, he made a Facebook post promising that “I’ll be back, stronger, better. Reborn”. It seems that he took these words to heart, as he tells us many times that “I’m so, I’m so reborn”, and to “keep moving forward”. Kanye does make a brief appearance on this track, where he addresses how secretive he’s been, his aggressive behaviors in interviews and on social media, and references his bipolar disorder. While this is mostly Cudi’s song, it’s still a nice conclusion to this era of Kanye, as he says that he wants “all the rain, all the pain”- challenging people to come at him, because he can take it now. He’s really only on the song for a small portion of it, but it’s great to see him grow as a person.

I’ve already discussed Cudi’s acknowledgement of his drug and mental health issues a lot throughout this article, but this song really gives you a look into how bad it was. He was deep into depression, and tried to use drugs to get out of it; this led him to a severe addiction. He comments on how difficult it was for him to move past this point of his life once he was clean, but he got past it. After years of their lives and a majority of this album was spent dealing with this issue, they’ve both learned to move past it, and keep moving forward. It’s the most emotional and honest song on the record, and just makes you happy to see the two finally take new steps, even if Kanye has fallen down similar pits since Kids See Ghost‘s release.

Track 6: ‘Kids See Ghosts’

I’ve developed a very strange love for this track; it’s become one of my favorite Kanye songs, and I really can’t explain why. Something about it just grabs me- the beat is truly unlike anything else I’ve ever heard, and it’s so unique that I really can’t think of a way to describe it. Every now and then, you come across a beat in Kanye’s discography where you have to wonder how he could have possibly made it; ‘Flashing Lights’ and ‘Slow Jamz’ come to mind, and this track belongs right next to those two. It manages to be both haunting and strangely comforting at the same time; it transitions from being a cold flow mixed with strange and confusing lyrics and adding some additional production and background vocals to create the more comforting feel I mentioned. I’ve listened to this song so many times at this point, and I’m still fascinated by every aspect of it. Like ‘Fire’, this track is often overlooked when the album is discussed. I almost never hear anybody bring this song up, and I wish it got the appreciation it deserves. While other songs may be more catchy or emotionally investing to listen to, I think that ‘Kids See Ghosts’ provides a certain depth not found anywhere else on the record.

As far as the meaning behind the song goes, it contains the most religious messages of the whole album. Cudi takes more of a passive role in this track after his leading performance on ‘Reborn’, but he still performs many integral components of it, including the bridge that connects verses. He does have a short verse, however, much of which is left up to interpretation. He also mentions how he’s sick of running from his problems, and touches on his religious beliefs. After Cudi sings the chorus, we’re met with what is, in my opinion, one of the best verses of Kanye’s career. Now, I’m not saying that the guy can’t rap, but he’s never been known for his insane rapping ability; his style works so well because he mixes his talented (if not that remarkable) rapping with truly genius production and singing. However, this verse is very impressive; it’s like he’s rapping and singing at the same time. He changes his tone of voice with the beat to give different parts of the verse a different tone, and I’m floored by it every time I listen to this track. Most of it is dedicated to his identity as a Christian; he’s commented on how he struggles to be a good Christian in many songs, and this is a main focus of the verse, even referencing his very spiritualistic 2016 track, ‘Ultralight Beam’. After this sublime performance, Yasiin Bey (or Mos Def), longtime Kanye collaborator, closes out the track, repeating the bridge that Cudi delivered earlier, before speaking the final non-chorus words of the song.

And, finally, this track makes the name of the duo, album, and song ‘Kids See Ghosts’ start to make some sense. There are a lot of different things that it could mean; you could take it as how Kanye and Cudi have a vision for music, the future, or something else that nobody else can see and nobody believes them about, like a kid seeing a ghost. It could be yet another metaphor for mental health struggles and suicidal thoughts- this would certainly line up with many other lyrics on the album. Being reborn is a big theme in this album’s narrative, so maybe the kids are the new Kanye and Cudi, looking back at the ghosts of their old selves. Maybe it’s just a cool name to fit with the spiritual vibe the album gives. Whatever the case is, I’d be willing to bet that the line “We’re still the kids we used to be” from ye‘s ‘Ghost Town’ has something to do with it, especially since that song featured Cudi. All of these make a lot of sense, and I like to think that the ambiguity was intentional; this song is the most ambiguous on the album, so it would make sense that it’s the one that gets you thinking about the true meaning of the project as a whole.

Track 7: ‘Cudi Montage’

The final track of the album is a perfect finale in so many ways, as the production mixes the two styles seen throughout the album, and it wraps up the main themes seen throughout the entire tracklist. The album is made up of one half grunge-inspired beats and one half spiritual singing and production, so this song blends the two of them together. The grungy part of this song actually comes from a Kurt Cobain riff from his posthumous track ‘Burn the Rain’, and the song opens with this riff playing while Cudi raps about his recovery and belief in the Christian faith. This is followed by a gorgeous rhythm accompanied by Cudi telling us to “Stay strong”, and asking a higher power to shine light on him. Kanye utilizes his verse to explain the cycle of violence and revenge the world seems to be stuck in, and how crime was seen as a necessary evil in the city he grew up in. He even references the Alice Johnson case, and how her early release should inspire government officials to stop giving such aggressive and exaggerated prison sentences for nonviolent crimes to African Americans.

In the final repeat of the chorus, it’s stated that “Both sides lose somebody / Somebody dies, somebody goes to jail”. Kanye grew up in Chicago and Cudi in Cleveland, two cities that still struggle a lot with gang violence; it being placed in the middle of a chorus that repeatedly Asks God for help and to shine his light on you is no coincidence. This is the ultimate conclusion to the story of KIDS SEE GHOSTS: Kanye and Cudi have tried to remain good Christians throughout their lives, but have never been able to. After both of them went through a phase full of drug abuse, depression, and suicidal thoughts, they are reborn into new people and moved past this time in their lives, and rediscover their faith. Now, in this final track, they want to use their influence and belief to help others. Personally, I find this album to be a beautiful and moving story of hope and second chances. Of course, Kanye has had countless controversies since, so the significance of this project isn’t quite as big, but when KIDS SEE GHOSTS released, it displayed a genuine attempt to move on. It works very well as a self-contained story, but when you connect the dots and realize that this is essentially the second part of ye, it becomes all the more satisfying to see the arc complete. This has become a personal favorite of mine, and I do believe it to be a masterpiece. It packs so many emotions and so much talent into a 24 minute runtime, and is definitely worth a listen, even if you’re not generally into rap.

Final tracklist ranking:

7. ‘Freeee (Ghost Town Pt 2)’

6. ‘Feel the Love’

5. ‘Fire’

4. ‘Cudi Montage’

3. ‘4th Dimension’

2. ‘Reborn’

1. ‘Kids See Ghosts’