Each week, the Lasso Editorial Board will comment on an issue that is relevant to the students at George Mason High School. We strive to present a student-oriented opinion about topics big and small that matter to all of Mustang Nation.

For those of you stay active on social media, you may have noticed the short-lived fame of the music release that was “FACTS” by Kanye West. The song dropped on SoundCloud on New Year’s Eve, just hours before we celebrated the arrival of 2016.

https://soundcloud.com/kanyewest/facts-clean

In summary, the track was weak. It felt very much like West was checking off of list of things random things to talk about instead of putting together a real song. He dissed Nike, took shots at Steve Harvey and Bill Cosby, gave yet another shout out to his wife Kim Kardashian. While I would’ve liked to say I was surprised by the amateurish lyrics and the lack of soul, I can’t. The “All Day” rapper seemed to be going downhill since his album “Yeezus” dropped in 2013.

This editorial originally was going to lament the slow decline of Kanye. That was until we opened up Twitter on Friday, yet again to see new music from West at the top of the trends. The reviews were a 180 from the one’s “FACTS” received; some even said that it made up for the New Year’s disappointment.  

https://soundcloud.com/kanyewest/real-friends-no-more-parties-in-la-snipped

West’s release of “REAL FRIENDS” featuring Ty Dolla $ign (which includes a snippet of “NO MORE PARTIES IN L.A.” featuring Kendrick Lamar) is exactly what longtime fans have been waiting to hear. The instrumentals in “REAL FRIENDS” bring the creativity one learns to expect from his music, but in a more simplified form. The lyrics bring an honesty that we rarely hear from Kanye anymore. He talks about betrayal by family members, the lack of true relationships he has with people these days, and how money rules his daily interactions. The frustration in it is real.

Also exciting was the snippet of “NO MORE PARTIES IN L.A.” The tune is jazzy, which is not surprising to hear on a track from Kendrick Lamar. From Kanye however, we haven’t seen this side of him in a long time. The comments on SoundCloud also show appreciation of the new tracks from fans. They say things like “Ye is back” and “This sounds like the old Kanye.” We feel it too. It finally feels like he’s talking to us again.

West’s upcoming studio album, “SWISH” comes out on February 11, 2016. If he’s going to deliver this type of sound, we have a lot to look forward to this year.