DISQUS

Ouch · 1 year ago

Here's what happened. He usually sings through an auto-tune which corrects his pitch. It gives his voice that robotic electronic sound, plus you normally hear harmonies along with his voice. Clearly the auto-tune was NOT working that night. This revealed what he really sounds like when he sings. He is very tone-deaf when he sings, which is why he sounded very off to people. That's the way he ACTUALLY sings. Normally the auto-tune corrects his pitch, but it wasn't working. We were watching with our mouths hanging open in shock at how horrified everyone on stage and back stage must have felt as this was going on. You can hear the auto-tune come on and off a little bit at times (basically, when his voice sounds electronic and on-pitch again, that's when it was actually working). What added to the embarrassment was that this performance also revealed that he has his back-up singers sing the high notes. Note that he backs off the mic for a second during the highest notes and you can hear a back-up singer in the background sing that part for him. If he had been singing through the auto-tune, nobody would have noticed the additional back-up singer making up for the higher notes, but because it wasn't working, you could hear the back-up singer take over.

This reminded me of that moment in The Wizard of Oz when it was revealed who was really behind the curtain & everyone was so disappointed it was just a regular guy. Kanye has been so cocky at times that it was a shock to see someone who bragged about being number one in music reveal that they can't even sing. If he just keeps it real and admit that he can't sing, things will be fine.

Jade · 1 year ago

He's admitted in many interviews before this performance that he is one of the worst singers that's not what it's about

Daron313 · 1 year ago

I'm not a huge kanye fan but he's a rapper not a singer. so who cares. If you want to hear singing try mariah carey, whitney houston or luther vandross, these are my favorites anyway. kanye's lyrics are, in general, really good. I dont really expect "singing" from him (a rapper). let it go. buy the ablum, or atleast listen to it. He's not the first and wont be the last this has happened to.

Ryan · 1 year ago

Just a reality check for those loyal fans that are trying to blame the "stage" and the "acoustics" for Kanye's pitch problems: Watch the video again, Kanye had an ear piece in his right ear. He could hear just fine. Any even if there was an issue with the piece, anyone who has performed live knows that even if you can't hear well you can still hear pitch. Sorry everyone, no excuses can be made for how bad it was. Also, I highly doubt that SNL's production value is so low that they don't have a sound guy that can mix down the band and voice into an ear piece. If you doubt that, listen the the house band. How do they sound every night? They sound good because they are good. I know some of them. They are all top notch musicians.

Christopher · 1 year ago

I sat there with my jaw hanging open. It was the single worst musical performance I had ever seen on SNL, almost uncomfortable to watch. We kept wondering, 'Does he know? Did something go wrong? Or is he just so delusional/arrogant that he thinks he knows what he's doing?' I actually wanted him to walk off, a la Ashlee Simpson, and save his dignity. But no he committed. And then did it again. I'm grateful though. I now finally have one thing I can do to always cheer up my girlfriend: I just start flailing around the living room singing 'Love Lockdown' out of key. Thanks Kanye!

tom · 1 year ago

you are right on the money christopher, kanye can't carry a tune in a bucket as my dad used to say. he is using auto correct a computer program that cher used for an effect on her song believe. i have performed for many years i am no natural singer and had to work and practice to sing. He is horrible though , no sense of pitch at all. I have no idea how he could get any kinds of awards . sl performance was awful.

Kanye Sucks · 1 year ago

He definitely bombed ...no question. But this is the formula: unexplainable arrogance + no talent + bad song + bad singing + bad acoustics = abysmal performance

afrometro · 1 year ago

He sounded awful! I'm guessing his real voice isn't all that. If you listen to his recorded songs, his voice is tweaked by computers. It's distracting. Meh. I really liked the background graphics on the first song though.

glemak · 1 year ago

musical guests never sound normal on snl due to bad acoustic - the point is that they're a part of the snl experience - that song itself has a raspy/reverb effect to it anyway but its a good geek/tech song - my boys saw him in concert this summer at msg, they said it was awesome :)

jennings · 1 year ago

it was horrific. I thought it had to be an imposter behind the glasses. I really thought for a minute he was going to apologize to the crowd for how bad he was.

the suxor · 1 year ago

dude can't sing .. sounds like the sound guys are trying to help with pitch correction and electronic overdub, but sometimes there's not much you can do for hopeless talent - reminds me of Robert Palmer

SEB · 1 year ago

I googled "kanye west snl bad" and this page was on top.
Never cared for the guy, but thought I would watch just to confirm
that he can't sing. Now I'm convinced and have no further need
for checking again in the future.

irene · 1 year ago

oh myyyyyyyy...... he is not verry good!!!! :( nd i luv him, but he realy is quite bad in these vids...... yea.....

Dana · 1 year ago

I was soooo disappointed last night with Kanye's performance. I absolutely love that song (love lockdown)!! but i agree with the person who said she thought it was an imposter. I thought it was a joke and kept waiting for the real Kanye to come out and perform!! What a disappointment!!

jennings · 1 year ago

jennings is a he-name thank you

SP · 1 year ago

I was embarrased for him - it was awful. What was with the stage/graphics? I've never seen anything like that on SNL before - and didn't like it. Bet he threatened to walk if he couldn't design the stage. Ugh. Shame on SNL for caving.

hessen_2000 · 1 year ago

I thought the man had talent...I was wrong.

Ryan · 1 year ago

Obviously he can't sing. He was mostly off pitch and his timing was amateurish. What I can't believe is that you can use that much auto-turner and still be that out of tune. I just don't get it. Doesn't that guy have a real musician on his payroll that will tell him the truth? Do what you are good at; produce, arrange, rap etc...but don't sing.
Only the truly insecure are as arrogant as him.

Vik · 1 year ago

I was googling the same thing. It was ridiculously bad. He sang out of town, danced like a goof. The "song" was disastrous.

Alfred · 1 year ago

Oh my word. What a mess.

alwaysalady · 1 year ago

I think Kanye should STOP SINGING because he CANT SING. That had nothing to do with him having a cold he just sucks

purrgrrl2002 · 1 year ago

I normally like Kanye's music, but last night's performance was horrendous. His voice was off, and whatever they were trying with the accompaniment just didn't work. I thought it was horrible. Yes, it was live, but it was horrible. If this is what passes for music in 2008, let's hope that it improves in 2009. Otehrwise, I might try to make a time machine and take myself back to when music was good.

devin · 1 year ago

Would he have got this much press and comments had his performance been flawless?

It was a letdown from start to finish but my hope is that there is method to the madness. He is too smart to have been so embarrassingly horrid and believe that it wasn't a disaster.
I love his latest album and deeply wish I hadn't seen him on SNL.

Poor imitation of life imitating art.

Brooks · 1 year ago

I think Kanye West is a very talented rapper, but needs to stick to rapping. I know SNL is a hard stage to play and I've heard many acts I know are great sound bad, but both performances last night were the worst musical performances I've ever seen on SNL. Technical problems be damned. West does not have a voice made for live singing and last night's performances made that painfully obvious. Like another poster said, I actually wondered if it was really Kanye West.

pp lee · 1 year ago

one of the most pathetic performances I've ever seen. can't stay on pitch with a pitchshifter? for christ's sake, shut the f*ck up!

ewwew · 1 year ago

God it was horrible!!! I can't believe how sucky he was! It goes to show you how those machines can make anybody sound good in a studio! I can't believe people pay money to hear someone like that sing...I'd rather watch American Idol!

devoleb · 1 year ago

i think it was brilliant. he sucked up the stage, and still is going to make millions and get nominated for awards. maybe kanye should be nominated a for business man of the year award...

J Rice · 1 year ago

He never could sing. You can do a lot of pitch fixing digitally, but on a live performance you can only do so much. It sounded like they didn't have the auto-tune on FULL blast lol. I'm sure it took him a long time to do this song in the studio, but then again there's a program called melodyne that lets you take all the notes and move them where they need to be...add some hardcore auto-tune to that and you've got a rapper doing his own vocals. He's still a great producer and writer...but he over stepped his talent on this song.

GUYDUDEMAN · 1 year ago

THE PERFORMACE WAS AMAZING....meaning the show..lights..etc.

but yea the audio coulve been better.

marcus · 1 year ago

why do people get on blogs and feel they have the authority to tell bonifide artists what they "need" to do with their careers. kanye west isnt a singer. he's an artist. there is a difference. in my opinion, if anyone can get up there on stage (especially a show as big as snl) and show that much emotion while displaying their work, i feel, is more important than how he sounds. i love the album, and i think he sounded fine. if people want to hear great singing, "I Am: Sasha Fierce" dropped a few weeks ago. go grab yourself a copy and have a seat. lmao.

tom · 1 year ago

hey marcus , we people on these blogs watched saturday night live and were supposed to hear some great talent . and we heard a horrible singer who can't sing can't rap and has no talent. i have been playing music for 30 years and this is one of the worst performances i have ever seen or heard. pathetic.

elon · 1 year ago

he cant sing. he's aware of that...thats why he used auto tune in the first place. dont know if they set it up correctly for the live performance. dude prolly needs to be cocky to do all the music he does, to get on stage, to take chances....lets face it...he has a good ear for beats, songs...and production. it takes pretty solid talent and ears to get where he's gotten.if it was easy everyone with a laptop would be a famous producer .......... i think artistslike kanye should keep their cockiness to themselves(not display it off stage so much) keep taking chances, try fail suceed and so on.........

Green Bay · 1 year ago

I could not believe how bad he sang Love Lockdown. It was so out of tune. I was actually embarassed for him. He would not have made it past the first round of American Idol with that performance.

Lo · 1 year ago

I don't know why everyone is sitting here surprised like Kanye is suppose to be prince or something he's not a singer and truthfully he's never tried to be. 808's and heartbreak was an album about what he's been going through since the passing of his mom and he wanted to sing it but since he can't sing and knows it he used the voice device. Bottom line he's not a singer but he is an artist and everyone should respect him as such, it wasn't great but he is a great performer live I was at his Glow in the dark tour. Listen to the lyrics!

M · 1 year ago

I thought his performance was embarrassingly bad. He cannot sing at all. Why does he even try? He must not be able to hear himself, or his ego is so big that he just doesn't even care to get a voice lesson.

His rapping used to be really good, but this new stuff, especially last night on SNL, is atrocious.

Buster · 1 year ago

Worst singer ever, he should look for a new career sweeping floors. Phony lipsinker piece of crap,Now he can join His loser friends simpson,Madonna and Brittney

Ed · 1 year ago

how does this guy sell records? is there really a market out there for talentless arrogance. Oh wait--I forgot about Paris Hilton...

abrione · 1 year ago

Talent or no talent, how many people would rather be on that stage than posting these comments.

tom · 1 year ago

your comment makes no sense , many folks posting comments are here are not performers. so why do you think that people are so desperate to be on that stage farting or something . You must have voted for obama to be so brainless.

Kristyn - NJ · 1 year ago

Wow- and you voted for McCain. How did that work out for you? LOL
It's time for change!!!! OBAMA!!!

Tom · 1 year ago

I thought it was horrible as well and then the second song he started singing about Pinnochio. Why is this man a millionaire?

KentuckyMonk · 1 year ago

Between Kanye's SNL last week and the silly, childish, "Fresh Prince-esque" lyrics of Ludacris on SNL a couple weeks ago, the future does not bode well for hip hop.

Gangstas are no longer relevant.

eow · 1 year ago

Dress rehearsal performance.
He "apologizes" to the audience and tells them it will be better for the real show.
Nope,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNuOSwfB-NA

Awesome visuals though but it takes more than smoke and mirrors (and vocal processors) to cover up a crappy performance.

Kristyn - NJ · 1 year ago

I love Kanye and was excited to see he would be on SNL again. I was so disappointed in his performance though!!! I don't know what was wrong but it did sound awful! I felt bad for him and I too was thinking "Does he know how bad this sounds?" It kind of seemed like he did but I guess at that point what can you do? Too bad. I guess everyone has bad performances sometimes but I agree that yes- it was BAD.

angie · 1 year ago

you SUCK nice song!!!

Joe · 1 year ago

He sounded like a drunken hobo performing a song he heard from a passing car... I wasn't sure whether he was being serious

Walrus · 1 year ago

He was off because he cannot sing. The ON bits were courtesy of the autotuner.

gorilla · 1 year ago

pinocchio should sue his ass!! This performeance was crap!!

Dank · 1 year ago

Did he say "in the anus its so lonely"? This guy really is gay and the worst rapper out there. Will Smith is a better rapper and thats sayng something. This guy raps like a 13 year old and calls himself great. You're terrible Kanye, this video proves it. Hang it up.

lmpmn · 1 year ago

Thought the singing was awful, but he put his heart into it. Still sounded bad.

Dave · 1 year ago

I can not stand this guy. Overrated (mostly by himself) jackass.

KDJX · 1 year ago

Disaster. Horrible. Gong Show. Train Wreck. Milli-Vanili-esque. Embarassing. Really!?! Sa
d. Wouldn't have passed the 1st round auditions of American Idol. They would've spoofed him like they do others who mistakenly thinkt they can sing. He wouldn't have won at your local karaoke bar. He's no Elvis, as be recently claimed.

How long before he goes away?

mmm · 1 year ago

Heartless was nice with the pinnocio mix. And chill people, dude never said he was a singer, sometimes you feel so hurt that you got to sing about it.

Lorie · 1 year ago

WHEN has anyone EVER sounded GOOD on SNL? Their staging sucks and in the past 20 years I have never really heard anyone sound good. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers did a show that would put their Momma's to shame in the 80's. The sound in that stage is best used for skit comedy in front of a live audience not for musical production. Besides, Kanye sounded like he had a really bad sore throat....WHAT? A MAN can't get sick??? Besides, he has enough money he don't need to beg for fans that sit on the PC waitin' on their welfare checks and dissin' him. Give it a break!!!

getRealBiitch · 1 year ago

Believe it or not, there are much more serious matters in the world other than Kanye's crappy music....

stick · 1 year ago

come on he just sounds like hes got a cold and has flem in his throat ..im not a huge kanye fan i prefer run dmc but i do have to say hes human and is aloud to get sick and him being egotistical kanye he wasent going to turn down snl or lip sync no not kanye not him the one who should win every award at every award show no not him...lol just sayin

BPR210 · 1 year ago

THIS IS F'N DREADFUL!!!! AND THEIR IS NO EXCUSE!

Andy · 1 year ago

This performance only proves the simple nature of mainstream music and the people it appeals to.

Khalil · 1 year ago

It's half past ridiculous and I mean damn, of course that guy was using all sorts of vocal tricks to make him sound like he is a singer on his latest cd. I will be so honest when I say I love the album because he totally showed that he cant sing, but his beats and the production are simply amazing. Kanye himself was also so impressed that he actually thought it was him singing too. The SNL thang was so funny that it was sad. Kanye is the kid in your class with the best outfit, the coolest friends, and sucha cool outllook on life. the man is a beast when it comes to innovationa nd musical genious. Thais album was definitely something that woudl ahve amde a real sanger into a supa dupa star. For Kanye it just was another trophy on his mantle. What i dont understand is why he did not remember to use the same vocal tricks on the live versions as he had on the recorded ones. I mean damn son, I accept that you cant sing but got the ill production and the voice ish, well I just lied it. But the SNL ish.. Mang Kanye come on mang, that's like wearing white after labor day son - You just dont do it. this is with love too, cause the album is on heavy rotation and I will never watch him sing live again!

Andy · 1 year ago

spell check?

cntrygrl32 · 1 year ago

you can tell that he uses an auto tuner, but still, something was not right with him. he was either sick, drunk, or heavily medicated. his behavior was unusual and it was obvious something was clearly wrong besides the auto tuner not working.

Greg · 12 months ago

Finally someone uses their head and analyzes this correctly. You're all stupid and so quick to judge. Kanye is one of the most talented out there right now. Truth.

Vin · 1 year ago

he's the biggest phony going - a-hole+

MITCH · 12 months ago

Damnit I thought you were the real deal Kanye. You suck at singing, I could sing better than that.

Ursula · 12 months ago

Kanye is a good artist. He is only human, so he had a bad night, that does not take away from his musical talent! Much Love goes out to Him. Keep doing your thang!

Ursula · 12 months ago

Kanye is still the man. He had a bad night that is okay. People make mistakes

christina · 12 months ago

he was good i think he was great

Noel · 12 months ago

Oh my god he is a terrible singer. He cant even rap. "pinocchios story, i wanna be a real boy" what the hell is that? jesus his lyrics are almost as bad as his voice.. (if thats possible)

Kayne get a new career. FAST

Mister K · 11 months ago

Pitch Correctors can only help so much live! He does suck, he has to take some of that money and get some vocal lessons. Check out www.soulonfire.us you wont find me using a pitch corrector live or in the studio

kanye east · 11 months ago

Don't talk about shit if you don't know shit.

He does NOT FREAKING SING LIKE THAT. Get a clue. That IS THE SOUND OF AN AUTO-TUNE PROCESSOR.

I WILL TELL YOU WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS: He could not even sing close enough to the pitch for the processor to even register the note.

I REPEAT: The processor was working fine.

In the studio you can go in and use Auto-Tune on the computer and fix every single note, slide, and infection note by note until it is exactly the way you want it to sound.

That's right. What you hear on 95% of major releases is NOT the singers natural voice. Sorry to burst your bubble, but if you knew all the people who used it you would burn all your CDs in disgust. Some singers DONT EVEN KNOW that it was used on them. They do it after they leave. Most labels REQUEST this.

It has become part of the modern sound, like it or not. It's why people like Kayne West and the Jonas Brothers sound good on their records and sound like amateurs in EVERY LIVE PERFORMANCE THEY EVER DO!!!

BOOOOOO!!!!

But I will tell you this: I STILL ENJOY THEIR CDs. "F*CK IT. POP MUSIC is LIFE"

DearLizzy · 9 months ago

I have that SNL show on TiVo and over the past month I have been compelled to go back and watch both of Kanye's performances again and again. I was never a huge fan of Kanye West that is... until now.
The more I watch that SNL performance, the more I am convinced that, far from being a train-wreck, it was a revolutionary moment.
*The lyrics were by turns; funny, genuine, touching, sad & angry
*His voice was off-pitch but riveting! full of feeling. The auto-pitch, IMO, was not malfunctioning, but being used in a new and exciting way. It was putting a robotic edge to his voice that allowed his natural tone to show through while giving an emotional edginess that mirrored the lyrics.
*Both songs defied being boxed up into a specific genre. The lyrics and music followed an emotional and narrative arc that reminded me of Quenn or Rush; it was fantastic!
*The dancing, graphics, music, the DRUMS, and Kanye's persona combined to produce one of the BEST performances on SNL that I've ever seen!

Curtis J. · 8 months ago

the fall and fall of Mr. West

1234 · 1 year ago

the song sounds fine... what the hells up with you peeps?
and heartless was amazing too.

Andy · 1 year ago

you are tone deaf.