Yeezy SZN Over: We Rank All Five of Kanye West's "Wyoming Sessions"

The last instalment in Kanye West's five-album series is out. So, how do they all compare?

Earlier this year, Kanye West took to Twitter to tell the world he had two albums coming in June. It was one of his least stressful tweets of recent memory.

West initially said the first out would be a solo effort and the second would be a collaboration with Kid Cudi. We all waited with bated breath because we'd seen how West had kept to his promises in the past.

my album is 7 songs

— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 19, 2018

But, later that month, Kanye made an even bolder promise: he would release five albums, one for each week in June, with Nas, Pusha-T and Teyana Taylor all in the mix, and West as the executive producer on each.

These five albums were mostly recorded while Kanye was at a ranch in Wyoming (hence the 'Wyoming sessions') but he would continue to work on them right up until the minute they were released, literally.

Kanye shot the album cover on his iPhone on the way to the album listening party 😂🔥❤️🔥🙏🏼🔥

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 1, 2018

So, we've finally reached the end of this colossal and very ambitious run. Without further ado, here is our ranking of those five releases.

1. K.T.S.E. by Teyana Taylor

We're calling the last of Ye's Wyoming sessions (and the only female-fronted release) the best, despite the fact it's only been out for a few days. K.T.S.E. ("Keep That Same Energy") is silky smooth with its acoustic R&B tunes, which sit alongside the trap-infused "Rose in Harlem" and the "Fade" sequel "WTP". (Teyana is probably best known for Kanye's iconic "Fade" music video.)

While it's not really pushing any of the boundaries that West is famous for pushing, its tracks are consistent and quality, and that hasn't always been a given in this collection of albums. Also, it's eight songs long instead of seven like the rest of them, so it may have won by cheating but IDC.

Stand-out track: "Gonna Love Me"

2. Daytona by Pusha-T

The first of the Wyoming releases and the one that got everyone pretty excited because of how slick it was. You can always rely on Pusha-T being lyrically on point, and Daytona is just that, from the Drake-murdering "Infrared" to a haunting feature from G.O.O.D. Music's rising star 070 Shake on "Santería". Pusha-T shows that, at 41 years old, he's still on top.

Stand-out track: "If You Know You Know"

3. Kids See Ghosts by Kids See Ghosts

The return of Kid Cudi and West (after many very public tiffs) as a duo proved a winner for both artists after the disappointment of West's ye (which came out the previous week) and Cudi's spate of lacklustre releases since Man on the Moon.

While "Freeee (Ghost Town Pt. 2)" doesn't quite continue on the power of first part, KSG's strength lies in its earnestness, especially on the Old Cudi throwback "Reborn", and West revisiting his critique of violence in Chicago on "Cudi Montage", despite people questioning his stance on these views after the infamous TMZ saga.

Let's hope this doesn't end up a one-off like Watch the Throne.

(Coarse language warning ahead.)

Stand-out track: "Reborn"

4. ye by Kanye West

After the high of Daytona, we were expecting big things from Mr. West. He promised us that Polo 'Ye (chop-up-the-soul Kanye) but this turned out to be a bit of lie.

Instead, ye, the second Wyoming release, was more a continuation of the messy-but-redeemable The Life of Pablo, with West opting for more lazy lyrics and lazier production. With eight albums under his belt, we've come to expect more.

But among the mess were some roses, particularly in 070 Shake's emotional outro on "Ghost Town" and Ant Clemons' lewd but beautiful hook on "All Mine".

Stand-out track: "Ghost Town (feat. 070 Shake, Kid Cudi & PARTYNEXTDOOR)"

5. Nasir by Nas

Nas is a rap legend, placed among the likes of Notorious B.I.G., 2Pac and Jay-Z. However, on Nasir, he sounds like a great rapper out of his element.

In fact, on "Cops Shot the Kids", a song that discusses police violence against the black community, it's West (a man respected more for his production chops rather than his rapping prowess) who steals the show.

Stand-out track: "Not For Radio"

Overall, the Wyoming sessions are hit and miss. While it's always great to get an overload of new music from an acclaimed producer and some great artists, the rushed production makes the final product more of a curse than a blessing. In the future, 'Ye, take your time (and maybe stop tweeting).

You can listen to a mix of all the tracks on this Spotify playlist below.

Photo: G.O.O.D. Music