Kanye West's Music Video "Power" Is Actually Kind of Amazing (...When You Get Over The Pretentiousness)

Rapper Kanye West premiered the music video for "Power" on MTV and Vevo last night, and just as you would expect, people are pretty divided over it.

First of all, the music video is only 1 minute and 43 seconds. That's probably because, as Kanye alluded to but no one took seriously, the music video is actually a depiction of a "moving painting".

The painting shows Kanye dressed like some modernized Roman God with a sword surrounded by a crown over his head and a bunch of weird looking people around him. It looks like some of them are even in water. The most striking image, besides Kanye of course, is of the two women with the long devil-looking horns with the staffs standing on guard in front of him. As the camera pans out, we see the full painting as it's subjects move in slow motion. The ending scene has two floating men either attacking Kanye or each other, before "POWER" comes out on the screen.

So, what of the video?

Some people will probably feel cheated over the very short length, and the fact that it really isn't a video at all. Yes, those expecting a complete storyline, maybe featuring Kanye standing on a cliff above a massive ocean, will feel like the video was a fail.Others may be annoyed or offended (depending on how you view Kanye himself) by the utter amount of ego that went into the production of this clip. I mean, who the hell does Kanye think he is making a video with allusions to him as an otherworldly figure and the blatant Illuminati references?

What those people are missing, though, is that this video is actually brilliant. It's a visual masterpiece, no doubt. The fluidity and the richness of the imagery was astounding and artful, something you rarely ever seen in pop music, especially in hip-hop. As for the content of the video, the depiction of Kanye as some sort of powerful being (with the bright eyes) amongst a bunch of dark and potentially evil imagery wis definitely provocative. Even though I am quick to cut the rapper down for his inflated sense of self, I could see the art in this choice. Finally, the video is brilliant because the concept of a moving painting was so unexpected that it was inspired. He didn't just push the envelope, he ripped it open. The only other artist who has done that with her visual output is Lady Gaga (remember, they were supposed to tour before the VMA incident). As a plus, the music video actually makes me like the song more (I thought the song dragged on a bit; I like the short version).

Is "Power" an ego trip? Most likely, but when isn't anything Kanye does somewhat that? However, there is heavy substance behind the heavy bravado, making for a  truly visceral viewing experience.

What do you think of Kanye's "Power"?