34. Kanye West, 808s and Heartbreaks
There are so many Kanye West album covers that are extraordinary. Any of the ones that featured his iconic bear mascot could easily dominate this list, as Yeezy is a 360° artist that sees, breathes, and creates genius in almost everything that he does. However, it was something that shifted when he made 808s and Heartbreaks. Perhaps it was Virgil Abloh (before Off-White was a thing) and Willo Perron from the Past Tell Museum’s art direction. Definitely, it was Brian Donnelly, the New York artist professionally known as KAWS, who made the Deluxe Edition. Yet so much of what made this particular project special was Kristen Yiengst’s photo of a deflated heart.
A bright red heart-shaped balloon stylized to appear broken and separated by Mickey Mouse gloves is set against a gray backdrop and signified an evolution in West’s aesthetic. What makes this so powerful … It is a pinpoint to when we started to lose the old Kanye.