Kanye West says Auto-Tune makes him a better singer

Kanye West: he can sing, OK?
Kanye West: he can sing, OK?

Kanye West has reacted to criticism of his heavy use of Auto-Tune on new album 808s & Heartbreaks, claiming that the software has actually made him a better singer.

"I get a lot of backlash for using [Auto-Tune] because it's a tool people use when they can't sing," says West. "What it does for me, if I sing off-key, it really points that out. It points out the bad notes. So what I have to do is sing more perfect".

Whether West is implying that he re-records parts "more perfectly" once Auto-Tune has made him aware of their imperfections isn't clear, but this seems a strange argument when you listen to the way that he uses the software.

Rather than going for straight pitch correction, West frequently employs Auto-Tune as a clearly audible effect; whereas some artists might try and hide the fact that they use it, he makes it obvious.

Bottom line: we still don't know if he can sing or not.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.