Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Kanye West is one of the most influential musicians alive today. Aspiring hip-hop artists and rappers often cite his works as influence, and with all of his previous albums earning platinum status, it’s obvious that West has a true hold over the music world. When he announced his new album, there was no doubting that it was going to be big. After multiple album name changes and up to three delayed release dates, “The Life of Pablo” was finally available as a Tidal exclusive on Feb. 14.

“The Life of Pablo,” while constantly changing due to West’s rapid track changes and artistic adjustments, includes some of West’s best tracks of his career. The album is utterly beautiful—gospel elements allude to somewhere close to heaven, and the celestial vocals automatically cause goose bumps. It’s clear that West was aiming for a divine sound.

This is particularly true for “Ultralight Beam,” the opening song of the album. “Ultralight Beam” is the perfect introduction to “The Life of Pablo”—beginning with a sample of a young girl hailing Jesus and then following with soulful choirs and grandiose verse, the track absolutely transforms the listening experience. “Ultralight Beam” is righteous, riddled with religious references that speak of harsh struggle, but bright hope. Notably, the track features highly regarded artist Chance the Rapper, as well as Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin and The-Dream. “Ultralight Beam” is a true masterpiece, and by far the best song on the album.

“Real Friends” is also one of the strongest tracks on the album. With gentle beginning instrumentals layered over a hard beat, West wrestles with the idea of what friendship actually is. The song had been previously released on West’s SoundCloud, but “Real Friends” sounds best in a consecutive listen of the entirety of “The Life of Pablo.” This is one of the few tracks that feature only one other vocalist, Ty Dolla $ign, allowing West’s true voice to cut through the heavy addition of the numerous collaborators on the album.

“I Love Kanye,” which on first glance may seem like a simple song of narcissism, actually is a deeper reflection of artistic development. Imitating journalists and fans, West raps with an apt sense of self-realization about critique regarding his changing celebrity image. He calls out those who claim they “miss the old Kanye,” but West ends the 44–second–long piece with a declaration of self-love.

While “The Life of Pablo” is an album of exploration of fame, faith and celebration, it fails when Kanye muddles the process of his creation. The album feels unfinished—with a continuously changing track list and an ambiguous release, “The Life of Pablo” is just as confused as it is great. However, with a heavy-handed list of collaborators and some generally fantastic tracks, the talent and creativity showcased on the album outweigh the distracting updates and bewildering release process. To listen to “The Life of Pablo,” stream it at kanyewest.com or download Tidal (the price may be hefty, but first-time users can take advantage of a free, 30-day trial). For now, West has claimed that the album will only ever be streamed on Tidal, but keep an eye out; with the multiple changes he has made to the album, it wouldn’t be surprising if he changed his mind on the exclusive Tidal release as well.