8 Bizarre Music Collaborations That Were Surprisingly Successful

3. Kanye West And Bon Iver - "Lost In The World"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofaRvNOV4SI By most accounts, Kanye West's innovative My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasty was the bold push forward hip-hop needed in 2010. Rather than emphasizing hit singles, West aimed for a tight, cohesive album, adding a dash of grandiose to every track along the way. Seriously, the guy was churning out 9-minute rap epics like this album was supposed to be the soundtrack to a urban version of The Lord of the Rings. With all its innovations, the one commonality West shared with his peers was in piling on the guest vocalists. This album contains more guest stars than an average season of The Simpsons, using them to diversify his sonic palate and turn every song into something crazier than the last. But the most unexpected addition to Yeezy's collaborators was Justin Vernon, the founding member and vocalist of indie folk group Bon Iver. Vernon was best known in 2010, if at all, as a softly sung troubadour whose music could easily put a mosh pit to sleep. What was he doing on a Kanye West album, especially one so aggressive and harsh in its sound? To put it bluntly, he was helping make the strongest song on Kanye's strongest album to date. "Lost in the World" doesn't just borrow Vernon's voice, but also a sample from Bon Iver's "Woods." Unbelievably, Yeezy claims to have been a fan of the group's first LP, For Emma, Forever Ago and their overall aesthetic, which explains why he invited the singer to lend his Auto-Tuned vocals to the track. The extensive collaboration, recorded in a tiny studio in Hawaii, opens with a full 60 seconds of uninterrupted a cappella from Vernon before erupting with all the thunderous bass West had at his disposal. It goes from melancholic to glorious triumph at the flick of a switch and is nothing short of a masterpiece. Plus, Kanye has called this "one of the greatest pieces of writing." Ever. And for once, he may not be speaking in hyperbole.