Dark Fantasy (song): Difference between revisions

Despite not being released as a single, the hype generated by the release of ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' caused the song to enter the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] at position 60. It was the opening song of West's 2011 setlist at the [[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival|Coachella Music Festival]], and was performed at the '[[Vevo]] Presents [[GOOD Music]]' musical venue. "Dark Fantasy" was utilized duringin the opening sequence of West's [[short film]] ''[[Runaway (2010 film)|Runaway]]'', duringin an extended scene withwhere West drivingdrives down an atmospheric forest road.

Like the majority of ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'', the song was recorded in [[Oahu]], [[Hawaii]].<ref name="Bever">Callahan-Bever, Noah (2010-12-12). [http://www.complex.com/CELEBRITIES/Cover-Story/kanye-west-project-runaway Kanye West: Project Runaway] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228123251/http://www.complex.com/CELEBRITIES/Cover-Story/kanye-west-project-runaway |date=December 28, 2010 }}. ''[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]]''. Retrieved on 2010-11-30.</ref> Following several media controversies, West decided to record his next album in a reclusive manner only working with artists he considered himself familiar with.<ref name="mtv">Rodriguez, Jayson (2010-05-25). [https://archive.today/20120903142957/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1640340/kanye-wests-power-producer-explains-how-song-happened.jhtml Kanye West's 'Power' Producer Explains How Song Happened]. [[MTV]]. [[Viacom (2005–present)|Viacom]] Retrieved on 2010-11-30.</ref> Justin Vernon of the group [[Bon Iver]] appears on backing vocals of the track and is the first voice heard on the album.<ref name="IVER">{{cite web|last=Hill|first=Logan|title=Bon Iver's Justin Vernon on Recording Kanye's Dark Fantasy|url=https://www.vulture.com/2010/11/bon_ivers_justin_vernon_on.html|date=2010-10-14|publisher=Vulture. [[New York (magazine)|New York Magazine]]|access-date=2011-07-27}}</ref> West was a fan of Bon Iver's album ''[[For Emma, Forever Ago]]'' and invited him down to Hawaii to record with him.<ref name="IVER"/> While working there, the two became friends and reportedly produced 10 songs during their sessions together.<ref name="IVER"/> Vernon described the process as highly artistic in nature, stating that the fourteen-hour day recording schedule allowed for a lot of fun and creativity.<ref name="IVER"/>

The song features production by RZA of the hip-hop group [[Wu-Tang Clan]], who commented that "Dark Fantasy" was one of the many compositions that he and West collaborated on.<ref name="Gill">Gill, Andy (2010-11-19). [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-kanye-west-my-beautiful-dark-twisted-fantasy-def-jam-2137791.html Review: ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'']. ''[[The Independent]]''. Retrieved on 2010-11-19.</ref><ref name="RZA">{{cite magazine|author=Ahmed, Insanul|title=Interview: The RZA Talks Headphones, Hollywood, and Working On "Watch The Throne"|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2011/12/interview-the-rza-talks-headphones-hollywood-and-working-on-watch-the-throne/page/3|magazine=Complex|access-date=2011-12-05|date=2012-03-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107212311/http://www.complex.com/music/2011/12/interview-the-rza-talks-headphones-hollywood-and-working-on-watch-the-throne/page/3|archive-date=2012-01-07}}</ref> According to him, West had a "stack of beats" and that he tried to be as productive as possible with so much material already recorded.<ref name=RZA/> The style of composition is deeply influenced by producer RZA, who introduces his "bring-the-ruckus" aesthetic to the song production.<ref name=smoke/> Nicki Minaj was asked to open the song with a spoken word introduction, a favor she was excited to perform because she was a fan of [[Jay-Z]], a rapper who West was recording with at the time.<ref name="OBSESSED">{{cite web|last=Ziegbe|first=Mawuse|title=Nicki Minaj Remembers Being 'Obsessed' With Jay-Z|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1651069/nicki-minaj-remembers-being-obsessed-with-jay-z.jhtml|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129122214/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1651069/nicki-minaj-remembers-being-obsessed-with-jay-z.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 29, 2013|date=October 28, 2010|publisher=MTV. Viacom|access-date=July 27, 2011}}</ref> Minaj described both Jay-Z and West as "icons", and stated that she was blessed to be working with them.<ref name="CREW">{{cite magazine|last=Ryan|first=Sean|title=Nicki Minaj Addresses Marriage Rumors, Talks "Monster"|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.12166/title.nicki-minaj-addresses-marriage-rumors-talks-monster|date=August 8, 2010|magazine=HipHopDX|access-date=July 27, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100912194357/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.12166/title.nicki-minaj-addresses-marriage-rumors-talks-monster|archive-date=September 12, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The song is introduced with a contribution from one of Minaj's alter egos; Martha Zolanski, who appears to be a rewording of the introduction to writer [[Roald Dahl]]'s poetic rework of "[[Cinderella]]".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Walker Graves |first1=Kirk |title=Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy |date=2014 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |page=53}}</ref>.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Denslow|first=Michael|date=2010-11-15|url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/11/album-review-kanye-west-my-beautiful-dark-twisted-fantasy/|title=Album Review: Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy|magazine=[[Consequence of Sound]]|access-date=2012-07-17}}</ref><ref name="download">{{cite web|author=<!--Not stated-->|url=http://www.rap-up.com/2010/11/14/nicki-minaj-talks-rihanna-and-kanye-west-collaborations/ |title=Nicki Minaj talks Rihanna and Kanye West collaborations |publisher=[[Rap-Up]]. |access-date=2010-12-28}}</ref><ref name="Powers">Powers, Ann (2010-11-23). [https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-et-kanye-nicki-20101123,0,441598.story Review: ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'']. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. [[Tribune Company]] Retrieved 2010-11-22</ref> West begins his verse with the refrain "I fantasized 'bout this back in Chicago".<ref name="thirteen">Barber, Andrew (2012-12-07). [http://www.complex.com/music/2012/07/the-100-best-kanye-west-songs/gorgeous Kanye West "Dark Fantasy" (2010)]. ''Complex''. Retrieved on 2010-11-30.</ref> It introduces themes referenced on the majority of ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'', including comments on decadence and hedonism, with West musing how "the plan was to drink until the pain was over / but what's worse, the pain or the hangover?".<ref name="Kot">Kot, Greg (2010-11-17). [http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2010/11/album-review-kanye-west-my-beautiful-dark-twisted-fantasy.html Review: ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'']. ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Retrieved 2010-11-17.</ref><ref name="Denney">Denney, Alex (2010-11-19). [https://www.nme.com/reviews/kanye-west/11723 Review: ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'']. ''[[NME]]''. Retrieved 2010-11-22.</ref><ref name="BillboardPremiere"/> His lyrics on the track contain numerous musical and cultural references, including those to the song "[[Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)]]", the [[Lamborghini Murciélago]] sports car, rapper [[Nas]], fashion designer [[Phoebe Philo]], short story "[[The Legend of Sleepy Hollow]]", the band the [[Kings Of Leon]] and their song "[[Sex on Fire]]", singers [[Celine Dion]] and [[Leona Lewis]], and television character [[Steve Urkel]].<ref name="mtv2">Anderson, Kyle (2010-11-15). [http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/11/15/kanye-west-my-beautiful-dark-twisted-fantasy-dark-fantasy/ Inside Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: 'Dark Fantasy'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605120704/http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/11/15/kanye-west-my-beautiful-dark-twisted-fantasy-dark-fantasy/ |date=June 5, 2012 }}. [[MTV News]]. Viacom Retrieved 2010-12-07.</ref><ref name="Martins"/> The song contains the line "too many Urkels on your team / that's why your wins low", a [[double entendre]].<ref name="mtv2"/><ref name="Martins"/> The "Winslows" were the family Urkel lived with on the show ''[[Family Matters]]'', with the alternative meaning touching upon how his opponents' "wins are low".<ref name="Martins"/> The chorus contains the line "can we get much higher?", another inquiry that is brought up during much of the proceeding album.<ref name=higher/> The song samples a portion of "In High Places" by [[Mike Oldfield]], a [[pop rock]] song from 1983 from the album ''[[Crises (Mike Oldfield album)|Crises]]''.<ref name="Breihan">{{cite web|last=Singh|first=Amrit|date=2010-11-18|url=https://stereogum.com/581182/download-the-samples-used-on-dark-twisted-fantasy/mp3s/|title=Download The Samples Used On Dark Twisted Fantasy|publisher=[[Stereogum]]|access-date=2012-07-15}}</ref>

At the 'Vevo Presents GOOD Music' musical presentation, the song was performed by both West and Taylor.<ref name="GOOD"/> The performance began with West's silhouette pressed against a glowing background, dressed in all black.<ref name="GOOD">{{cite web|last=Kaufman|first=Paul|title=Kanye West Brings G.O.O.D. Music, Jay-Z To Texas For SXSW|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1660297/kanye-west-jay-z-good-music-sxsw.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323005237/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1660297/kanye-west-jay-z-good-music-sxsw.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 23, 2011|date=2011-03-20|publisher=MTV. Viacom|access-date=2010-10-07}}</ref> During his set at the [[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]], West performed "Dark Fantasy" as the opening track.<ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|url=http://idolator.com/5852951/listen-to-kanye-wests-full-set-from-coachella|title=Listen To Kanye West's Full Set From Coachella|date=2011-05-11|publisher =[[Idolator (website)|Idolator]]. Buzz Media|access-date=2011-08-07}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=DiMeglio|first=Mary |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662043/coachella-festival-kanye-west.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110421024203/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1662043/coachella-festival-kanye-west.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 21, 2011 |title=Kanye West Slays Coachella Festival's Last Night|publisher=MTV. Viacom |date=2011-05-10 |access-date=2011-02-26}}</ref>

The song was also featured as the opening track in ''Runaway'', a 35-minute music video directed by West set to music from ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy''.<ref name="BillboardPremiere">{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/954875/kanye-west-premieres-35-minute-long-runaway-video-in-london|title=Kanye West Premieres 35-Minute-Long 'Runaway' Video In London|date=2010-10-07|first=Mariel|last=Concepcion|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=2010-10-23}}</ref><ref name="MTVScreening">{{cite web|last=Kaufman|first=Gil|title=Kanye West Screens 'Runaway' In London|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649493/20101007/west_kanye.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009205418/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649493/20101007/west_kanye.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 9, 2010|date=2010-10-07|publisher=MTV. Viacom|access-date=2010-10-07}}</ref> The scene which the track is played during features West driving his [[MTX (automobile)|MTX Tatra V8]] through the forest when he crashes into a [[meteorite]], which according to ''[[GQ]]'', paralleled West's car accident that was the inspiration for "[[Through the Wire]]".<ref name="GQ">{{Cite web |url=http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2010-10/11/gq-music-kanye-west-runaway-review/runaway-plot-details |title=100 things Kanye taught GQ: Everything that happens in Runaway |date=2010-10-12 |first=Andy |last=Morris |work=[[GQ]] |access-date=2010-10-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018055237/http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2010-10/11/gq-music-kanye-west-runaway-review/runaway-plot-details |archive-date=2010-10-18 }}</ref> The song was used in advertisements for the film ''[[The Hangover Part II]]''.<ref name="Complex">{{cite magazine|author=Brad, Wete|title=Interview: Teyana Taylor Talks Joining G.O.O.D. Music, Influencing Fashion & Being Doubted|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2012/08/interview-teyana-taylor-talks-joining-good-music-influencing-fashion-being-doubted|magazine=Complex|access-date=2012-08-03|date=2012-03-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Ditzian|first=Eric|title='Hangover Part II' Trailer: Five Key Moments|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661121/hangover-2-trailer.jhtml|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120903194957/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1661121/hangover-2-trailer.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 3, 2012|date=2010-04-01|publisher=MTV. Viacom|access-date=2011-12-03}}</ref>

In 2022, the song gained a resurgence in popularity due to an [[internet meme]] involving Whitebeard, a charactercharacters from the Japanese manga series ''[[One Piece]]''. The meme involves a scene in the [[One Piece (1999 TV series)|anime adaptation]] where the character [[Whitebeard]] shouts "The One Piece... The One Piece is real!" followed by a montage of edited images depicting him and several other ''One Piece'' characters having(including [[Tony Tony Chopper]], [[Monkey D. Luffy]], and [[Portgas D. Ace]]), sometimes with drawn-on large penises, while the song plays in the background. The scene or audio of Whitebeard shouting is sometimes replaced with ''[[Better Call Saul]]'' actor [[Patrick Fabian]] reading the line instead.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Diaz |first=Ana |date=2022-09-01 |title=One Piece and Ye’s ‘Dark Fantasy’ are the foundation for this NSFW meme |url=https://www.polygon.com/23333279/one-piece-ye-kaye-west-meme-dark-fantasy-patrick-fabian-nsfw |access-date=2022-09-10 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref> Some components of the meme are completely removed to create another variant, which is only Dark Fantasy and several One Piece characters in their usual outfits, without any genitalia visible.