"Feel the Love" is a song by the American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts, composed by the rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi, and released as the opening track on their first studio album], Kids See Ghosts (2018). The song includes a feature from GOOD Music president Pusha T. It was produced by West and co-produced by Mike Dean and Benny Blanco, with additional production by Plain Pat, Evan Mast, Justin Vernon, Francis and the Lights, Cashmere Cat and Noah Goldstein. Recording of the song was finished less than 10 hours before the album's release, with Pusha T's vocals being recorded during this time period. An industrial song, it features drums and synthesizers. It includes West scat singing in a manner that was compared to his performance on "Lift Yourself", while Pusha T raps the only verse and Kid Cudi sings a chorus about love.
"Feel the Love" | |
---|---|
Song by Kids See Ghosts featuring Pusha T | |
from the album Kids See Ghosts | |
Released | June 8, 2018 |
Studio | West Lake Ranch, Jackson Hole, Wyoming |
Genre | Industrial |
Length | 2:45 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) |
|
Producer(s) | Kanye West |
Kids See Ghosts track listing | |
7 tracks |
"Feel the Love" received positive reviews from music critics, who mostly praised the performance of West. A number of them highlighted his energy, while some critics complimented Kid Cudi's vocals. The song reached number 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and also charted in the top 50 in Canada and Ireland. The song was later certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Kids See Ghosts performed it at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2019. The song was used in a 2018 Xbox advertisement, which was part of the Jump in campaign. A mashup that includes the song and "Frequency 75" by DJ Snake was used for the trailer of F9 (2021).
Background and recording
editOn April 19, 2018, Kanye West announced a collaborative album with Kid Cudi.[1] The album was revealed as being titled Kids See Ghosts by West, with him proposing the release date of June 8, 2018.[1] Kid Cudi had been featured on numerous tracks by West before the announcement, including "Welcome to Heartbreak" (2008) and "Gorgeous" (2010).[1] West released his eighth studio album, Ye, on June 1, 2018, with vocals by Kid Cudi included on the tracks "No Mistakes" and "Ghost Town".[2] In May 2018, Pusha T released his third studio album Daytona.[3] The album features West on the track "What Would Meek Do?", which includes him alluding to lyrics from his April 2018 single "Lift Yourself".[3][4][5][6] Pusha T attended the listening party for Ye in May 2018.[7] Around seven or eight hours before the release of Kids See Ghosts on June 8, 2018, Pusha T was on a flight to Montreal. Pusha T was contacted by West during the flight, who said to him: "Yo, I need a verse. Can you go to the studio right now?"[8] For his initial response, Pusha T told West that he "can't" and West replied by informing him, "I need you to go to the studio right now." A studio was booked and Pusha T ended up arriving to record his verse.[8]
Coming before any verses from Kids See Ghosts, Pusha T's appearance stands as the album's first verse.[9] A couple of weeks before the song was released, West had been putting forward an ideology on Twitter that "love is all you need."[10] West titling the song "Feel the Love" continues the opinion of feeling love being present in his music, though Ye had been retitled from LOVE EVERYONE.[11] The song was produced by West, with co-production from Mike Dean and Benny Blanco, and additional production was handled by Plain Pat, Evan Mast, Justin Vernon, Francis and the Lights, Cashmere Cat, and Noah Goldstein.[12]
Composition and lyrics
editMusically, "Feel the Love" is an industrial track.[14] The song features snare beat scatting that makes a "ka-ka-ka-ka" sound, with the drums having been contributed by Benny Blanco.[13][15] Keys are contained within the song, which appear at the beginning of it and were labeled as "plinking."[10][16][17] The song also includes synthesizers, and its production received comparisons to West's sixth studio album Yeezus (2013).[11][18][19]
"Feel the Love" is the only track on the album that includes no references to religion.[20] Pusha T has the only full verse on the track, which includes him boasting.[9][21] The sentiment expressed by Pusha T on the Daytona track "Infrared" is repeated with the line "I am not to be compared to you rappers, Eazy-Duz-It", which references the late rapper Eazy-E's 1988 debut studio album.[22][23] Pusha T's verse also features him assuring that "the details is [sic] ironed out."[24] West contributes gun noises to the song, which last for nearly two minutes.[20] The noises made by him follow the long tradition of using sound instead of words in popular music, which the likes of Lady Gaga, Led Zeppelin, Ray Charles and Louis Armstrong have taken part in.[25] West's performance features scatting from him and was described as reminiscent of his nonsensical performance on "Lift Yourself",[14][26][27] while some writers compared West's vocals to the music of fictional rapper Big Shaq.[10][28][29] For the pre-chorus of the song, West shouts the line "Where the chorus?"[11][16] Kid Cudi sings that he can "still feel the love" on the chorus, with him finding joy as well as purpose.[9][17]
Release and promotion
editOn June 8, 2018, "Feel the Love" was released as the first track on Kids See Ghosts' eponymous debut studio album.[30] West had previously shared a track list on May 15 of that year, which showed the song slated to be released as the opener.[31] On the day of the album's release, multiple tracks were mislabeled on streaming services due to a technical error, including "Feel the Love" being mislabeled as the third track on Kids See Ghosts, "4th Dimension".[16][32] American comedian Pete Davidson posted a blurry photograph of him and his then-girlfriend Ariana Grande eating cotton candy together at the album's listening party in Santa Clarita, California on June 8, 2018, captioning the photo "feel the love" in reference to the song.[33][34]
For their first performance billed as Kids See Ghosts, the duo performed the song at the 2018 Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival.[35] While it was the second track of their set, the song was the first track to be performed that was released by them under the Kids See Ghosts moniker.[36] During Kid Cudi's weekend two set at the 2019 Coachella Festival, West joined him at the Sahara Tent in a surprise appearance.[37] The duo came out of a cavernous set that resembles Mars, before delivering a performance of the track.[38]
Critical reception
edit"Feel the Love" was met with positive reviews from music critics, many of whom praised West's vocals. Writing for The Guardian, Dean Van Nguyen noted the track for "unleashing sinister keys," while pointing out the "typically barbed verse from Pusha and a manic impression of a gun from Kanye that rivals Big Shaq's ridiculous rasps."[10] In his Expert Witness Vice column, Robert Christgau praised how Kids See Ghosts "fool around like male bonders should" with the track's "vocal rat-a-tats."[39] Jamie Lawlor from Drowned in Sound said that Pusha T delivers "a reptilian guest verse," and highlighted that "West and Cudi engage in a two-player run-and-gun, Cudi on lead vocals as West screams onomatopoeias in tandem with ballistic drum breaks," with him describing West's "choice of wordless yowling" as "fitting of his current thesis of free thought and creation."[40] At The 405, Michael Cyrs commented that West "enters with a vocal solo, treating the microphone like a snare drum in a furious future scat."[19] Cyrs elaborated, admitting that West's scatting "makes the following choruses from Cudi sound angelic in the wake of Ye's manic vocalizations" and he compared the song to the artifact Pandora's box.[19]
Entertainment Weekly's Chuck Arnold wrote that the song includes Kid Cudi singing "in a cathartic wail" and viewed him as "finding both joy and purpose in that survivor cry," while also opining that it features "frenzied vocal gibberish reminiscent of German musician George Kranz's '80s dance hit 'Din Daa Daa'," which he thought was very similar to the performance of an exorcism.[17] Christopher R. Weingarten was less enthusiastic in Rolling Stone, commenting that "the phrase 'feel the love'" is sung by Kid Cudi "in the distended yowl of Young Thug or D.R.A.M. 17 times," and he noted West adding "catchy gibberish" with the "Waka Flocka Flame-style gunshots."[41] Weingarten continued, labeling "the rhythmic sophistication behind [West's] Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-bas in 'Feel the Love'" as "pretty brave and fairly smart," though concluded by comparing the result to music artists making new wave records in the 1980s and wrote that it is "cool, catchy, contemporary, but not exactly why we're here."[41] In a more negative review for XXL, Julian Kimble complained that the song "could've done without Kanye's aggressive scatting."[42]
Commercial performance
editFollowing the release of Kids See Ghosts, the track charted at number 47 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[43] That same week, it entered the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 24.[44] On May 5, 2020, "Feel the Love" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of 500,000 certified units in the United States.[45] The song performed best in Canada, peaking at number 35 on the Canadian Hot 100.[46]
In Australia, the song charted at number 57 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[47] On the UK Singles Chart, it reached number 47.[48] Similarly, the song peaked at number 50 on the Irish Singles Chart.[49] The song was less successful in Slovakia, entering the country's Singles Digitál Top 100 chart at number 58.[50]
Usage in media
editIn October 2018, "Feel the Love" was used in an Xbox advertisement that was released for the brand's Jump in campaign.[51][52] Alongside the song, the advert features film footage of a woman performing a parachute jump out of a helicopter that is mixed with clips of characters diving from the sky in video games.[52] A mashup of the song with French record producer DJ Snake's Carte Blanche track "Frequency 75" was used as the soundtrack of the trailer for upcoming American action film F9 (2021).[53] On January 31, 2020, the trailer was shared, showing John Cena portray the roles of a new villain and the brother of Dominic Toretto, while it also sees the return of Fast & Furious franchise director Justin Lin and demonstrates that Sung Kang's Han character is still alive.[53]
Credits and personnel
editRecording
- Recorded at West Lake Ranch, Jackson Hole, Wyoming[54][55]
Personnel
- Kanye West – songwriter, production
- Benny Blanco – songwriter, co-production
- Mike Dean – songwriter, co-production, mixer
- Evan Mast – songwriter, additional production
- Pusha T – songwriter, featured artist
- Kid Cudi – songwriter
- Noah Goldstein – additional production, engineer
- Plain Pat – additional production
- Justin Vernon – additional production
- Francis and the Lights – additional production
- Cashmere Cat – additional production
- Andrew Dawson – engineer, mixer
- Zack Djurich – engineer
- Tom Kahre – engineer
- Mike Malchicoff – engineer
- William J. Sullivan – engineer
- Jenna Felsenthal – assistant engineer
- Jess Jackson – mixer
- Sean Solymar – assistant mixer
Information taken from the Kids See Ghosts liner notes and Tidal.[12][56]
Charts
editChart (2018) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[47] | 57 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[46] | 35 |
France (SNEP)[57] | 185 |
Greece International Digital Singles (IFPI)[58] | 100 |
Ireland (IRMA)[49] | 50 |
Portugal (AFP)[59] | 82 |
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[50] | 58 |
Swedish Heatseekers (Sverigetopplistan)[60] | 19 |
UK Singles (OCC)[61] | 47 |
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[62] | 26 |
US Billboard Hot 100[63] | 48 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[44] | 24 |
Certifications
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[45] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Sargent, Jordan (April 19, 2018). "Kanye West Announces New Album With Kid Cudi". Spin. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ Yeung, Neil Z. "Ye – Kanye West". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- "ye / Kanye West". Tidal. Archived from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2020. - ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Daytona – Pusha T". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Wicks, Amanda; Strauss, Matthew (May 25, 2018). "Pusha-T's New Album Lyrics: #MeToo, Kanye's MAGA Hat, Trump/Russia, and More". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Arcand, Rob (May 25, 2018). "On 'What Would Meek Do?,' Pusha T Raps About Kanye's Support for Trump". Spin. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Reeves, Mosi; Blistein, Jon (May 25, 2018). "Kanye West Addresses Recent Controversies on New Pusha-T Song 'What Would Meek Do'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Aswad, Jen (May 31, 2018). "Live Updates From Kanye West's Album Listening Party in Wyoming". Variety. Archived from the original on June 7, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ a b Bristout, Ralph (June 20, 2018). "Pusha-T's verse on 'Kids See Ghosts' took place just how you imagined". Revolt. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^ a b c Lockett, Dee (June 8, 2018). "Kanye and Kid Cudi's New Album: Breaking Down the Credits". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Nguyen, Dean Van (June 9, 2018). "Kanye West & Kid Cudi: Kids See Ghosts review – a psychedelic return to godlike power". The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 9, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ a b c Stuzin, Devin (June 21, 2018). "Kanye West & Kid Cudi Fly High Above Their Demons on 'Kids See Ghosts'". Atwood Magazine. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ a b Kids See Ghosts (booklet). GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. 2018. B0028759-02.
- ^ a b Coscarelli, Joe (July 18, 2018). "How Benny Blanco Became the Most Popular Oddball in Pop Music". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ a b Newstead, Al (June 8, 2018). "Kanye West & Kid Cudi release collaborative album 'Kids Sees Ghosts'". Triple J. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Thiessen, Christopher (June 20, 2018). "Kids See Ghosts: Kids See Ghosts (album review)". PopMatters. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ a b c Klinkenberg, Brendan (June 8, 2018). "A Brief Guide to the 'Kids See Ghosts' Tracklist". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^ a b c Arnold, Chuck (June 11, 2018). "Kanye West and Kid Cudi's Kids See Ghosts: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Dodds, Danny (June 17, 2018). "Kids See Ghosts - Self-Titled Album Review". Livewire. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ a b c Cyrs, Michael (June 15, 2018). "Album Review: Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts". The 405. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ a b Madden, Sydney (June 12, 2018). "The Strange, Subdued Catharsis Of Kanye And Cudi's 'Kids See Ghosts'". NPR. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Kiana (June 12, 2018). "'Kids See Ghosts' Is the Gospel Album 'The Life of Pablo' Tried to Be". Complex. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ^ Murphy, Sarah (June 8, 2018). "Here Are All the Guest Features on Kanye West and Kid Cudi's 'Kids See Ghosts' Album". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on July 15, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ "The top 10 pop culture references in Kanye West and Kid Cudi's new album, 'Kids See". WSB-TV. June 8, 2018. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Greene, Jayson (June 11, 2018). "Kanye West / Kid Cudi: Kids See Ghosts". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ Miller, Stuart (August 16, 2018). "In pop music, words aren't everything, and that's no lie-la-lie". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Devlin, Ben (June 8, 2018). "Kids See Ghosts – Kids See Ghosts | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ Müller, Patrik (June 17, 2018). "Kids See Ghosts (Kanye West a Kid Cudi) – Kids See Ghosts" (in Czech). Music NOW. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Britton, Luke Morgan (July 12, 2018). "The best and most bizarre ad-libs and signature sounds in rap". BBC Programmes. Archived from the original on August 17, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Britton, Luke Morgan (June 13, 2018). "We edited the two quite good Kanye West albums and made one really great Kanye album, 'Ye Sees Ghosts'". NME. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Yeung, Neil Z. "Kids See Ghosts – Kids See Ghosts". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Lamarre, Carl (May 15, 2018). "Kanye West Reveals Track Lists for Kid Cudi Joint Album & Pusha T's 'King Push' Project". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Cush, Andy (June 8, 2018). "The Kids See Ghosts Track Lists and Credits Are Full of Errors". Spin. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^ Aniftos, Rania (June 8, 2018). "Pete Davidson & Ariana Grande Attend Kanye West & Kid Cudi's Album Listening Party". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Ahlgrim, Callie (November 22, 2019). "Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson relationship timeline". Insider. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Krol, Charlotte (November 12, 2018). "Kanye West and Kid Cudi perform from suspended glass box in first public show as Kids See Ghosts". NME. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Young, Alex (November 12, 2018). "Kanye and Kid Cudi Make Live Debut as Kids See Ghosts: Video+ Setlist". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on November 12, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ Nyren, Erin (April 21, 2019). "Kanye West Surprises at Kid Cudi Coachella Weekend Two Set". Variety. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ Marshall Jr., Robert (April 21, 2019). "Cudi & Kanye Perform Kids See Ghost at Coachella 2019". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (July 13, 2018). "Robert Christgau on G.O.O.D Music's Good (and Less Good) Music". Vice. Archived from the original on July 14, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Lawlor, Jamie (June 11, 2018). "Album Review: Kids See Ghosts - Kids See Ghosts / Releases / Releases". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ a b Weingarten, Christopher R. (June 11, 2018). "Review: Kanye West and Kid Cudi Brood Bravely on 'Kids See Ghosts' LP". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ Kimble, Julian (June 13, 2018). "Kanye West and Kid Cudi Trade Places on 'Kids See Ghosts' Album". XXL. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Trust, Gary (June 20, 2018). "Louis Prima Sets Record For Longest Break Between Hot 100 Hits, Debuting on Kids See Ghosts' '4th Dimension'". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ a b "Top Hip-Hop Songs / R&B Songs Chart – June 23, 2018". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^ a b "American single certifications – Kids See Ghosts – Feel the Love". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
- ^ a b "Canadian Music: Top 100 Songs – June 23, 2018". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 10, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^ a b "ARIA Chart Watch #477". auspOp. June 16, 2018. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ "Feel the Love | Full Official Chart History |". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on January 29, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
- ^ a b "Irish-charts.com – Discography Kanye West". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201824 into search. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- ^ McNary, Craig (October 22, 2018). "Jump in". Xbox Wire. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
- ^ a b "Xbox Commercial Song – Jump In". TV Advert Music. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ a b Meadow, Matthew (January 31, 2020). "Watch: DJ Snake Soundtracks The New Fast & Furious Trailer". Your EDM. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
- ^ Brown, Eric Renner (June 25, 2018). "Kanye West's GOOD Summer Album 2018 Series: Every Song Ranked". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ Bromwich, Jonah Engel (February 23, 2020). "Kanye, Out West". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 24, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
- ^ "Kids See Ghosts / Kids See Ghosts: Credits". Tidal. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- ^ "Kids See Ghosts feat. Pusha T – Feel the Love" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 24/2018". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
- ^ "Kids See Ghosts feat. Pusha T – Feel the Love". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker – Vecka 24, 15 juni 2018" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs – June 23, 2018". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2018.