Power (Kanye West song)
Encyclopedia
"Power" is a single
by American hip hop
recording artist Kanye West
, released as the lead single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The song features additional vocals by Dwele
and is co-produced by Kanye West and Symbolyc One
. The song features a sample of "21st Century Schizoid Man
" by English progressive rock band King Crimson
, "Afromerica" by American funk band Continent Number 6, and "It's Your Thing" by funk band Cold Grits. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
at the 53rd Grammy Awards
.
, until West listened to the song and expressed interest in it. The song was recorded in Hawaii
. The song was supposed to be released for digital download in early June, but for an unexplained reason it was canceled. On May 28, 2010, an unfinished version of the speculative first single was leaked onto the internet. "Power" samples "21st Century Schizoid Man
" by the British rock band King Crimson
and Afromerica by Continent Number 6. Kanye West stated in his first Ustream broadcast that the single included elements from his previous songs "Amazing
" and "Jesus Walks
". On June 30, 2010, the single was released on iTunes
for digital download with a different album cover, also designed by the same artist that drew the last album cover. The cover art for the song "Power" was produced by American visual artist
George Condo
. The single had two other alternate albums designs. "Power" debuted at number 36 on sales of 6,254 downloads, in the United Kingdom (it was a download only single). This marked his 26th singles chart entry in less than six years. It debuted at number 10 on the UK R&B Chart
. In its second week on the charts in the UK, the single fell to number 42 on the main charts, but remained at number 10 on the R&B Chart.
and would be released on August 13, 2010, but was premiered on August 20, 2010 on Hot 97 by Funkmaster Flex
. The song which features Jay-Z
also feature vocals and production from Swizz Beatz
. Swizz Beatz produced the second half of the song sampling Snap!
's hip house
hit
, "The Power
."
at number 22; named as the week's Hot Shot Debut. On 4 September 2010, the single also debuted on the UK Singles Chart
and UK R&B Chart
at number 36 and 10 respectively, before falling to number 42 on its second week in the chart. On 18 September 2010, the single fell 38 places to number 80; marking its third week within the Top 100. Following the release of the album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, the single re-entered the chart at number 57 and as of 23 October 2010 has spent a total of five weeks within the Top 100.
In 2011 the single re-entered the UK singles chart and urban chart, at number 38 and 12 respectivley.
gave a positive review of the song saying, "Kanye's best single since "Stronger
" rides a torrid whipsaw beat, as he takes on his spelunking media image, pinballing from self-aware ("I'm an asshole") to defiant ("Kiss my asshole"). The sentiment is classic Kanye, but he hasn't melted down this brilliantly in a long time." Jason Lipshutz from Billboard
praised the song saying, "With its stunning mix of rock-leaning production, memorable rhymes and unadulterated attitude, new single "Power" is a pissed-off shot of adrenaline that plays upon all of the controversial rapper's strengths. Rhyming over a soulful vocal harmony and an abrasive sample of King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man," West dismisses his doubters, takes a shot at "Saturday Night Live
" and shrugs off his recent hiatus from hip-hop." Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media
dubbed the track 'Best New Music' in June 2010, and viewed it as an adequate response to West's self-imposed exile and public scrutiny.
, sixth best song by Pitchfork Media
, third best by Spin
, third best song of the year by MTV News
and #40 in the "50 Best Songs of 2010" list by Rolling Stone.
atop a mountain-like prop, with a video compilation of footage shot on top of a mountain playing in the back. West performed it on Saturday Night Live
on October 2. While, on the original record, the rapper says "Fuck SNL and the whole cast", these verses were dropped in favor of new lyrics. For the first time in the show's history the signature black, instrument filled stage gave place to an all-white, backlit canvas. This performance was heavily publicized and received some rave reviews. Gregory Ellwood wrote "Note to Lorne Michaels: Whatever West had to do to let you break form and come up with such a visually stunning and impressive performance was well, well worth it. This is memorable television. Hands down." "West's SNL performance proved once again that no matter what's going on in his personal life, he is an artist and will continue to take chances in the music industry—ultimately breaking new ground," wrote Megan Masters, adding "Kanye West is a comeback king." Kevin O'Donnell wrote "West delivered one of the show's most unique performances of all-time." On October 4 West tweeted "Here's the tweet you all knew was coming... Love to SNL and the whole cast!" West also performed this song live at the EMAs 2010, in Madrid, during 30 Seconds To Mars
's performance of their song "Hurricane
", which features the singer in a second version.
in its seventh season. The song was heavily featured in promotional trailers for David Fincher's film The Social Network
. It was also featured in season 4, episode 5 of Gossip Girl
entitled "Goodbye, Columbia", as well as in the trailer and commercials for the 2011 Bradley Cooper
and Robert De Niro
film, Limitless. Fox's The Chicago Code uses the song in its TV spots as the rapper is from Chicago. Also, Ryan Braun
of the Milwaukee Brewers
uses the song as one of his at-bat songs. The single is also featured in Volition
's Saints Row: The Third video game and according to a review by Kotaku
editor Kirk Hamilton "plays a central, recurring role [...]. The tune has been featured in the game's exhaustive promotional materials, plays regularly on its in-game radio stations, and makes bookending appearances in the single-player campaign." It also appears as the short trailer for Forza Motorsport 4
.
directed by artist Marco Brambilla
, featuring Irina Shayk, Jessica White
and African-American albino fashion model Diandra Forrest. The Power video commences with a portrait-view headshot of Kanye West staring intensely into the camera with illuminated eyes and wearing a large, low-hanging gold chain necklace with an equally large pendant of Horus
. As the music begins, the camera slowly pans out in one continuous take to reveal West standing at the end of a hallway of black columns, and surrounded by partially-dressed female characters. Some kneel before him; some embrace; four figures wear ibex
-like horns; and some are inverted, pouring water that flows upward. Two horned, staff-bearing figures, loosely resembling interpretations of Isis
and Hathor
, stand on either side of West; each slowly strikes the ground with their staff, in time to the music. The Sword of Damocles
hangs over the rapper’s head, while other slowly-moving figures appear ready to strike West with blades. The various figures within the painting are presented in poses similar to the Major Arcana
and Minor Arcana
of the Etteilla
occult tarot
deck, including: The Devil
; Judgement
; The Lovers
; The World
; The Hanged Man; The Ace of Swords/Sword of Damocles
; The Page of Swords
; The Seven of Wands
; and The Queen of Cups
.
“It’s kind of apocalyptic, in a very personal way,” Brambilla told ArtsBeat. “It’s a very exaggerated hyper-sensational version of what the song is saying.” The video premiered on MTV
on August 5, 2010 preceding a new episode of Jersey Shore
. Kanye has tweeted the tag line, “ITS NOT A VIDEO, ITS A MOVING PAINTING”. The video is much shorter than the actual song, lasting less than two minutes and only covering the first verse. It was later revealed that the 103-second video, which invokes cultural references from the Renaissance period to Greek mythology, is a teaser for a longer clip. The Video won iTunes' video of the year 2010.
CD single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by American hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
recording artist Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, released as the lead single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The song features additional vocals by Dwele
Dwele
Andwele Gardner , better known by his stage name Dwele is a soul singer, songwriter and record producer from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:...
and is co-produced by Kanye West and Symbolyc One
Strange Fruit Project
Strange Fruit Project is an underground hip hop group from Waco, Texas, which consists of producer and emcee Symbolyc One , his cousin emcee Myth and emcee Myone...
. The song features a sample of "21st Century Schizoid Man
21st Century Schizoid Man
"21st Century Schizoid Man" is a song by progressive rock band King Crimson from their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King.-Personnel:* Greg Lake – Vocals, bass guitar* Ian McDonald – saxophone* Robert Fripp – guitars* Michael Giles – drums...
" by English progressive rock band King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, "Afromerica" by American funk band Continent Number 6, and "It's Your Thing" by funk band Cold Grits. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
at the 53rd Grammy Awards
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
.
Background
The song was originally produced by Symbolyc One with the beat to the song intially being given to RhymefestRhymefest
Che Smith , known by the stage name of Rhymefest, is an American hip hop artist from Chicago, Illinois whose first official album, Blue Collar, was released on July 11, 2006. He co-wrote Kanye West's "Jesus Walks", which won a Grammy at the 47th Grammy Awards. In October, 2010, Rhymefest announced...
, until West listened to the song and expressed interest in it. The song was recorded in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. The song was supposed to be released for digital download in early June, but for an unexplained reason it was canceled. On May 28, 2010, an unfinished version of the speculative first single was leaked onto the internet. "Power" samples "21st Century Schizoid Man
21st Century Schizoid Man
"21st Century Schizoid Man" is a song by progressive rock band King Crimson from their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King.-Personnel:* Greg Lake – Vocals, bass guitar* Ian McDonald – saxophone* Robert Fripp – guitars* Michael Giles – drums...
" by the British rock band King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
and Afromerica by Continent Number 6. Kanye West stated in his first Ustream broadcast that the single included elements from his previous songs "Amazing
Amazing (Kanye West song)
"Amazing" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released as the third single for his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak. Co-produced with Jeff Bhasker, the song features hip hop artist Young Jeezy and contains additional vocals provided by Mr Hudson and Tony Williams...
" and "Jesus Walks
Jesus Walks
"Jesus Walks" is a hip hop song by American rap artist Kanye West. It was released on May 25, 2004 as the third single from his debut album, The College Dropout. The song is built around a sample of "Walk with Me" as performed by the ARC Choir. "Jesus Walks" was well-received by music critics, who...
". On June 30, 2010, the single was released on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
for digital download with a different album cover, also designed by the same artist that drew the last album cover. The cover art for the song "Power" was produced by American visual artist
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
George Condo
George Condo
George Condo is an American contemporary visual artist.-Life and career:Condo works in the medium of painting and sculpture...
. The single had two other alternate albums designs. "Power" debuted at number 36 on sales of 6,254 downloads, in the United Kingdom (it was a download only single). This marked his 26th singles chart entry in less than six years. It debuted at number 10 on the UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
. In its second week on the charts in the UK, the single fell to number 42 on the main charts, but remained at number 10 on the R&B Chart.
Remix
In an interview with Hot 97, West said the official remix was to feature Jay-ZJay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
and would be released on August 13, 2010, but was premiered on August 20, 2010 on Hot 97 by Funkmaster Flex
Funkmaster Flex
Aston George Taylor, Jr. better known as Funkmaster Flex is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, musician and producer on New York City's Hot 97 radio station and host of the hit MTV show Funk Flex Full Throttle....
. The song which features Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
also feature vocals and production from Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
. Swizz Beatz produced the second half of the song sampling Snap!
Snap!
Snap! is a German Eurodance project formed in 1989 by Frankfurt-based producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti. The act has been through a number of line-up changes over the years, but was most successful when fronted by rapper Turbo B, who performed on the UK number 1 singles "The Power" and...
's hip house
Hip house
Hip house, also known as house rap, is a musical genre that mixes elements of house music and hip-hop. The style rose to prominence during the 1980s in New York and Chicago...
hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, "The Power
The Power (Snap! song)
"The Power" is an electronic pop hit song by the German music group Snap! from their album World Power. It was released as a single in 1990 and reached No. 1 in the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, as well as the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Rap charts...
."
Chart performance
During the week entereing 8 July 2010, "Power" charted on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number 22; named as the week's Hot Shot Debut. On 4 September 2010, the single also debuted on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
at number 36 and 10 respectively, before falling to number 42 on its second week in the chart. On 18 September 2010, the single fell 38 places to number 80; marking its third week within the Top 100. Following the release of the album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, the single re-entered the chart at number 57 and as of 23 October 2010 has spent a total of five weeks within the Top 100.
In 2011 the single re-entered the UK singles chart and urban chart, at number 38 and 12 respectivley.
Critical reception
Jon Dolan of Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave a positive review of the song saying, "Kanye's best single since "Stronger
Stronger (Kanye West song)
"Stronger" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released as the second single from his third studio album Graduation. It was produced by West and contains an extended outro co-produced with Mike Dean...
" rides a torrid whipsaw beat, as he takes on his spelunking media image, pinballing from self-aware ("I'm an asshole") to defiant ("Kiss my asshole"). The sentiment is classic Kanye, but he hasn't melted down this brilliantly in a long time." Jason Lipshutz from Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
praised the song saying, "With its stunning mix of rock-leaning production, memorable rhymes and unadulterated attitude, new single "Power" is a pissed-off shot of adrenaline that plays upon all of the controversial rapper's strengths. Rhyming over a soulful vocal harmony and an abrasive sample of King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man," West dismisses his doubters, takes a shot at "Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
" and shrugs off his recent hiatus from hip-hop." Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
dubbed the track 'Best New Music' in June 2010, and viewed it as an adequate response to West's self-imposed exile and public scrutiny.
Accolades
The song was included on many end of 2010 lists: it was named the third best song of 2010 by TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, sixth best song by Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, third best by Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
, third best song of the year by MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
and #40 in the "50 Best Songs of 2010" list by Rolling Stone.
Live performances
Kanye West performed this song at the 2010 BET AwardsBET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
atop a mountain-like prop, with a video compilation of footage shot on top of a mountain playing in the back. West performed it on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
on October 2. While, on the original record, the rapper says "Fuck SNL and the whole cast", these verses were dropped in favor of new lyrics. For the first time in the show's history the signature black, instrument filled stage gave place to an all-white, backlit canvas. This performance was heavily publicized and received some rave reviews. Gregory Ellwood wrote "Note to Lorne Michaels: Whatever West had to do to let you break form and come up with such a visually stunning and impressive performance was well, well worth it. This is memorable television. Hands down." "West's SNL performance proved once again that no matter what's going on in his personal life, he is an artist and will continue to take chances in the music industry—ultimately breaking new ground," wrote Megan Masters, adding "Kanye West is a comeback king." Kevin O'Donnell wrote "West delivered one of the show's most unique performances of all-time." On October 4 West tweeted "Here's the tweet you all knew was coming... Love to SNL and the whole cast!" West also performed this song live at the EMAs 2010, in Madrid, during 30 Seconds To Mars
30 Seconds to Mars
30 Seconds to Mars is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1998. Since 2007, the band has consisted of actor Jared Leto , Shannon Leto and Tomo Miličević...
's performance of their song "Hurricane
Hurricane (30 Seconds to Mars song)
"Hurricane" is a song written by American rock band 30 Seconds to Mars which is featured on their third studio album, This Is War. The song was written by lead vocalist and songwriter Jared Leto and was released in January 2011 as the fourth single from the album...
", which features the singer in a second version.
Media usage
"Power" was used in a Hip-Hop routine on the hit dance show So You Think You Can DanceSo You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American dance competition and reality show that airs on Fox in the United States.The series first premiered on July 20, 2005, and was created by American Idol producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe and is produced by 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions...
in its seventh season. The song was heavily featured in promotional trailers for David Fincher's film The Social Network
The Social Network
The Social Network is a 2010 American drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. Adapted from Ben Mezrich's 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, the film portrays the founding of social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits...
. It was also featured in season 4, episode 5 of Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
entitled "Goodbye, Columbia", as well as in the trailer and commercials for the 2011 Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper is an American film, theater, and television actor. He is known for his roles in the films The Hangover, The A-Team, and Limitless. In 2011, People magazine named Cooper "Sexiest Man Alive".-Early life:...
and Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
film, Limitless. Fox's The Chicago Code uses the song in its TV spots as the rapper is from Chicago. Also, Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
of the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
uses the song as one of his at-bat songs. The single is also featured in Volition
Volition
Volition may refer to:*Volition , the cognitive process by which an individual decides on and commits to a particular course of action...
's Saints Row: The Third video game and according to a review by Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
editor Kirk Hamilton "plays a central, recurring role [...]. The tune has been featured in the game's exhaustive promotional materials, plays regularly on its in-game radio stations, and makes bookending appearances in the single-player campaign." It also appears as the short trailer for Forza Motorsport 4
Forza Motorsport 4
Forza Motorsport 4 is a racing video game released by Turn 10 Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the fourth installment in the Forza Motorsport series, and was released in North America on October 11, 2011 and in Europe on October 14, 2011...
.
Music video
The New York Times previewed a clip of the music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
directed by artist Marco Brambilla
Marco Brambilla
Marco Brambilla is an Italian-born Canadian artist and filmmaker who works in the United States. Educated at Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada, where he studied film, he first worked in commercials and feature films, directing the successful 1993 science fiction film Demolition Man...
, featuring Irina Shayk, Jessica White
Jessica White
Jessica White is an American model and occasional actress and DJ.-Career:At the age of 16, White was scouted in her hometown of Buffalo, New York, and had gone to Personal Best modeling school at age sixteen...
and African-American albino fashion model Diandra Forrest. The Power video commences with a portrait-view headshot of Kanye West staring intensely into the camera with illuminated eyes and wearing a large, low-hanging gold chain necklace with an equally large pendant of Horus
Horus
Horus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through to Greco-Roman times. Different forms of Horus are recorded in history and these are treated as distinct gods by Egyptologists...
. As the music begins, the camera slowly pans out in one continuous take to reveal West standing at the end of a hallway of black columns, and surrounded by partially-dressed female characters. Some kneel before him; some embrace; four figures wear ibex
Capra (genus)
Capra is a genus of mammals, the goats or wild goats, composed of up to nine species including the wild goat, the markhor and several species known as ibex....
-like horns; and some are inverted, pouring water that flows upward. Two horned, staff-bearing figures, loosely resembling interpretations of Isis
Isis
Isis or in original more likely Aset is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs, whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. She was worshipped as the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic...
and Hathor
Hathor
Hathor , is an Ancient Egyptian goddess who personified the principles of love, beauty, music, motherhood and joy. She was one of the most important and popular deities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt...
, stand on either side of West; each slowly strikes the ground with their staff, in time to the music. The Sword of Damocles
Damocles
Damocles is a figure featured in a single moral anecdote commonly referred to as "the Sword of Damocles," which was a late addition to classical Greek culture. The figure belongs properly to legend rather than Greek myth. The anecdote apparently figured in the lost history of Sicily by Timaeus of...
hangs over the rapper’s head, while other slowly-moving figures appear ready to strike West with blades. The various figures within the painting are presented in poses similar to the Major Arcana
Major Arcana
The Major Arcana or trumps are a suit of twenty-two cards in the tarot deck. They serve as a permanent trump suit in games played with the tarot deck, and are distinguished from the four standard suits collectively known as the Minor Arcana...
and Minor Arcana
Minor Arcana
|thumb|[[King of Swords]] card from a Minor Arcana deckThe Minor Arcana of occult or divinatory tarot refers to the portion of a Tarot deck that consists of 56 cards. The Minor Arcana are roughly similar to the cards found in a common deck of playing cards...
of the Etteilla
Etteilla
"Etteilla," the pseudonym of Jean-Baptiste Alliette , was the French occultist who was the first to popularise tarot divination to a wide audience , and therefore the first professional tarot occultist known to history who made his living by card divination...
occult tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
deck, including: The Devil
The Devil (Tarot card)
The Devil is the fifteenth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Symbolism :...
; Judgement
Judgement (Tarot card)
Judgement , or in some decks spelled Judgment, is a Tarot card, part of the Major Arcana suit usually comprising 22 cards.-Rider-Waite symbolism:Very clearly, it is modeled after the Christian Resurrection before the Last Judgment...
; The Lovers
The Lovers
The Lovers is the sixth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.- Interpretation :...
; The World
The World (Tarot card)
The World is a trump or Major Arcana card in the tarot deck. It is usually the final card of the Major Arcana or tarot trump sequence. In the tarot family of card games, this card is usually worth five points.- Description :...
; The Hanged Man; The Ace of Swords/Sword of Damocles
Ace of Swords
Ace of Swords is the first of the suite of Swords. This card indicates decisive ability and cutting through confusion, taking a radical decision or standpoint and the ability to see through deception, and expose it....
; The Page of Swords
Page of Swords
Page of Swords is a card used in Latin suited playing cards which include tarot decks. It is part of what tarot card readers call the "Minor Arcana"Tarot cards are used throughout much of Europe to play tarot card games....
; The Seven of Wands
Seven of Wands
Seven of Wands is a Minor Arcana tarot card showing a person striving to get the upper hand in a demanding situation or situations.Tarot cards are used throughout much of Europe to play Tarot card games....
; and The Queen of Cups
Queen of Cups
Queen of Cups is a Minor Arcana tarot card.Tarot cards are used throughout much of Europe to play tarot card games.In English-speaking countries, where the games are largely unknown, Tarot cards came to be utilized primarily for divinatory purposes....
.
“It’s kind of apocalyptic, in a very personal way,” Brambilla told ArtsBeat. “It’s a very exaggerated hyper-sensational version of what the song is saying.” The video premiered on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
on August 5, 2010 preceding a new episode of Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore (TV series)
Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast...
. Kanye has tweeted the tag line, “ITS NOT A VIDEO, ITS A MOVING PAINTING”. The video is much shorter than the actual song, lasting less than two minutes and only covering the first verse. It was later revealed that the 103-second video, which invokes cultural references from the Renaissance period to Greek mythology, is a teaser for a longer clip. The Video won iTunes' video of the year 2010.
Track listing
Digital singleCD single
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany (German Black Charts Deutsche Black Charts Deutsche Black Charts DBC, also known by various names including Deutsche Urban Charts and Deutsche Hip Hop/R&B/Dancehall Singles is a chart released weekly by Deutsche Trend Charts in Germany.... ) |
4 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (Hot 100 Singles) | 86 |
| Scotland (The Official Charts Company) | 39 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 38 |
| UK R&B (The Official Charts Company) | 12 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | May 28, 2010 | Radio premiere |
| July 1, 2010 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
|
| United Kingdom | August 29, 2010 |