Jump to content

Say You Will (Kanye West song)

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Killiondude (talk | contribs) at 06:16, 22 November 2018 (AFD closed as no consensus (XFDcloser)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Say You Will"
Song

"Say You Will" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, from his fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak. It was produced solely by West.[1] A remix was released in 2015 featuring Caroline Shaw. Despite never being released as a single, "Say You Will" has developed a significant legacy within the time after its release.

Wiz Khalifa rapped over the track's instrumental for his song "Say U Will", which still includes vocals from the original by West.[2] Drake released a remix of it titled "Say What's Real" for his mixtape So Far Gone (2009).[3]

Critical reception

The song was described by The Guardian as being: 'a slow jam built around a simple radioactive pulse'.[4] Pitchfork had praise for the outro, describing it as being: 'a patient, defeated-sounding collection of choral vocals and drum machines'.[5]

HotNewHipHop placed "Say You Will" at number 21 on their list of West's 50 best songs.[6]

Live performances

West performed the track for his 2010 live album VH1 Storytellers in February 2009, where it appeared in even more ratcheted form down than the album version.[7] On February 22, 2012, a video recorded in Australia of him freestyling to it live surfaced online.[8] When the song was performed by West at the 2015 Hollywood Bowl, he sang to a woman painted gold at center stage and fireworks accompanied the performance to underscore the heat linked to the music, created before marriage and fatherhood.[9]

Covers

Mobius Band released a cover version on their 2009 EP EMPIRE OF LOVE.[10] As well as, "Say You Will" was covered by R&B singer Trey Songz, who also covered fellow Kanye songs "Runaway" and "Love Lockdown".[11]

Remix

A remix of the track featuring Caroline Shaw was uploaded by West to his SoundCloud in October 2015, alongside a new song titled "When I See It".[12] The cover art for both is a photo of flowers, which is actually part of a body of large still-life images released by photographer Nick Knight.[13]

Legacy

In May 2011, around three years after the release of 808s & Heartbreak, PopMatters described the song as proving: 'to be the absolute, no-doubt-about-it perfect way to begin an album smothered in, well, echoes and loneliness'.[14] Kim Kardashian West listed it among her top 28 favourite songs by her husband in August 2016.[15] An article was published by Rachel Jackson of Odyssey in September of the same year with an in-depth analysis of "Say You Will" as West's most influential song.[16]

References

  1. ^ 808s & Heartbreak. Roc-A-Fella Records (Media notes). Kanye West. 2008. 0-06025-1791919-8.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ "Wiz Khalifa - Say U Will by Love' Jay". Free Listening on SoundCloud. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  3. ^ "February 2009: Drake remixes Kanye West's 'Say What's Real' for his own..." Capital XTRA. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  4. ^ "CD: Urban review: Kanye West, 808s and Heartbreak". The Guardian. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  5. ^ "Kanye West: 808s and Heartbreak Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  6. ^ "Top 50 Best Kanye West Songs". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  7. ^ "Kanye West – VH1 Storytellers". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  8. ^ "Kanye West "Say You Will Freestyle" Video". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  9. ^ "Kanye West Turns '808s & Heartbreak' Into High Art at Hollywood Bowl". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  10. ^ "Free Download: Mobius Band Cover Kanye West". SPIN. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  11. ^ "Trey Songz Remixes Kanye West's "Runaway"". Idolator. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
  12. ^ "Kanye West launches surprise tracks 'Say You Will' (feat Caroline Shaw) and 'When I see It'". NME. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  13. ^ "Kanye West's "When I See It" and "Say You Will" Cover Art Details". Complex. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  14. ^ "Hip-Hop's Heartbreak: Kanye West - "Say You Will"". PopMatters. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  15. ^ "Stream Kim Kardashian's playlist of her favourite Kanye West tracks". NME. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  16. ^ "Why Say You Will is Kanye's Most Influential Song". Odyssey. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Say_You_Will_(Kanye_West_song)&oldid=870077293"