"Burn" is a song by the American hip hop superduo ¥$, composed of rapper Kanye West and singer Ty Dolla Sign, from their debut studio album Vultures 1 (2024). It was produced by both West and Ty Dolla Sign, along with Leon Thomas III and The Legendary Traxster. The song contains samples of "Love Me or Leave Me" by Band of Thieves.
Met with universal acclaim, critics lauded Kanye's verse as one of the best on Vultures 1. They also praised Ty Dolla $ign's hook and the sample-based production, favourably comparing it to that of Kanye's older projects.
The song uses a soulful sound and its style has been considered reminiscent of music from Kanye West's early career.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Lyrically, West criticizes those who have been "entertained" by his pain,[3][7] gloats about of his downfall,[7] and addresses his controversies and financial troubles, which he tries to present as a positive situation, rapping "I burned еight billion to take off my chains".[4][2][6] Ty Dolla Sign performs the chorus.[2]
The song was met with universal acclaim, often selected by critics as the "standout" song on an otherwise divisive project. Complex's Eric Skelton wrote, "There have been moments in the past few years when I've wondered if Kanye totally lost the plot and would never be able to make great music again, but songs like 'Burn' prove otherwise. He's still very capable, musically."[2] Scott Glaysher of HipHopDX regarded "Burn" to be the best song from Vultures 1, commenting it features "classic Kanye songwriting, plus he does a great job harmonizing the final chorus with Ty. It only lasts two minutes but it's enough to give fans and critics alike hope for the next two installments."[3] Rhian Daly of NME also considered it one of the album's best tracks.[4]Alexis Petridis of The Guardian described the song as "melodically rich and hook-laden".[5] Jayson Buford of Rolling Stone wrote the song "sounds like a cheeky, vintage Kanye feature; here he's at his most likable. He isn't quite shifting the culture in real time anymore, but this could be a foundation for something going forward — if his head allows it."[8] Reviewing Vultures 1 for Pitchfork, Paul A. Thompson stated "save for the nimble 'Burn,' there is a confusing flatness to his verses that exacerbates (or is exacerbated by) the sameness of the writing."[9]Consequence's Wren Graves responded negatively to the song, incorrectly stating that West, "with all the skill of a man who alienated his best ghostwriters, rhymes 'pain' with 'pain'".[7] In actuality, the aforementioned lyric was "When my campaign turned to cam-pain."
