"POWER" was West's comeback single following his 2008 album 808s & Heartbreak and his controversial incident with Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. The song received acclaim from music critics and was listed among the best tracks of 2010 by several publications, including Time, Pitchfork Media, Spin, and Rolling Stone. Critics described it as a return to form for West, praising its intricate production, lyrical merit, and scope. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at position 22 and thereafter declined. The track was promoted by a music video, which was directed by Marco Brambilla. The video features a long take of the camera pulling away from West. The video received positive reviews from critics and received two nominations for MTV Video Music Awards. West performed the song on Saturday Night Live, at the 2010 BET Awards, at the 2011 Coachella Music Festival, and his Watch the Throne Tour. A remix of the track featuring Jay-Z was released on August 20, 2010, as a part of West's weekly GOOD Fridays series.
In an outtake from the 2012 documentary "Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap" directed by rapper Ice-T, West mused that he had never actually written down his lyrics before, and that "Power" represented a turning point in his songwriting process:
“I didn't write my raps down for my first four albums — like at all, I did it from the head straight to the booth. But on this last album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, I wrote it. I really put myself in the zone that my life was dependent on the success of this album. With that being the case, I said, ‘You know what? No matter what anybody says about me, they won’t — I can write something that can make someone that hates me the most have to really respect or love the song.’ So even a song like ‘POWER,’ I spent 5,000 hours writing it, and it’s really the psychology behind the lyrics; it’s not just blatantly, ‘I’ve got all the power’ — ‘No one man should have all that power.’ It’s worded in a really sensitive way that opens it up for everyone. Even if I use first person and say ‘I, I, I,’ it’s always for everyone."
West also declared influence from his previous singles "Stronger" and "Good Life" from his third album Graduation stating that the track was meant to be inspirational for the listener. According to West, he wanted his music to be appealing in an economy facing a recession. On June 30, 2010, the single was released on iTunes for digital download. The cover artwork for "POWER" was produced by American visual artist George Condo, who also designed the artwork for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The artwork depicts a decapitated bleeding head wearing a crown, pierced with a sword through it. The single had two other alternate cover designs, both produced by Condo. A second one was released featuring a depiction of West with a gaping, demented mouth. In a January 2020 interview with GQ, West claimed that "Power" was his weakest first single to ever be released because he "felt like it was bowing to the expectations." West explained, viewing the track as "the ultimate Kanye West song" but claiming that it was a mix of his previous works, rather than one of his "songs that people never heard before."
"POWER" marked a stylistic return to hip-hop for West after the sparse electro of 808s & Heartbreak. It has been described as surreal, frightening, dark, and strange in nature. The production of "Power" centers on samples of "21st Century Schizoid Man" by English progressive rock band King Crimson, "Afromerica" by French disco act Continent Number 6, and "It's Your Thing" by American funk band Cold Grits. The song's production is reinforced with a vocal harmony provided by Dwele, with a line delivery mostly inspired by braggadocio rapping methods. The song has been described as dark thematically and was called "apocalyptic." According to Alex Denney of NME, the track is the first moment of catharsis on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, stating that the track made use of "tribal fanfare and supercharged lyrics." He mused that lines like “I guess every superhero needs his theme music” appear to be West's imagining of a warm welcome to heaven. Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal described West's delivery as urgent, summarizing the production;
"More than ever, though, "Power" has Kanye internalizing his multiple minds and coming to an ecstatic peace with them. "Power" is not a bitchfest. It's an exaltation. All of his various guises-- King of the Assholes, drama queen, Red Bull'd 12-year-old, Next Chappelle, strangely relatable Megaman-- are mashed up in this proudly schizoid roll call. Every sound is ready for the arena, and every couplet is ready for the 140-character treatment, including this one: "I don't need yo pussy, bitch, I'm on my own dick/ I ain't gotta power trip, who you goin' home with?" He knows the answer, and so do we."
The song takes several influences from previous projects by West and was called a summation of his prior styles. The song takes cues from the militant chants of West's song "Jesus Walks" from his first album The College Dropout, the drum style of "Crack Music" from West's Late Registration, the inspirational aspect of "Stronger" from Graduation, and the atmospheric piano and strings featured on 808s & Heartbreak. The chorus is "simultaneously boastful, condemning, and anxious," and anthemic in nature, featuring a wordless vocal chant. West utilizes a military-inspired, "take-no-prisoner" approach to the song, purposely failing to be apologetic, even going as far as mocking some of his critics. Other topics discussed in the song include social commentary on the state of the United States and his thoughts on race issues.
The lyrics of the song have been cited as "classic Kanye," featuring many of the traits that have been exhibited in his lyricism in the past. Themes that have defined much of his work, such as egotism, cultural criticism, and personal issues, are featured prominently in the song. West self-described the song as "superhero theme music," with the track darting back from being depressing and bombastic in nature, with the sample occasionally cutting through the song in an abrasive manner. The track seemingly culminates with the suicide of its main character, ending with a menacing laugh provided by West. During an interview with New York radio station Power 105.1, West said he spent thousands of hours working on this carefully crafted song. "A song like 'POWER' took 5,000 hours, like literally 5,000 man-hours to do this one record."
During the week entering 8 July 2010, "POWER" charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 22 which was also the song's peak: named the week's Hot Shot Debut. The song remained on the charts for 16 weeks,
By 2017, Official Charts Company revealed that "POWER" was the 83rd best-selling hip-hop song of all time in the UK. In 2018, Spotify named the song the fourth most popular workout song of all time, while West's "Stronger" was third on the list. As of October 24, 2019, the former ranks as West's seventh most popular track of all time on the UK Singles Chart.
The New York Times previewed a clip of the music video directed by artist Marco Brambilla, featuring Irina Shayk, Jessica White, and African-American albino fashion model Diandra Forrest. The video premiered on MTV on August 5, 2010, preceding a new episode of Jersey Shore. The "POWER" video commences with a portrait-view headshot of 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 tracks 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. Anthony Beningo of Daily News described the ending of the video:
Music video director Marco Brambilla described his "POWER" video as personal and apocalyptic in nature, stating that the video exaggerated the message of the song. "The focus of the video turns out to be West's death. After a few close-up shots of the rapper's surroundings, Brambilla's camera pulls back and everyone disappears, leaving only West and the two warriors. Realization dawns that they aren't swinging at each other, but rather converging on King Kanye. But before they can decapitate him, however, the video cuts to black."
West has called the video a "moving painting." Brambilla mused about the video that “it’s kind of apocalyptic, in a very personal way," and that "it’s a very exaggerated hyper-sensational version of what the song is saying.” 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, though the full-length version of the video never surfaced. One of the reasons proposed why the full version never was released was because "POWER" was also used during Runaway, a 35-minute music video directed by West set to music from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
As of September 23, 2020 POWER has been certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA
Power
Kanye West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doing something mean to it
Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
I guess every superhero need his theme music
No one man should have all that power
The clock's ticking, I just count the hoursStop tripping, I'm tripping off the power
(21st-century schizoid man)
The system broken, and the school's closed, the prisons open
We ain't got nothin' to lose, motherfucker, we rollin'
Huh? Motherfucker, we rollin'
With some light-skinned girls and some Kelly Rowlands
In this white man's world, we the ones chosen
So goodnight, cruel world, I'll see you in the mornin'
Huh? I'll see you in the mornin'
This is way too much, I need a moment
No one man should have all that power
The clock's ticking, I just count the hours
Stop tripping, I'm tripping off the power
'Til then, fuck that, the world's ours
And they say, and they say
And they say, and they say
And they say, and they say
(21st-century schizoid man)
Fuck SNL and the whole cast
Tell 'em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass
More specifically, they can kiss my asshole
I'm an asshole? You niggas got jokes
My furs is Mongolian, my ice brought the goalies in
Now I embody every characteristic of the egotistic
He knows he so fuckin' gifted
I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts
Got treasures in my mind but couldn't open up my own vault
My childlike creativity, purity and honesty
Is honestly being crowded by these grown thoughts
Reality is catching up with me
Taking my inner child, I'm fighting for custody
With these responsibilities that they entrusted me
As I look down at my diamond encrusted piece
Thinkin', no one man should have all that power
The clock's ticking, I just count the hours
Stop tripping, I'm tripping off the powder
'Til then, fuck that, the world's ours
And they say, and they say
And they say, and they say
And they say, and they say
(21st-century schizoid man)
Colin Powells, Austin Powers
Lost in translation with a whole fuckin' nation
They say I was the abomination of Obama's nation
Well that's a pretty bad way to start the conversation
At the end of the day, goddammit, I'm killin' this shit
I know damn well y'all feeling this shit
I don't need your pussy, bitch, I'm on my own dick
I ain't gotta power trip, who you goin' home with?
How 'Ye doing? I'm surviving
I was drinking earlier, now I'm driving
Where the bad bitches, huh? Where y'all hiding?
I got the power make your life so exciting
Now this will be a beautiful death
I'm jumping out the window
I'm letting everything go
I'm letting everything go
Mmm, now this will be a beautiful death
I'm jumping out the window
I'm letting everything go
I'm letting everything go
Now this will be a beautiful death
Jumping out the window
Letting everything go
Letting everything go
You got the power to let power go?
(21st-century schizoid man)
The lyrics to Kanye West's song "Power" explore themes of fame, power, and identity. The song begins with West acknowledging his status as a powerful figure in the 21st century and boasting about his ability to do things better than anyone else. He goes on to address the broken systems and inequalities in the world, suggesting that he and other marginalized individuals have nothing to lose and are therefore "rollin'" with the punches. However, West also acknowledges the weight of responsibility that comes with having power, and hints at the struggle to balance his childlike creativity with the pressures of adulthood.
The hook of the song, "No one man should have all that power," is a recurring reminder of the dangers of unchecked power and serves as a warning against hubris. West ends the song with a series of provocative lines, including references to Colin Powell and Austin Powers, and controversial statements about his relationship to former President Barack Obama. The repeated refrain of "21st-century schizoid man" adds an additional layer of meaning, connecting West's personal struggles with those of a chaotic modern world.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm living in that 21st century
Kanye is living in modern times
Doing something mean to it
He's doing something great and dominating the world
Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it
He's doing what he does better than anyone else
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
Haters fuel his success
I guess every superhero need his theme music
Every successful person needs inspiration
No one man should have all that power
No one person should have too much power
The clock's ticking, I just count the hours
He's aware of the passage of time
Stop tripping, I'm tripping off the power
He's high on power and its effects
(21st-century schizoid man)
The system broken, and the school's closed, the prisons open
Society is messed up and failing the people
We ain't got nothin' to lose, ma'fucka, we rollin'
When you have nothing to lose, you can take risks
With some light-skinned girls and some Kelly Rowlands
He's partying with women
In this white man's world, we the ones chosen
Black people are the chosen ones in a society where white people dominate
So goodnight, cruel world, I'll see you in the mornin'
He's escaping from the harsh reality that is the world
This is way too much, I need a moment
He's overwhelmed and needs a break to process everything
'Til then, fuck that, the world's ours
Until then, he's taking over the world
Fuck SNL and the whole cast
He's expressing his dislike for Saturday Night Live and its cast
Tell 'em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass
He's telling them to kiss his buttocks
More specifically, they can kiss my asshole
They can kiss his rectum
I'm an asshole? You niggas got jokes
He's aware of what people say about him
You short-minded niggas thoughts is Napoleon
He believes people who insult him are short-sighted
My furs is Mongolian, my ice brought the goalies in
He has expensive clothing and jewelry
Now I embody every characteristic of the egotistic
He has become the embodiment of an egotistical person
He knows he so fuckin' gifted
He is aware of his talent
I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts
He needed some alone time to think
Got treasures in my mind but couldn't open up my own vault
He has a lot of great ideas but struggles to express them
My childlike creativity, purity and honesty
He possesses qualities that are associated with children
Is honestly being crowded by these grown thoughts
His creativity is being challenged by the seriousness of adult thinking
Reality is catching up with me
He's becoming aware of what's really happening around him
Taking my inner child, I'm fighting for custody
He's trying to reclaim his childlike imagination and creativity
With these responsibilities that they entrusted me
The people around him have given him responsibilities
As I look down at my diamond encrusted piece
He's admiring his expensive jewelry
Thinkin', no one man should have all that power
He's contemplating whether he should have so much power
'Til then, fuck that, the world's ours
For now, he's taking over the world
Colin Powells, Austin Powers
He's naming some famous people
Lost in translation with a whole fuckin' nation
There is miscommunication between him and the nation
They say I was the abomination of Obama's nation
Some people believe he was a disgrace to the Obama administration
Well that's a pretty bad way to start the conversation
He's acknowledging that this is not a great way to begin a discussion
At the end of the day, goddammit, I'm killin' this shit
Despite the hate, he's doing really well
I know damn well y'all feeling this shit
He's confident that people like his music
I don't need your pussy, bitch, I'm on my own dick
He doesn't need anyone's approval or help
I ain't gotta power trip, who you goin' home with?
He doesn't need power to attract women
How 'Ye doing? I'm surviving
He's still alive and well
I was drinking earlier, now I'm driving
He's admitting to drinking and driving
Where the bad bitches, huh? Where y'all hiding?
He's looking for attractive women
I got the power make your life so exciting
He believes he can make someone's life exciting
Now this will be a beautiful death
He sees death as a beautiful thing
I'm jumping out the window
He's taking a leap of faith
I'm letting everything go
He's letting go of everything that holds him back
You got the power to let power go?
He's questioning whether someone has the ability to relinquish power
(21st-century schizoid man)
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Sentric Music, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Hipgnosis Songs Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jeff Bhasker, Kanye West, Robert Fripp, Ian Mcdonald, Greg Lake, Nathan Perez, Michael Giles, Peter Sinfield, Malik Yusef Jones, Larry Griffin, Francois Bernheim, Gerard Bergman, Mike Dean, Jean Pierre Lang
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SabrinaOnlineFan96
on I Am a God (feat. God)
HURRY UP WITH MY DAMN CROISSANTS!
Peter
on Stronger
Killer mix
Lauri Des Marais
on Stronger
PoP
Lauri Des Marais
on Stronger
LdM Classical Technology BMI
Lauri Des Marais
on New Slaves
LdM Classical Technology BMI
Lauri Des Marais
on I Wonder
JJUSTICE
anna
on Gold Digger
can you hear it
emall
on Hurricane
lolollo
0806357559
on Jail
✳️#me
Ridwaan Ahmed
on Black Skinhead
Www.SongsPKFull.In