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Bound 2

"Bound 2" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, featured as the final track from his sixth studio album, Yeezus (2013). It was produced by West and Che Pope, with additional production being handled by Eric Danchick, Noah Goldstein, No ID and Mike Dean. The song features vocals from American soul singer Charlie Wilson and serves as the album's second single. "Bound 2" incorporates samples from "Bound" by Ponderosa Twins Plus One and the lines "Uh-huh, honey" and "Alright" from Brenda Lee's "Sweet Nothin's". The song also interpolates Wee's "Aeroplane (Reprise)" for the bridge, sung by Charlie Wilson.[1]

This article is about the hip hop song. For the journal with the ISO 4 abbreviation Bound. 2, see Boundary 2.

"Bound 2"

August 28, 2013

2013

Hip hop

3:49

"Bound 2" received universal acclaim from music critics, who referred to the song as one of the highlights of the album, comparing its soul influenced, sample-based production to West's debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004). The song peaked at number 55 on the UK Singles Chart and 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song received two nominations at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Performance. West performed the song live on Later... with Jools Holland and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Release and promotion[edit]

"Bound 2" was released on June 18, 2013, as the tenth and final track on West's sixth studio album Yeezus.[12] The song was revealed to be the second single released from Yeezus in August 2013, following "Black Skinhead".[13][14] On September 9, 2013, West appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon for the first time, to promote his upcoming Yeezus Tour. During his appearance, he performed "Bound 2" with Charlie Wilson, The Roots and a male children's choir. It was his first national television performance of the song.[15] The song was also performed on the season premiere of Later... with Jools Holland by West and Wilson on September 17, 2013. To take a more minimal approach, they were accompanied by just the song's signature Ponderosa Twins sample and a brief piano intro for the Later... with Jools Holland performance.[16]

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

"Bound 2" received universal acclaim from music critics. Rolling Stone described "Bound 2" as "maybe the most audacious song he's ever written, not to mention the most beautiful."[17] Julian Kimble of Complex called the song "a brilliant way to end the album" and wrote that it "stands out as a love song—a dark, twisted fantasy of a love song, perhaps, but one that's beautiful in its own way."[18] David Jeffries of AllMusic described "Bound 2" as a "new wave beauty of a closer."[19] Writing for The A.V. Club, Evan Rytlewski referred to the song as "an overt homage to West's bright early production, reimagining The College Dropout's cheerful chipmunk soul."[4] Dan Buyanovsky of XXL called it the album's "emotional and musical highlight... a perfect sendoff that reminds you of Kanye's roots while pointing you in the direction of his future."[20] A writer for the Kitsap Sun cited "Bound 2" as a "classic Yeezy effort" and "arguably the album's best track."[21]

Accolades[edit]

XXL positioned it at number 17 on their list of the best songs of 2013. They said, "'Bound 2' showed the doubters that he could still give them the soul-soaked laments that everyone wanted, he just decided not to. But that doesn't mean this song is a throwaway—the video might be more of one than the song itself—this is Kanye's introspection colliding with his self-doubt in a way that is eminently relatable to anyone with a pulse."[22] NME ranked "Bound 2" at number 22 on their list of the 50 best songs of 2013; "in Kanye's mind this is what constituted a pop song: sped up '70s soul samples, a totally unconventional structure and lyrical gems."[23] Pitchfork Media positioned "Bound 2" at number 40 on their list of the top 100 tracks of 2013. They commented, "On an album that takes itself awful seriously throughout, "Bound 2" is something that recontextualizes the entire affair, leaving more questions than answers."[24] Belgium magazine Le Vif/L'Express named it the seventh best song of 2013.[25] PopMatters placed it 15th on its list of the best songs of 2013.[26] Swedish newspaper Expressen named it the 22nd best song of 2013.[27] "Bound 2" was ranked 9th place on the annual Pazz & Jop critics songs poll.[28]


In end of decade lists, i-D placed it 21st on its list of "The 30 Hip-Hop Tracks that Defined the 2010s", commenting; "Having reached his artistic and technical peak somewhere around the 7 minute mark of the monumental "Runaway", Kanye began taking his creations apart to show how they worked. This consciously self-de(con)structive streak produced diminishing returns as the decade progressed but on something like "Bound 2" it felt genuinely transgressive—the lush, dusty soul samples of 'the old Kanye' but artificial-seeming (like that ludicrous green screen music video) and jarring; clever-dumb lyrics that mashed together the crude ("don't get spunk on the mink") and the affecting ("I'm tired, you tired / Jesus wept") in the space of a few bars."[29]


Rolling Stone listed it at 65th on its list of the 100 best songs of the 2010s, stating; "Seventy-six seconds into “On Sight," the gleefully abrasive opener to Kanye West's gleefully abrasive Yeezus, he says (via choral sample) that he intends to give the audience what they need, not what they want. For the next 35 minutes, he does just that, coarsening his textures into something industrial and vital and new. Then, just to prove he can, West brings the beauty back. Over a roughly looped sample of the Ponderosa Twins Plus One – with occasional interjections from Brenda Lee and Charlie Wilson – West returns to his roguish side, penning a filthy ode to his new wife at the time, Kim Kardashian West. There's a reason we’re still paying attention to West after the decade he's had; he's always capable of something you never see coming.[30]

Lawsuit[edit]

On December 23, 2013, Ricky Spicer of the Ponderosa Twins Plus One filed a lawsuit against West over the sample of the group's song, "Bound," alleging that he used Spicer's voice without permission.[44] Spicer asked that West pay him or cease and desist using his vocals. Roc-A-Fella Records, Universal Music Group, Island Def Jam, and Rhino Entertainment were all named in the lawsuit along with West.[45]


The suit was settled in May 2015.[46]

Commercial performance[edit]

Despite not being released as a single initially, "Bound 2" managed to debut at number five on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and number 31 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart upon the release of Yeezus.[47][48] After its release as a single, the song debuted at number 73 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on December 7, 2013.[49] It re-entered at number 24 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the same week.[50] On the Billboard Hot 100, the song reached its peak position of number twelve the following week.[51]


On the UK Singles Chart, the song debuted at number 94 on September 15, 2013, having been released as a single recently.[52] It peaked at number 55 the following week.[53][54] A Drum and bass re-working titled "Nobody to Love" by Sigma topped several charts including the UK in 2014.[55]

Remixes[edit]

British drum and bass duo Sigma created a remix of the song entitled "Nobody to Love" featuring vocals from Daniel Pearce which was officially released on April 6, 2014.[59] It topped the UK Singles Chart upon release, with sales of over 121,000 copies in the first week.[60] Rick Ross freestyled over the instrumental of "Bound 2" on January 1, 2014.[61]