Gorgeous (Kanye West song)
"Gorgeous" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The track features a hook provided by Kid Cudi, a recording artist formerly signed to West's label GOOD Music, and a rap verse provided by the Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon. The song was written by West, Cudi, Raekwon, No I.D., Mike Dean and Rhymefest, and was produced by West, No I.D. and Dean. It contains elements of Enoch Light and the Glittering Guitars' cover version of The Turtles' song "You Showed Me". "Gorgeous" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who generally praised the intricacy of the production, the quality of the guest features and the rock music-inspired aesthetic of the song. Several critics cited West's verses as a highlight of the track, complimenting his lyricism and delivery.
Before its release, West premiered an a cappella version of the song in the form of a freestyle rap on Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 radio show. Despite not being released as a single, the song appeared on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. Cudi and West performed the song live at SXSW, and West performed the track at the Lollapalooza musical festival. "Gorgeous" was also utilized in West's short film Runaway.
Marketing[edit]
The song was also featured during the third scene of Runaway, a 35-minute music video directed by West set to music from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.[39][40] The song plays during the scene where Selita Ebanks' character inspects around the garden, interacting with the animals and plants, while Kanye watches her from inside.[5] Cudi and West performed the song together at the SXSW musical festival.[41][42] During the 2011 Lollapalooza festival in Chile, "Gorgeous" was featured on the setlist.[43] West also performed an a cappella version of the song during a concert in New York City.[44] A case of pre-release promotion was exhibited when West, performed a freestyle of the song on Hot 97.[45] The lyrics from the freestyle later became "Gorgeous".[45] West performed the freestyle alongside Pusha T, a rapper signed to his GOOD Music Label.[45] In Ice-T's 2012 movie Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap, West rapped his verses from the song as a cappella.[46]
Commercial performance[edit]
The song charted at 23 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart upon the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, however it only spent one week on that chart.[36] The song also made an appearance on the South Korean Gaon Chart at 86.[37]
On August 10, 2018, the song was certified Gold in the United States by the RIAA.[47]