Say You Will (Kanye West song)
"Say You Will" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, released as the opening track on his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008). The song contains vocals from the Kadockadee Kwire featuring Glenn Jordan, Phillip Ingram, Jim Gilstrap, Romeo Johnson, Kevin Dorsey, and Will Wheaton. It also includes background vocals from Mr Hudson and Tony Williams. The song was produced by West, who co-wrote it with Jeff Bhasker, Young Jeezy, Malik Yusef, Mr Hudson, and Consequence. In 2008, the song was recorded over a time period of 15 minutes. It is a melancholy hip hop and R&B ballad, which features synth-pop production.
"Say You Will"
November 24, 2008
2008
- Glenwood (Burbank, California)
- Avex Recording (Honolulu, Hawaii)
6:17
Kanye West
Lyrically, the song sees West discuss struggling to detach himself from Alexis Phifer. "Say You Will" received generally positive reviews from music critics, a number of whom named it as one of the album's highlights. Some praised the composition, while several reviewers highlighted the vocals on the song. West performed the song at the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and he later narrated a team of singers through a performance of it at Nebuchadnezzar in 2019. The song was used in a trailer for West's film Jesus Is King (2019), before subsequently being featured in the film. Mobius Band shared a cover version of it in February 2009, which samples children's voices. A remix of the song was released in October 2015 that features Caroline Shaw. On the electro–orchestral remix, the strength of the vocals is increased and violins from Shaw are added.
Composition and lyrics[edit]
Musically, "Say You Will" is a melancholy hip hop and R&B ballad.[8][9][10][11] The song features synth-pop production,[12] with influences of the Cure and New Order.[8] Contrasting with most rap and pop songs, the chorus-verse-chorus-verse structure is not used.[13] Two icy synth notes are repeated back and forth on the song, which it primarily relies on.[6][14][15] The notes are backed by drums, as well as vocals from monk choir the Kadockadee Kwire featuring Glenn Jordan, Phillip Ingram, Jim Gilstrap, Romeo Johnson, Kevin Dorsey, and Will Wheaton.[2][6][14] The song also prominently features electronic buzzsaw synths,[6][7] sparse percussion, and piano.[12][15] Strings, violin, viola, cello, and heavy bass are included on the song.[2][13] Gold arranged the strings, while Jeff Chestek engineered them with assistance from Rick Friedrich, Montez Roberts, and John Stahl.[2] West starts to sing six seconds into the song, following a few of the notes.[4] He utilizes Auto-Tune on his voice, singing until the song's 3 minutes and 15 seconds mark.[4][16] West's performance is succeeded by an extended instrumental outro,[6][14][15] which utilizes the Roland TR-808 and echoes choral vocals for around three minutes.[4][7][17] Background vocals are contributed to the song by Mr Hudson and Tony Williams.[2]
In the lyrics of the song, West speaks of being unable to pull himself away from his ex-fiancé Alexis Phifer.[13][18] According to him, the song is about that "ex-girlfriend you call on Friday nights just to have sex".[6] West begins the chorus by singing, "Hey, hey, hey, hey, don't say you will".[1] He expresses misery on the song with the lyrics "When I grab your neck / I touch your soul".[4]
Release and reception[edit]
On November 24, 2008, "Say You Will" was included as the first track on West's fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak.[19] The song was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, mostly being identified by them as an album highlight. While naming the song as one of the album's tracks to be downloaded, The Washington Post's Chris Richards noted it contains "equally rich sonic detail" to "Street Lights".[16] He analyzed, characterizing the song as sounding like slow riffing from "Kraftwerk and a choir of Gregorian monkbots" on the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" (1966) and observing how West "allows the beat to plink and plonk off into infinity" after his Auto-Tuned performance.[16] Richards wrote that the "three gorgeous, wordless minutes" provide clarity of West "no longer clamoring for our undivided attention", instead "giving us enough space to step back and watch him take a brilliant left turn".[16] Reviewing the album for The Independent, Andy Gill recommended it as one of the songs to download.[20] Steve Jones from USA Today made the same recommendation in his review.[21] Writing for RapReviews, Jesal 'Jay Soul' Padania named "the opening strands of the haunting 'Hey-hey-hey-hey'" on the song among the moments of 808s & Heartbreak that will remained in one's mind "for a good while".[22] At the Chicago Sun-Times, Jim DeRogatis selected the song as one of the notable times on the album where West's formula of Auto-Tune usage "is touching and very effective".[23] Scott Plagenhoef from Pitchfork opined that the song has one of the "biggest vocal lines" on the album, before ultimately reaching "a three-minute, table-setting outro-- a patient, defeated-sounding collection of choral vocals and drum machines".[17]
PopMatters contributor Dave Heaton stated the song "sets the mood well" for 808s & Heartbreak with its two "simple synth notes" that repeat back and forth similarly to a ping-pong game, recognizing the "strangeness" lent by them.[15] He further noticed that "an emotional foundation" is provided by the song's 1980s "soft-pop piano" and the "extended outro" after West's performance places emphasis on "the feeling of the song while introducing the fact that West's presence as a composer/arranger" is equally or possibly more important to the album than his microphone presence.[15] In Hotpress, Alison Curtis called the song "six minutes of remorseful chanting".[24] The staff of The Observer viewed the song as sounding like R. Kelly taking on the style of Kraftwerk, labeling it "a slow jam built around a simple radioactive pulse".[25] Jozen Cummings of Vibe described the album as West "trying to get something off his chest" while he attempts "to push something through", noting how most artists do not begin their albums with a ballad like West "does with the melancholy 'Say You Will'".[9] Cara Nash from No Ripcord viewed the song as setting the album's mood "with two synth notes beeping back and forth, desolate and bleak".[14] Nash elaborated, saying the notes are backed by "a haunting synth choir and drums", and the song's "extended outro" serves as a reminder of West's heartbreak being "defeating and relentless".[14] Billboard reviewer Mariel Concepcion called the subject matter of West being "unable to wrench himself away from an ex-lover" interesting, though felt that the song lacks the funness of fellow album tracks "Amazing" and "See You in My Nightmares".[18] In a negative review for musicOMH, Adam Conner-Simons defined "Say You Will" as setting the tone for the "spaced-out synth-pop production" on 808s & Heartbreak that is simple and minimal. He continued, commenting that the song "indifferently drip-drop[s] along for more than six minutes amid thin choral arrangements and bare-bones percussion".[12]
In popular culture[edit]
American trio Mobius Band released a cover version of the song on their EP Empire of Love on February 11, 2009, coinciding with Valentine's Day.[10] The cover maintains the original's melancholic tone, though has the addition of samples of children's voices and features no Auto-Tune.[10] Canadian musician Drake rapped over the song's beat on "Say What's Real", which was included on his third mixtape So Far Gone in February 2009.[41] In December 2018, West tweeted a screenshot of a text message that informed him Drake had sent a clearance request for the song.[41][42] Subsequently, West declined the request after ranting on Twitter and engaging in a phone call with Drake.[41] The mixtape was later released to streaming services on its 10th anniversary in February 2019 with the song included; West ultimately granted his approval and received credit as a composer.[42] Drake clarified via Instagram that he rapped over the beat because West "just made the best shit".[42] In August 2016, West's wife Kim Kardashian included "Say You Will" on a playlist of her 28 favorite songs from him.[43]
On October 17, 2019, West shared a trailer for his concert film Jesus Is King that is slightly over a minute in length.[44][45] The trailer is soundtracked by a gospel reinterpretation of the song with new lyrics, which is delivered by a choir as a temple-like image is displayed.[44][46][47] They continue to sing the reinterpretation while the image gives way to a biblical quote from the New Testament Book of Mark: "In the words of Jesus Christ, 'The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.'"[46][47] The film was released simultaneously with West's ninth studio album of the same name on October 25, 2019, and the former includes West and his gospel group the Sunday Service Choir performing the song as a rap hymn.[48][49]
Information taken from 808s & Heartbreak liner notes.[2]
Recording
Personnel
Additional musicians