| "Good Morning" | |
|---|---|
| Song byKanye West | |
| from the albumGraduation | |
| Released | September 11, 2007 |
| Recorded | 2006–2007 |
| Studio |
|
| Genre | Hip hop |
| Length | 3:15 |
| Label | |
| Songwriters |
|
| Producer | Kanye West |
| Music video | |
| "Good Morning" onYouTube | |
"Good Morning" is the first song from Americanhip hop recording artist and record producerKanye West's third studio albumGraduation (2007). The song was produced by West and containssamples from the recording "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" by English singer and pianistElton John. As the opening track, the song serves as an introduction to the musical and lyrical themes of the album. West establishes the academic narrative of it, celebrating his graduation in the realm ofhip hop and rapping about his skepticism of higher education over thumping, off-kilterboom bap drums.
The composition of "Good Morning" is both light and dark in tone and retainskeyboard-laden,electronic instrumentation in addition to being imbued with poignant introspection. The song's atmospherichip hop production harbors a subdued measure ofprogressiveness as West incorporatesNew-Age andambient elements. His pensive verses are largely built onself-aggrandizing undercut withself-criticism and explore lyrical concerns pertaining toanti-establishment. The song's lyrics express motivational declarations of triumph and contain numerouspop-culture references.
"Good Morning" received generally favorable reviews from contemporarymusic critics, who praised its production as well as West'swordplay. West performed the song as the opener of theset-list on his worldwideGlow in the Dark Tour (2008). In the years since its release, the song has beencovered andremixed by a variety of hip hop artists, record producers and musical groups.
Though not released as asingle, an animatedmusic video was produced for "Good Morning". The video was produced byJapanese animation studioOLM and directed byJapanese contemporary artistTakashi Murakami, who had designed thealbum artwork ofGraduation and thecover art for the album's singles. The surrealistic visuals of the video take influences from Japaneseanime and utilisescel-shaded animation. The narrative is centered around West'santhropomorphic teddy bear mascotDropout Bear. He overcomes various obstacles while racing through a futuristic city in an effort to reach his college campus in time for his graduation ceremony. The short animated feature was released to widespread critical acclaim and is often cited as one of West's most artistic music videos. It was included in the 'best-of' lists of publications such asBillboard andComplex, and has been showcased in multipleart museums.
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"Good Morning" was written and produced by West.[1] Due to being the album's introductory track, the song's original title was "Good Morning (Intro)," but subsequently was changed.[2] Unlike its predecessors, rather than a fakeBernie Mac intro or a Broke-Phi-Brokeskit, the album-opener instead begins with vocals from West.[2][3] Along with West's usage of the vocal samples, one of the most distinctive aspects of the production for "Good Morning" is the significant emphasis onelectronics.[4][5][6] The opening track signals his progression towards a moreelectronic soundscape.[7]
The song containssamples from the recording "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" by English singer and pianistElton John.[1][4][5][6] Incidentally, John had professed a desire to work with West during aRolling Stone interview on August 25, 2006.[8] John imparted that with the assistance from an artist such as West orPharrell Williams, both of whom he tremendously respects, he wanted to bring his songs andmelodies tohip hopbeats.[8][9] It was while he was discussing his forthcoming autobiographical studio albumThe Captain & the Kid (2006).[8] Being aconcept album, it acts as the sequel to his ninth albumCaptain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975), which contains the song that West samples.[1] Years later, the two artists officially collaborated with one another on West's fifth studio albumMy Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), which John described as "genius."[6] John played the piano and was one of many in a long roster of recording artists who providedbackground vocals for the fifth track "All of the Lights".[10]
"Good Morning" was first heard by music listeners when thedigital radio stationBBC Radio 1Xtra hosted an exclusive "Audience With Kanye West" venue at the BBC Radio Music Theatre in London on August 13, 2007.[11] West guided a specially selected audience throughGraduation, playing the album in its entirety directly from hisMacBook Air laptop via a speaker system.[11] The premiere was part of an extensive promotional campaign that West embarked on for his third album during a trip to theUnited Kingdom.[12] Two weeks later, "Good Morning" was played as an opener when West hosted an album listening session forGraduation inNew York City.[13] The late-night album listening session was held at theNew World Stages on August 28, 2007.[13] Inside an auditorium, West explained the influences and aspirations that went into the making of his third album.[13] Throughout the night, he played previews of its songs from start-to-finish without interruption, some withvideo accompaniment to match.[14][15] When West played "Good Morning," scenes from the film2001: A Space Odyssey were broadcast on a screen while lights flashed in sequence with the thumping beat of the track.[13]
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"Good Morning" was the first track that West started working on forGraduation.[16] Recording sessions primarily took place atSony Music Studios inNew York City and atThe Record Plant inHollywood,California.[1] The track was thenmixed at the Chalice Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.[1] According to formerGOOD Music recording artistTony Williams, West first booked a studio inDetroit,Michigan to begin working on the recording in February 2006.[16] He was in Detroit to perform for a pre-game concert held duringVH1's Pepsi Smash Super Bowl Bash festivities ofSuper Bowl XL, when theSeattle Seahawks played against thePittsburgh Steelers.[16][17]
Beginning in early 2006, West had overseen the recording and production ofGraduation simultaneously with Finding Forever (2007), the seventh studio album of his close friend, fellowChicago hip hop artist and label affiliateCommon.[18][19] As a result, there was significant overlap in between the studio sessions for the two records.[20] Common was helpful in facilitating the composing process, as West producing songs for his album would sometimes either lead to the making of hip-hop beats or inspire creative ideas which were applied towards his own project.[21] "Good Morning" was a case of the latter in regards to itsprogrammeddrums.[22] The track's murky, slightly off-kilterdrum-machinebeat that West crafted aligns with theJ Dilla methodology he channeled and maintained throughoutFinding Forever in tribute to the recent passing of theunderground hip hop producer.[4][23] West's newfound fascination withhouse-music also played a role on his approach to drum programming.[4] He relied more on clippedelectro tones for his rhythmic patterns, giving the drum beats more of a punch.[4][22] In contrast toFinding Forever, West set aside his trademarksoul samples in favor of airysynthesizertones that would carry well when performed in arenas.[24]
Like most of the material throughout his third album, West's songwriting on "Good Morning" is characterized by confessionalstorytelling and simplified lyricism.[25][26] West shortened his lines for eachverse in order to more directly get his lyrical concerns across.[27] As for hisrapping, after touring with and studying the live performances of Europeanarena rock bands such asU2 andthe Rolling Stones, West decided to simplify some of his rhymes due to not always being able to rock crowds with complex lyrics.[13] He opted for a less intricate lyrical delivery featuring lines built on anthemic sloganeering with a more universal context. This would work in combination with sing-alonghooks that tens of thousands of fans couldchant in unison at hisstadium concerts.[26][24][28]
"Good Morning" contains additional vocals provided by Australian singerConnie Mitchell of thedance music groupSneaky Sound System, as well assoul singer Tony Williams.[1] West had Connie Mitchell and Tony Williams sing a descending vocal line together over thelooped sample.[16][22] Their celestialunison singing and the floatingmonophonic vocal loop combine to form a warm backgroundharmony.[26][22][29] The oohing vocals from the ethereal backingchoir function as ahook which serves to further engender moody atmosphere.[29][30][31][32]
The song also includes aninterpolation of vocals that were provided by rapperJay-Z which are spliced into the song'soutro.[5][32] During the closing refrain, Jay-Z briefly recites a line from "The Ruler's Back", the rapper's own opening track for his album,The Blueprint.[32][33] Similar toFinding Forever, the album'srecord production had been handled primarily by West.[34] West altered the rhythm of the phrase by omitting a word in order to place more emphasis on the beat.[35] In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, Jay-Z detailed some backstory in regards to his small contribution.[33] From a creative stance, West was apparently quite enthusiastic about the incorporation of hisa capella into the track. Jay-Z explained, "You have to really care about the music ... [Kanye] was bragging about having the a capella. He's like, 'Yo, that's how I spun it, 'cause I had the a capella.' I'm like, wow! The things he cares about! That's not a big thing, but in his mind, 'I had the a capella, so I was able to put that in there without anydrums.'"[33] Although he does provide the additional vocals,Graduation marks the first studio album released by West not to feature a full-lengthguest rap verse from Jay-Z.[1][22]
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"Good Morning" is an uptempo hip hop track that lasts for a duration of three minutes and 15 seconds.[1] The song's musical and lyrical content is both light and dark in tone.[36] It harbors an atmosphere that is sunny and largely optimistic, but also wary and sentimental.[3][37] The progressive hip hop song contains elements ofelectronic andambient music as well as New-Age keyboards.[7][38] It has aminimal anddownbeat electronic instrumentation which consists ofkeyboards,muteddrums, and background vocals.[1][22][31] "Good Morning" begins when West utters controlled "uh" grunts before he unleashes the track's thumping, off-kilterboom bap drums.[2][4][22][39] The song's opening section then initiates an staticbackbeat derived fromechoed-outcowbell hits.[22][31] Its steady,metronomic cowbell beats punctuate the subversive, tremblingbass drum rhythm and generate an insistent laid-backgroove.[2][7][40] The main accompaniment comes in the form of enigmatic,organ-likeelectric piano keys layered with a resounding, high-pitched electronicsynth-drone.[7][22]
After its sparseintroduction, the buildingarrangement abruptly becomes awash in layers of keyboards at the arrival of the atmospheric refrain.[31][39][41] "Good Morning" is simplistic in its gentle chorus, where West repeats the title of the track four times.[13][42] Following each repetition of the titular phrase are haunting choral chants which are in turn accented by subtle instrumentalfills.[36][39][43] The echoing synth line from the introduction is accompanied by dreamy synth-chords.[35] The song'shook retains waftingvocal harmonies composed with the use of wordlessfalsetto vocal samples from the recording "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" by Elton John.[5][6][7][31] West's style ofrapping is slick and keenly aggressive during the threeeight-bar verses.[13] His straightforward lyrical delivery exhibits a slow-paced, less technical approach toflow.[28][40] After its third verse, "Good Morning" elevates itself from a refrain to anoutro that features the voice of Jay-Z.[42] He utters lyrics from the opening lines of "The Ruler's Back".[5] The musical composition reaches itsconclusion with the pairing of Jay-Z's additional vocals tosynthesizer parts.[1][44]
Lyrically, "Good Morning" is a triumphant declaration of professional and financial achievement.[45] It continues the educationtheme which was established by his previous studio albumsThe College Dropout (2004) andLate Registration (2005).[29][46] Both of the first two installments of West's planned albumtetralogy began with an introductory track that involves aschool administrator who labels him a disappointment.[47][48] By contrast, "Good Morning" starts off the third studio album with Westgraduating to the next level of success and proceeding towards the next phase of his career.[36][48] Accordingly, West uses the album-opener ofGraduation to deliver an anthemiccommencement address.[40][49] He announces that his record functions as adissertation, making ananalogy in which he likens his music to academia.[29][50] West compares overcoming life's hindrances to finishing a university most directly when he professes that, "You graduate when you make it up out of the streets."[29][39][40]
While primarily an uplifting anthem, West's lyrics areouroboric in nature, being structured onself-aggrandisement undercut with harshself-criticism.[25][51][52] They suggest that every new success or achievement gives him more new reasons to doubt himself.[53] His conflicted, confessional lyricism and delivery is emphasized by way of the disarmingly simple, easygoing quality of the track's beat.[25][54] The song's pensive verses discuss lyrical concerns related toanti-elitism andanti-establishment.[5][31][51] West critiquessocietal hierarchies produced by the homogenization of theAmerican education system.[55][56] Alongside motivational declarations of triumph, the lyrics of "Good Morning" are home to energetic, amusingword play laced with numerouspop-culture references.[5][31][57] They pertain to actressRosie Perez, the 1989Spike Lee filmDo the Right Thing, civil rights leaderMalcolm X, and the classic 1980sscience-fiction film seriesBack to the Future.[57] West lays bear the forward-thinking theme of the album and critiques his peers when he rhymes, "Good Morning, look at the valedictorian/scared of the future while I hop in theDeLorean."[29][58] The song also includes aninterpolation of the line, "Hustlers, that's if you're still livin', get on down..." from Jay-Z's 2001 albumThe Blueprint.[49]
"Good Morning" was met with generally favorable reviews from contemporarymusic critics. John Wash forHot Press called the musical composition "glorious." He elaborates that the track's "dark, neurotic beats may form the backdrop, but the deliciously cheesy sampling lifts the song firmly into thepop spectrum."[59]Entertainment Weeklys Isabella Biedenharn noted, "the smooth, sublime 'Good Morning' is just so fresh and untethered — it's Kanye living in a pure, creative dream-space."[60] Natalie Weiner fromBillboard has named "Good Morning" as one of West's most uplifting anthems, saying, "The Elton John sample, combined with Kanye'santi-establishment fervor, will make anyone feel better about their relative lack ofdiplomas."[51]RapReview's Jesa Padania also considered "Good Morning" to be a strong way to start the studio album and expressed affinity for the song's simple yet soulful hip-hop beat.[61] Chase Hoffberger fromThe Austin Chronicle gave praise to the innovative manner in which West samples Elton John for the record production.[62]The Observer staff writer Ben Thompson listed "Good Morning" as one of the top five songs fromGraduation.[53]
The Michigan Daily writer Brian Chen claimed the recording "stands among the best of West's productions, combininggospel howls,synthesizers andstrings, all over a bone-crushingbass."[44]Sound & Vision reviewer Jeff Perlah viewed "Good Morning" as a demonstration of how West "continues to bounce hip-hop into exciting new realms that are artful."[43] Rajveer Kathwadia ofRWD Magazine cited the track as one of the best songs onGraduation.[29] Although he withholds the belief that it's West'smusicality that's a true measurement of his talent, Kathwadia nevertheless commended his improvement as arapper and marked theMalcolm X lyric as the album's standout line.[29][63] Likewise,Rolling Stone writer Evan Serpick called the Malcolm X reference a "classicone-liner."[64] Dave Heaton fromPopMatters also highlighted West's cleverword play, musing, "Badpuns have been the foundation of West's lyrical approach since the beginning, and it works."[65] In a less enthusiastic review, Japie Stoppelenburg ofNo Ripcord described "Good Morning" as a "concise but slightly blunt effort." Stoppelenburg goes on to say "the track is innocuous and respectably fun, but it never really steps out of its modesty like so many of Kanye's earlier tracks have."[2] In a retrospective article, Brendan Klinkenberg forComplex encapsulated the opening track:
"... 'Good Morning' is [West's] cleanest opener, on his cleanest album; the perfect first step to what would be the capstone to theCollege trilogy, and the last time he would privilege cohesiveness in his catalogue. In his words,Graduation is hisdissertation, and its first track is itsthesis. 'Ye would take over the world, watch it crumble around him, then get more artistically daring with each subsequent release—Good Ass Job would never show up, and he would abandon the things that make this song great: it's focused,three-versestructure, gently building beat, and sweet sense ofmelancholy. 'Ye would go on to burn his influences and talent down for scraps, and began to create weirder, bigger things. One thing he never lost, though, was his ability to start an album."[41]
A columnist fromPaste bestowed "Good Morning" with much acclaim and ranked it as West's 60th best album track. He declared, "'Good Morning' isn't West just waking himself up to the next level of his evolution, it's West waking up the world to its next legend."[48]Pigeons & Planes placed the opener at number 12 under their list of West's 25 best songs that weren't released assingles.[5]Consequence of Sound listed it at number 18 among their top 20 West songs. To summarize the track's concept, editor Jeremy Larson wrote, "The morning of thecommencement, a new day for 'Ye, the processional, the intro. It's all there in "Good Morning," the first taste of what would be the blastedsynths and huge sound ofGraduation.[66] Jake Boyer ofHighsnobiety cited "Good Morning" as the sixth best song onGraduation and West's 28th best overall, writing, "Whether it's facing the sort of life-changing event like the graduation of its lyrics or easing yourself out of a particularly rough patch, this song is here, a healing salve for all wounds."[54][67] He remarked that the track's sonic cues "[make] good on Kanye's narrativecatharsis. Somehow, through all the bullshit, we made it to graduation day, and yes, it sounds this damn triumphant."[54]Portland rapperAminé, who cites West as a musical influence, stated that the track is one of his favorite songs. He imparted, "'Good Morning' was a song that just made me feel good and I could still turn it on today. It was one of the first times where I started to hear bright, positive, hip-hop."[36]XXL named "Good Morning" one of the 25 best Hip-Hop album intro's of the 21st century in 2019.[68]
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Even though it was not released as a single, a three-minute animatedmusic video was produced for "Good Morning".[69] West commissioned the video to be directed byJapanese contemporary artistTakashi Murakami.[70] He had been enlisted by West to oversee the art direction ofGraduation and was behind thecover art designs for the album and its accompanying singles.[71] The collaboration first came about when West visited Murakami'sKaikai Kiki Co. studio inRoppongi Hills during a brief trip toTokyo,Japan in the midst of touring the year prior.[72] Regarding his joint collaboration with the artist, West remarked, "Murakami, his work has been stunning to me becausepop art is really expressive, representative and expressive and emotional, and it looks like something you can do yourself. [But] you cannot do no Murakami shit yourself. You cannot do this at home. He has this studio out in Japan that has 30 artists working at one time. I loveJapanese culture and I was always into art, and Murakami is a god in the art world."[69]
The short animated feature expresses glossy, colorfulpastel imagery that take cues fromSuperflat, apost-modern art movement influenced by Japanesemanga andanime which was founded by Murakami.[73][74] Often called "theWarhol of Japan," Murakami'ssurrealistic visual art is characterized bycartoonish creatures which appear friendly and cheerful at first glance, but possess dark, twisted undertones.[75][76] The artistic concept involves a fantastic, grotesque and sometimes dark universe of creatures like "Mr. Dob," "Smiley-Face Flowers," and colorful mushrooms.[77] The three-dimensional art technique blends artistry with Japanese anime and launched Murakami to fame in the 1990s.[77] It also attracted the attention ofMarc Jacobs, creative director ofLouis Vuitton, who recruited Muramki to revise the traditional LVmonogram brand logo for their line of handbags and accessories. The commercially successful venture paved the way for Murakami's artwork to cross over into commerce and other mediums, propelling him into an internationally recognized artist.[77]
For the music video, the technicoloralbum artwork that Murakami designed forGraduation are brought to life through the use ofcel-shaded animation.[69][78] Its narrative also contains numerous visual and thematic references to the sci-fi filmBack to the Future.[79] The video was produced by Murakami's production andartist-management company Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. in conjunction withOriental Light and Magic.[80][81] The latter Japanese studio was responsible for the3D animation of thePokémon film franchise as well as the 2001 feature-length anime film,Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time.[81] Meanwhile, the storyline of the music video was written by West, himself a self-professed anime fan.[81] An edited version of the video was first displayed in anF.Y.E. commercial used for promotion ofGraduation days before the album's release date.[82] A clip of the animated music video wasleaked onto theInternet on November 12, 2007.[83] The music video found its way online by means through a fan's camera after a private screening at theGeffen Contemporary in theLittle Tokyo district ofLos Angeles,California.[83][84] West made the full version of the music video available on theiTunes Store on August 25, 2008.[85]
The narrative of the music video centers around Dropout Bear, West'santhropomorphic teddy bear mascot.[86] Dropout Bear first appeared sitting forlornly on an empty set of gymnasium bleachers wearing baggy jeans and a corduroy jacket on the cover art for his debut album,The College Dropout.[86][87] He later appeared dressed in a collegian outfit—a blazer with a school insignia—on the album cover of West's sophomore release,Late Registration.[88] In thesurrealistic video, Dropout Bear acts as the main protagonist while his journey takes place throughout a fictional futuristic metropolis known as Universe City.[18] Dropout Bear contends with a variety of unfortunate setbacks and overcomes a series of trials and tribulations as he races through the city in an effort to reach his college campus in time to attend his graduation ceremony.[89]
The story begins on a rainy day with Dropout Bear being woken up by hisalarm clock. The album artwork forGraduation, upon which this video is animated from, is seen on a poster behind his bed.[90] Upon realizing that he's late, Dropout Bear jumps out of bed, brushes his teeth, dons a varsity jacket and runs out of his apartment to his car, which is modeled after aDMC DeLorean.[86][91] When the car's engine dies, Dropout Bear is forced to find an alternative means of transportation.[86] At first, he attempts to hail a taxi cab but it speeds right past him, soaking him with puddle water.[83] He then tries to get aboard ametro rail but just misses it, slamming his face into the door of asubway car right before it pulls away.[86]
As he races down sidewalks, Dropout Bear is chased down by a monstrous storm cloud that swallows him whole.[83] He is then transported to a bizarre pocket dimension populated by multi-eyed, living, technicolormushrooms. Dropout Bear evades lightning bolts and a tornado before falling through a hole and being regurgitated by the storm cloud monster back onto the city streets.[86] At that moment, the raining ceases and the sky clears, revealing a bright, shining sun.[83] Dropout Bear then dons a pair ofVenetian Blind shades, having reached the campus of his university.[83] He makes it to his ceremony just in time to stand before his colleagues, a wide variety of anthropomorphic creatures like himself. Dropout Bear sheds his attire to reveal a graduation robe andacademic cap and receives hisbachelor's degree in hip-hop music from an elderly rabbit.[86] After he accepts hisdiploma, which reads "Kanye West", the visual narrative comes to a conclusion with Dropout Bear being blasted out of a cannon.[86][91] He is shot from the university, through the heavens and beyond the stratosphere into space as depicted on the back cover ofGraduation.[90][92] Dropout Bear is last seen riding off into another galaxy with a few of his classmates in the flying DeLorean.[86] The song titles from theGraduation album are seen as they fly past.
Upon its official release, the "Good Morning" music video reached number-one on theiTunes Store music video chart in the United States just a day later.[81] The short animated feature was met with universal acclaim from fans, critics and media outlets and is often regarded as one of West's best, most artistic videos. Adam Itkoff fromThe Source complimented the video, stating that West's visual collaboration with Murakami is a testament to the way that his imagination can catalyze illustrious pieces of art.[93] Writing forMSN Music, writer Sam Greszes remarked, "Not only is the song itself great, but the video for "Good Morning" is a technicolor dreamscape full of3D flair."[94]The Ringer praised the music video for "Good Morning" as West's best music video of all time.[86]Complex magazine cited the animated feature as West's 18th best music video, saying, "Murakami's art is incredible from a still viewpoint, but when presented in the form of his few full-lengthcartoon features, it practically explodes off the screen."[95] Comparing it to the recent release of West'spuppet-themed music video for "Champion," Peter Gicas ofE! Online was somewhat wary of the animated short, writing, "Yes, the creativity in both these cases is admirable, especially this latest effort ... It all just makes us a little nervous, though. After all, it's OK for hip-hop stars to show their softer side, but it can also be taken a bit too far."[91] Regina Cho ofVibe found parallels between that of West and the film's protagonists. She explained that:
While many may attribute Kanye's fascination with the film to his similarities withMarty, he also possesses an extremelyDoc Brown-like quality—a frenetic nature that prompts him to bounce outrageous ideas around that have the people around him in initial disbelief, but his out-of-the-box propositions often came into fruition as ingenious works of art that were far ahead of their time ... Kanye is notoriously known for making a whole lot of last-minute decisions that will either make or break the anticipated outcome, similar to how Doc Brown's sudden assertions dictated whether or not someone would just stay stuck 30 years in the past forever.[96]
On November 11, 2013, the animated music video was included onPop Art: 13 Awesome Artist-Musician Collaborations, a catalog compiled byBillboard.[97] The publication lists joint ventures that have taken place between acclaimedvisual artists and chart-topping musicians over the past decades.Billboard cited West's work with Murakami, which consists of the making of the video in addition to the creation of the album's artwork, as being among 13 pairings in the realms of music andhigh-art that are amazing moments in trueart-pop.[97] Under the same premise, writer Jennifer Wood ofComplex magazine ranked Murakami's direction of the music video for "Good Morning" at the eighth position for their list ofThe 10 Best Art and Music Collaborations of All Time.[98] In honor of his achievement of theMichael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the2015 MTV Video Music Awards, women's fashion magazineHarper's Bazaar compiled a list of West's nine most essential music videos. The video for "Good Morning" was at number eight on the list, with columnist Madeline Kelly declaring that West is worthy of the recognition and there's no denying his talent.[89] Sharing similar sentiments,MTV staff writer Adam Fleischer placed "Good Morning" at number 14 on the list of West's top 25 most innovative videos.[99]
For his contribution, Murakami has benefited significantly from the artistic collaboration with West. Even though his monogram project with the fashion houseLouis Vuitton had brought him internationalmainstream attention five years earlier, Murakami acknowledges the fact that many of themillennial youth who have gravitated towards his work learned about him through his joint efforts with musicians such as West andPharrell Williams.[100] They opened up hiscontemporary artistry to a new generation of young music listeners.[100] According toSpin editor Jeremy Larson, West's collaboration with Murakami for the "Good Morning" music video also struck a chord with Murakami's audience as conflating art andcommerce.[66] The short animated feature has since become one of the few music videos ever to be showcased in several prestigiousart museums, including theBrooklyn Museum inNew York City and theMuseum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, California.[89][95]
In addition to the animated music video, a specialvideo clip was created for "Good Morning" prior to the release ofGraduation.[15] It was displayed for the very first time as an opener when West hosted a late-night album listening session forGraduation in New York City at theNew World Stages on August 28, 2007.[13][101] West presented thegapless playback session inside an auditorium with an evocativelight-show across a stage that featuredtheatrical smoke machines,laser beams, stagespotlights and other special effects.[13][15][102] The elaborate spectacle was synchronized with the music.[15] While the music played, a large screen positioned in the middle of the stage flashed amontage of imagery edited tosync up with "Good Morning".[14][15] They were scenes taken from the 1968science fiction film2001: A Space Odyssey.[13] Similarly with the audio track, West went for aminimalist aesthetic in regards to thesequence of visual cues.[103] The video clip for "Good Morning" was one of seven that were designed by West and Derrick Lee exclusively for the event.[102] Derrick Lee was theeditor of the music video for "Flashing Lights" and was able to edit all seven video clips in the span of three days.[103] West later made the video clip available for viewing on his officialblog on March 20, 2008.[102]
On April 4, 2008, West gave a live performance of "Good Morning" during a six-song setlist at theBrooklyn Museum inNew York City. The concert was held in celebration of the opening of the "© MURAKAMI" exhibit by Takashi Murakami. The comprehensive retrospective features over 90 Murakami pieces and artwork that draw fromstreet culture, high-art and traditionalJapanese painting, and includes painting, drawings,sculpture, wallpaper,installation and animation.[104] West took to the small stage surrounded by smoke and flashing lights below a large screen emblazoned with Murikami's artwork to perform before a mostly older audience.[104][105] The very next day, West opened his concert for the World Wide Bape Heads Show during Springroove 2008 atMakuhari Messe inChiba,Japan with "Good Morning". His live performance was interwoven with visual elements and the setlist centered around songs fromGraduation.[106]
West performed "Good Morning" every single night as the opener of the set-list of hisGlow in the Dark Tour, which began on April 16, 2008, at theKeyArena inSeattle,Washington.[107] West would often begin his elaborate concerts by playing a discordantleitmotif of "Stronger," implying that he'd start the show with a performance of thehit single, only to segue into a live rendition of "Good Morning".[108] The composition is but one of the many, various songs taken from West's first three studio albums that West utilisises for his conceptual concert.[109] In the narrative, West does a live performance of "Good Morning" once he wakes up fromhyper-sleep to find himself stranded.[110] After conversing with the disembodied female voice of an onboard computerter named Jane, West performs on a barren, tilted, moonlit stage shrouded in smoke before a largeLED screen that depicts scenes from thescience fiction film2001: A Space Odyssey.[110][111] He wore jeans, a sweater with one missing sleeve, shoulder pads and a red windbreaker tied around his waist.[111]
Near the end of the tour's North American leg, with singers and apercussionist/DJ behind him, West performed "Good Morning" during the final night ofLollapalooza on August 3, 2008, in his hometown ofChicago, where he co-headlined the festival withNine Inch Nails.[112] West provided a live rendition of "Good Morning" during his headlining performance atVirgin Mobile Festival inBaltimore,Maryland on August 10, 2008.[113] Much like his Lollapalooza appearance in Chicago the weekend prior, West and Nine Inch Nails were both scheduled as headliners on different stages at the same time at opposite ends of the park.[113] At the start of the concert, following a brief instrumental, West walked onstage and started performing the song.[114] West was alone on the stage engulfed in smoke and fog in front of a live musical band and background vocalists who added percussive textures and harmony to the track.[114]
"Good Morning" has beencovered andremixed by other hip hop artists, record producers and musical groups.Vitamin String Quartet composed astring-ladencover version of "Good Morning" for the opening song of theirtribute album,The String Quartet Tribute to Kanye West.[115] In a similar composition,Rockabye Baby! featured an interpretation of "Good Morning" as the opening track of their tribute album,Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Kanye West.[116] Intended forinfants, the soothing rendition is a wordlesslullaby instrumental, substitutingkeyboards and drums in favor ofxylophones andbells.[117] The rendition was later featured onGood Day, Goodnight, their five-year anniversary 2-CD compilation release. The compilation album contains the most requested songs from their previous releases, including "Good Morning," in addition to several exclusive new tracks.[118]
Virginia hip hop duoClipse used the instrumental of "Good Morning" and included the track on their 2008 mixtapeWe Got It 4 Cheap, Volume 3.[119]Kelefa Sanneh fromThe New York Times praisedMalice andPusha T for delivering, "almost nothing but witty, well-madestanzas."[120] Likewise,Pitchfork reviewer Ryan Dombal described their song as a "well-chosen introspective pick."[119] A remix for "Good Morning" was produced byThe Kickdrums for inclusion onSky High, a remixmixtape that wasmixed andcompiled by DJ Benzi andPlain Pat.[121] The mixtape features remixes by variousDJs andrecord producers of songs taken from West's first three studio albums. It was made in anticipation of the release of his fourth studio album808s & Heartbreak (2008).[121] The remix project was commissioned by West himself the year prior. He handed overa cappellas and other session tapes to DJ Benzi, who then spent his time trying to match different and DJs and producers to certain tracks.[121] Like every of the other tracks, "Good Morning" (The Kickdrums Remix) had at least five revisions recorded before being completely finished.[121] The song's refrain containsguitar-driven production in addition to melancholiccrooning. The remix also features a guest verse from then-newly signedGOOD Music recording artistBig Sean.[122]
Speech of thealternative hip hop groupArrested Development lyrically references "Good Morning" in the opening lines of "Any Tree But That" on their sixth studio album,Strong (2010).[123] The song was the source of inspiration for the beat and chorus of "Hoodmorning" byCompton rapperThe Game.[124] Named after the rapper's signatureTwitter phrase, "Hoodmorning" was produced by in-house record producer Mars and The Game released it as the opening track of his twelfth mixtape,Hoodmorning (No Typo): Candy Coronas.[124][125] Hosted byDJ Skee, the mixtape was made in promotion of the repeatedly delayed release of his fourth studio albumThe R.E.D. Album (2011).[124][126] On July 28, 2011, DJ Skee made available an exclusive preview trailer for the mixtape onYouTube. The trailer briefly displays The Game rapping in a recording booth and DJ Skee at his laptop before amixing console inside the control room of a studio decked with bottles ofCorona Extra as "Hoodmorning" plays in the background.[125] Hip hop artistEvidence has used samples of the drums from "Good Morning" to produce theinstrumental track "Good Evening". It was for his fourthinstrumental hip hop albumGreen Tape Instrumentals (2013).[127]
Information taken fromGraduation liner notes.[1]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[128] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[129] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[130] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
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