| "Slide" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by¥$ | ||||
| from the albumVultures 2 | ||||
| Released | August 2, 2024 (2024-08-02) | |||
| Recorded | 2023 | |||
| Genre | Hip house | |||
| Length | 3:18 | |||
| Label | YZY | |||
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| Producers |
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| ¥$ singles chronology | ||||
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| Kanye West singles chronology | ||||
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| Ty Dolla Sign singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Slide" onYouTube | ||||
"Slide" is ahip house song by Americanhip-hopsuperduo¥$, composed of rapperKanye West and singerTy Dolla Sign, from their second studio album,Vultures 2 (2024). It was released throughYZY on August 2, 2024, as thelead single from the album.[1][2][3] The duo recorded it in 2023, and wrote it alongside AyoAA,Leon Thomas III, Lester Nowhere, Peter Lee Johnson,Cyhi the Prynce, andthe Legendary Traxster, and produced it with the former four.
Before its release, "Slide" was rumored to feature vocals from English singer-songwriterJames Blake and production by English producerFred Again; the latter played the song at multiple live events prior to its release. Upon its release, the song was positively received by music critics, and charted at number 88 on theBillboard Hot 100, alongside charting worldwide. Amusic video, directed by West and UK photographer Aus Taylor, was released on August 13, 2024.
"Slide" was first previewed during a September 2023 listening party at Le Baroque inGeneva, Switzerland.[4]Fred Again also played the song during his November 2023 DJ sets atShrine Expo Hall, calling it "madness for me" and stating that he "made this with my brother Ty a few months ago."[4] Despite this, Fred Again is not credited on streaming services (though he is listed as a writer onASCAP)[5] and representatives for him have claimed he was not involved in the song's creation.[3]
"Slide" received generally positive reviews frommusic critics. Writing forHotNewHipHop, Gabriel Bras Nevares called it the "big highlight" ofVultures 2, praising how its synths open the song "in an immediate and captivating fashion." He also complimented its percussion, which he felt made it "one of the most uniquely groovy and enjoyable bounces on the album."[6]HipHopDX's Sam Moore also called the song the high point ofVultures 2, noting how it sets up the rest of the album's 15 tracks. Though Moore praised the song's production, he criticized Ty Dolla Sign's verse asmisogynistic.[7] Stephen Kearse of Pitchfork compared the song's "staggering wall of sound" toTHX'sDeep Note, as did Nevares in his review.[8][6] Paul Attard ofSlant Magazine lauded "Slide" as a highlight of theVultures series of albums, describing it as "a high-octane fever dream, with its pairing of squealing organs and a booming percussion section sounding straight-up cinematic."[9]
Billboard's Michael Saponara ranked "Slide" as the second best song onVultures 2. He wrote that the song's "ominous organs" would make fans feel as if they were experiencing "the rollercoaster ride of a lifetime or having their tickets punched to the nextMarvel movie."[10] Ben Beaumont-Thomas ofThe Guardian singled out the song as an instance of West having an "inventive flow" on the album, which to him was a rarity. He described West's flow as him "asymmetrically press[ing] words on to [the song's] seasick beat."[11]
In theUnited States, the single charted at number 88 on theBillboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 25 on theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In theUnited Kingdom, the single charted at number 92 on theUK Singles Chart and peaked at number 32 on theUK Independent Singles Chart. InCanada, the single charted at number 84 on theCanadian Hot 100. It also charted at number 84 on theIrish Singles Chart. InNew Zealand, the single charted at number 4 on theNew Zealand Singles Chart, its highest peak on any chart it made. The single also charted at number 154 on theGlobal 200.
West began collaborating with UK photographer Aus Taylor while working onVultures 1 (2024), with Taylor having shot the album's cover art.[13] In an interview with032c, Taylor described his relationship with West as "deep", finding that such relationships were hard to find with most artists.[14]
On August 13, 2024, themusic video for "Slide", directed by West and Taylor, was released ontoYouTube. West and Ty Dolla Sign do not feature in the video.[12] Filmed inblack-and-white and shot with 4-Perf 35 mm film,[15] the video was uses a singular, side-angle shot for its runtime. The video mostly features women, many of which are scantily clad. They are seen either hanging around the sidewalks or talking to men, who are implied to be their clients.[16] Taylor described the video as "a portrait of the blade", a strip of road associated with prostitution.[16] The setting appears run-down, as homeless people in tents and burning cars are visible throughout.[12] Avulture can be seen in the video, referencing the title of the album.[16]
In the032c interview with Taylor, Claire Koron Elat praised the music video, saying that it "looks at class division and societal issues from an artistic vantage point, aesthetically transforming forms of struggle without ever simply surrendering to beauty."[14] ForHotNewHipHop, Elias Andrews compared it to the music video for West's 2012 single "No Church In the Wild", noting that both depict "societal chaos."[12]
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[18] | 84 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[19] | 154 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[20] | 84 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[21] | 4 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[22] | 92 |
| UK Indie (OCC)[23] | 32 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[24] | 88 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[25] | 25 |
