| "True Love" | ||||
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| Single byKanye West andXXXTentacion | ||||
| from the albumDonda 2andLook at Me: The Album | ||||
| Released | May 27, 2022 (2022-05-27) | |||
| Recorded | 2018–2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| XXXTentacion singles chronology | ||||
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| Kanye West singles chronology | ||||
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"True Love" is a song by American rappersKanye West andXXXTentacion. The song, which is a posthumous release for the latter, was originally included on West's eleventh studio album,Donda 2 (2022). For itssingle version, it was trimmed down by a minute and released byColumbia Records on May 23, 2022 in promotion for XXXTentacion's posthumous compilation album,Look at Me: The Album—serving as its second single. A slow track that featuressynths, it finds West discussing his estrangement from his children, while XXXTentacioncroons the hook. The song was written by its performers, while production was handled by West alongsideOjivolta,Mike Dean, and John Cunningham, each of whom are also credited as co-writers.
"True Love" received positive reviews frommusic critics, who were positive towards X's vocals. Some praised the musical style, though a few critics found the song underwhelming. It reached number 22 on the USBillboard Hot 100, while peaking at number 19 on theNew Zealand Singles Chart. The song charted within the top 40 in eight other countries, including Australia and Canada. It was played in the documentary filmLook at Me, which explores XXXTentacion's career and upbringing.
As of 2025, it remains West's final release on amajor label as a lead artist.[1]
Kanye West commented onXXXTentacion's death in June 2018,tweeting: "rest in peace. I never told you how much you inspired me when you were here. thank you for existing."[2] The two first collaborated on the song "One Minute" fromXXXTentacion's third studio albumSkins, releasedposthumously in 2018.[2] That same year, West played portions of his then-upcoming albumYandhi, featuring vocals from the rapper.[3] West's track "The Storm" that featured XXXTentacionleaked online, which was ultimately reworked into "Everything We Need" for his ninth studio albumJesus Is King (2019), omitting the feature.[4] XXXTentacion appeared posthumously on "True Love" forDonda 2, as well as "Selfish".[5][6]
In February 2022, "True Love" was first played at a listening event for the album in Miami.[7] The song went through several tweaks before the record's release and afterwards, more edits were undertaken for the single version.[8] Its album version runs for 2 minutes and 40 seconds, while the single edit has a length of 2 minutes and 28 seconds.[9][10] On May 23, 2022,Columbia Records announced the song would be released as a single on May 27.[11] One day before the release date, it premiered viaiHeartRadio.[7] After having appeared onDonda 2, the song was revealed to be set for release onLook at Me: The Album,[7][12] and it is played over theclosing credits of the Sabaah Folayan-directed documentary filmof the same name that focuses on XXXTentacion's career.[5][11] The cover art was designed by West and features handwritten notes that were scanned from XXXTentacion's journal, which his mother found.[5][11] Handwritten notes include "Am I supposed to pretend to be heartless?", "Love love love", and "A feeling you just can't explain".[13]
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"True Love" was described byHotNewHipHop and theFinancial Times as a slow track.[14][15] The song begins as a light piano composition, before moving into a heavy drum beat.[16] It featuressynths and a drum break that is identical to that of West's 2010 single "Runaway".[17][18] XXXTentacion appears first, accompanied bymelancholy minor chords.[19] Hecroons the song'shook, which is followed by West rapping.[15][19]
In the lyrics of "True Love", West raps about childcare arrangements between him and his wifeKim Kardashian under hostility after their divorce.[19][20] He pleas for reconciliation by mentioning the children and makes accusations against Kardashian,[20][21] including parental neglect, lying, and dressing their family incorrectly.[16][17] West uses a line to reference XXXTentacion's son Gekyume Onfroy: "Daddy's not gone."[2] XXXTentacion conveys sadness on the hook, singing of lost love.[15][19]
On February 24, 2022, "True Love" was included as the opening track on West's demo albumDonda 2, which was released exclusively on hisStem Player website.[22] The song was made available on variousstreaming services as the third single from the album by Columbia Records at 12 a.m. on May 27, one day after theHulu premiere ofLook at Me.[5][7][11] "True Love" was later included as the 14th and last track on the 2nd disc of XXXTentacion'scompilation albumLook at Me: The Album on June 10, 2022.[23] Jon Powell ofRevolt named the song as aDonda 2 standout and "a powerful cut", attributing this to the emotional nature and how XXXTentacion's vocals "beautiful[ly] match" West's rapping about subjects such as his family and his failed marriage with Kardashian.[6]HotNewHipHop's Alexander Cole declared that the "slow and melodic track" showcases West and XXXTentacion's "great chemistry", as well as demonstrating the late rapper "was a versatile artist who could take on a bevy of styles".[14] Matthew Ritchie ofHipHopDX highlighted the song's progression from "a delicate piano composition to a trudging drum beat" that would be appropriate on West's fifth studio albumMy Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), further noting how he airs out family frustrations.[16] Ritchie elaborated that amongst "legitimate gripes" about relationship insecurities, West "sneaks in barbs about Kardashian's alleged parenting skills, getting uncomfortably personal".[16]Exclaim! critic Riley Wallace said that West going after Kardashian and lamenting "the emotional, frustrating realities of co-parenting under hostility" is "a sharp juxtaposition" to the album's "much more menacing" track "Security", yet saw XXXTentacion's feature as filling in a glaring gap.[20] Writing forThe Daily Telegraph,Neil McCormick commented that West "kicks off about childcare arrangements", with the song including some of the "most sharply turned phrases" onDonda 2.[19] He asserted that the song "swiftly degenerates into egotistic grumbles" about West's children wearingNike shoes rather than his own brand's trainers, while XXXTentacion sings "weedily about lost love" over the chords.[19]
In a mixed review,The Guardian journalistAlexis Petridis wrote that "True Love" "does everything it has to do" for the song's length: "mournful synth; mournful XXXTentacion sample; protracted whinge about Kardashian", though complained of too much synth at the halfway point.[17] Petridis observed that West "sounds genuinely anguished" in his accusations against Kardashian, despite viewing the rapper "whining because he's spotted his children wearing a different make of trainer" as "pretty unedifying".[17] Hunter-Tilney Ludovic was somewhat negative in theFinancial Times, writing that West "raps woodenly[...], accompanied by a sad hook" from XXXTentacion.[15] He also declared that the song has "a plangent atmosphere but dull dynamics" as it moves idley along like "splashing through puddles", while finding West's introspection to barely exceed the quality of a cryingemoji.[15] ForPitchfork, Alphonse Pierre felt that XXXTentacion's hook is "minor and unmemorable", seeing it asfiller.[24]
Following its release as a single, "True Love" debuted at number 22 on the USBillboard Hot 100, with 12.7 million streams. It generated 1.8 million in radio audience from airplay and sold 3,000 downloads, entering the USR&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart at number six. The song debuted at number five on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming West's 39th top 10 on the chart and XXXTentacion's fifth.[25] It lasted for three weeks on the Hot 100.[26] On the USRhythmic chart, the song opened at number 34 and eventually peaked at number 10.[25][27]
In Canada, the song entered theCanadian Hot 100 at number 21.[28] It was most successful in New Zealand, peaking at number 19 on theNew Zealand Singles Chart.[29] Similarly, the song reached number 21 on Australia'sARIA Singles Chart.[30] It peaked at numbers 25 and 26 on theIrish Singles Chart andTopp 40 Singles in Ireland and Norway, respectively,[31][32] while also charting within the top 40 in Lithuania,[33] the United Kingdom,[34] Denmark,[35] and Switzerland.[36] On the overallBillboard Global 200, the song debuted at number 22.[37]
Credits adapted fromSpotify.[38]
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[39] | 21 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[40] | 54 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[41] | 21 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten)[35] | 32 |
| Germany (GfK)[42] | 54 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[43] | 22 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[31] | 25 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[33] | 29 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[44] | 69 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29] | 19 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[45] | 26 |
| Portugal (AFP)[46] | 71 |
| South Africa (TOSAC)[47] | 17 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[48] | 64 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] | 39 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[34] | 31 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[49] | 11 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[26] | 22 |
| USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[50] | 5 |
| USRhythmic (Billboard)[27] | 10 |
| Chart (2022) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[51] | 91 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[52] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[53] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
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| Related articles | |
