| "XTCY" | ||||
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| Single byKanye West | ||||
| Released | August 30, 2018 (2018-08-30)[a] | |||
| Recorded | 2018 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:56 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters |
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| Producers |
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| Kanye West singles chronology | ||||
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| Original cover | ||||
 OriginalWeTransfer cover | ||||
"XTCY" is a song by American rapperKanye West. It was originally posted onTwitter byDJ Clark Kent on August 11, 2018, as a free download fromfile sharing serviceWeTransfer. It was later released on streaming as a single on August 30, 2018. Written and produced by West andAndrew Dawson, it has additional writing credits for David Payton due to the sampling of the song "My Bleeding Wound" by the New Year.
West's first solo release since his eighth studio album,Ye, West raps about sexual fantasies with his then sisters-in-law, which he thinks of on the spot as a result of abusing the drugecstasy. It received generally negative reviews frommusic critics, who criticized the track for its lyrics. They often compared its production, songwriting quality, and vocal delivery to that of an unfinisheddemo.
On May 15, 2018, West posted an image of an unfinished track listing for his then-upcoming albumYe. which featured the alternate title "Extacy" as the second track.[1] This version of the song was not included onYe's tracklist when it released. "XTCY" was later reused on a June 1, 2018 track listing forKids See Ghosts'self-titled album as an unnumbered track.[2]Kids See Ghosts was also released without the track.
The original artwork for "XTCY" is a photo fromKylie Jenner's 21st birthday party, taken at theLos Angeles nightclub Delilah.[3] The artwork features West's then wife,Kim Kardashian, as well as sisters-in-lawKhloé Kardashian,Kylie Jenner,Kendall Jenner andKourtney Kardashian; the last four are the subject of the song. Kim Kardashian's dress was designed by West's fashion brandYeezy.[3]
The cover art for the song's official single release was painted by London-based artist Shadi Al-Atallah. To her shock, West's creative team had taken an interest in her work, emailing her to request a commission; Al-Atallah initially believed this was a scam due to West's high profile and her lack of industry connections. She created the artwork in one day, to which it was subsequently used as the cover for "XTCY".[4] She would collaborate with West once more, designing the cover art for his next single, "I Love It".[5]
"XTCY" is aminimalist,[6] experimental hip-hop song with overtly sexual themes.[7][3][8] West has rapped at length about his sex life in the past, such as on the songs "I'm In It" (2013)[9] and "All Mine" (2018).[10] The songs echoey guitar riffs, singing,[3] and moaning sounds[8] are sampled from the song "My Bleeding Wound" by the New Year.[11] West opens the track with the lines “You got sick thoughts? I got more of ‘em / You got a sister-in-law you would smash? I got four of ‘em”.[8] This sets up the rest of the tracks theming, as he uses pornographic lyrics to describe a variety of situations he could encounter with his sisters-in-laws.[6] Near the end of the track, West references his scatting from his 2018 single "Lift Yourself" as ad-libs.[11]
| DJ Clark Kent (@DJClarkKent) tweeted: |
Sitting in the studio with my man@kanyewest
and he said.. "Clark, let that new "XTCY"joint go!!! So.. ENJOY: NEW KANYE WEST..
August 11, 2018[12]
DJ Clark Kent posted the song to Twitter on August 11, 2018, via download link fromWeTransfer. It was West's first release since his fiveWyoming Sessions albums:Daytona,Ye,KidsSee Ghosts,Nasir, andK.T.S.E. It was later re-released on August 30, 2018, as a single on streaming services.[13][14]
"XTCY" received generally negative reviews frommusic critics. Katherine Cusumano ofW Magazine wrote that the song felt more like a demo track than an actually completed work, though she noted that West is "no stranger to reworking his material in the public eye." She adds that West is as self-aware as ever, "referencing the recent responses to West’s pro-Trump remarks, [...] the critics who have proposed that the rapper might be mentally ill," but he fails to be self-aware regarding the songs actual content.[3]Esquire's Matt Miller called "XTCY" an "objectively unpleasant" song, suggesting that listeners would "want to make sure [their] stomach is prepared" before listening. He cited the lyrics "If she suck seed, that's a success / If a girl cum, that's a fuck fest / And we gon' score 100 on this drug test" as an example of "all this nasty shit he's describing (while onecstasy)".[15] Writing forVice, Shaad D'Souza expressed that the song had not changed much since its August 11 "leak", and was "still pretty bad."[13] Andre Gee ofUproxx said that while "Kanye the producer was still his god-given, self-developed genius," "XTCY" marked a significant downgrade in both his lyrics and the delivery of them, suggesting that West should take the "stick to the beats" advice he was given before his rap career.[16]
After its release as a single, "XTCY" managed to reached number 32 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart.[17]
Credits adapted fromTidal.[18]
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[17] | 32 |
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | August 30, 2018 | Digital download | [18][19] |
