"Homecoming" is a song by American
hip-hop recording artist
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
. It was included as the twelfth song on his third studio album ''
Graduation'' (2007). The track was produced by West with
Warryn Campbell
Warryn Stafford Campbell, Jr. (born August 21, 1975) is an American record producer. He has worked with a number of gospel, hip hop and R&B artists. Campbell originally got his start as a session musician and producer under the tutelage of DJ ...
and features a guest appearance from
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Devon, he went to Uni ...
, lead vocalist of the British
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
band
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
. Martin sings the song's
chorus and
outro and provides a
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
-driven
motif. The song is a hip hop beat with
pop-oriented
refrains while also integrating elements of
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...
and
new wave with
arena rock
Arena rock (also known as AOR, melodic rock, stadium rock, anthem rock, pomp rock, corporate rock and dad rock; ; ) is a style of rock music that originated in the mid-1970s. As hard rock bands and those playing a softer yet strident kind of po ...
sensibilities. "Homecoming" is written as a tribute dedicated to West's hometown of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, Illinois. His conceptual lyricism expresses an
extended metaphor An extended metaphor, also known as a conceit or sustained metaphor, is the use of a single metaphor or analogy at length in a work of literature. It differs from a mere metaphor in its length, and in having more than one single point of contact bet ...
where he personifies Chicago as a
childhood sweetheart
Childhood sweetheart is a reciprocating phrase for a relationship (but not a partnership) between young persons. This may come about by an extension of friendship, physical attraction or develop from natural affinity.
The relationship is usually ...
to convey his relationship with the city.
A reworking of a track entitled "Home (Windy)," the song first originated from a 2001
demo tape. While the lyrical content of the
verses largely remain the same, the lyrics of the chorus for the original incarnation of "Homecoming" are different and were sung by singer
John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...
. In addition, this recording had exhibited West's once trademark
soulful vocal
sample production style. "Homecoming" came about when West met Martin for the first time by chance at the famed
Abbey Road Studios in London in February 2006. Afterwards, the two held an impromptu
jam session and recorded the track, with Martin requesting that West alter the
tone of his approach to the songwriting and production.
Although it was intended be the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
of ''Graduation'', the song was released as the fifth and final single from the album on February 18, 2008. The single was met with moderate commercial success in the United States and Canada. It was more successful overseas, peaking in the top twenty on European charts and reaching the top-ten positions in Ireland and the United Kingdom. "Homecoming" has since been certified Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Upon its release, "Homecoming" received mixed reviews from contemporary
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. Though West was complimented for his introspective lyricism and
storytelling abilities, Martin's contribution was met with polarizing reactions, with many criticizing his appearance due to him not being from Chicago. An accompanying
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for the single was directed by
Hype Williams
Harold Williams (born August 1, 1970) is an American music video director, film director, film producer, and screenwriter.
Early life
Williams was born in Queens, New York. He is of mixed African-American and Honduran descent. He attended Adel ...
and filmed in Chicago. Shot entirely in
black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
, the video features a montage of West traversing the streets of Chicago and showcases its landmarks, monuments and people. The music video was very well-received and praised for the way West's hometown is visually paid homage. It was nominated for
Best Hip-Hop Video at the
2008 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008, live from Paramount Pictures Studios (which, like MTV, is owned by Viacom), honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories wer ...
.
Background
![Abbey road studios](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Abbey_road_studios.jpg)
"Homecoming" was released on ''
Graduation'' (2007), the third studio album by American
hip-hop recording artist and
record producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
Kanye West.
It was written by West with
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Devon, he went to Uni ...
, lead vocalist of the English
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
band
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
.
[ West co-produced the track with record producer ]Warryn Campbell
Warryn Stafford Campbell, Jr. (born August 21, 1975) is an American record producer. He has worked with a number of gospel, hip hop and R&B artists. Campbell originally got his start as a session musician and producer under the tutelage of DJ ...
.[ For the song, sharp piano flourishes were dressed over booming, stadium-sized drums to accompany a ]sing-along
Sing-along, also called community singing or group singing, is an event of singing together at gatherings or parties, less formally than choir singing. One can use a songbook. Common genres are folk songs, patriotic songs, kids' songs, spiritual ...
chorus. The collaboration between West and Martin occurred when the two teamed up for an impromptu jam session following a chance encounter on February 14, 2006 at the Abbey Road Studios located in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, England. During the session, they composed the number by making alterations to the instrumental and lyrical content of one of West's earlier recordings.
Even though it was included on his 2007 studio album, "Homecoming" was actually a reworking of a track known as "Home (Windy)" that originated from a demo tape dating back to the year 2001. "Home (Windy)" circulated under the new title "Home" on various mixtapes
A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...
that West released over the years, beginning with his 2003 mixtape ''Get Well Soon...'' "Home" was also available on the advance copy of West's debut studio album, ''The College Dropout
''The College Dropout'' is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on February 10, 2004, by Def Jam Recordings and Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. In the years leading up to release, West had received pr ...
'' (2004). However, that version of his first album was never released due to being leaked months before its intended initial release date of August 12, 2003. West used the opportunity to refine ''The College Dropout'', as the studio album was significantly remixed, remastered, and revised prior to being released on February 10, 2004. In the end, certain tracks originally destined for ''The College Dropout'' were subsequently retracted, with "Home" being among them.
The composition was later described as "very emotional" by Kanye West during a retrospective interview with ''Concrete Loop'' on October 5, 2007.[ In the interview, he imparted that "Homecoming" was among his three most favorite songs from ''Graduation.''] "Home (Windy)" had been written by West as a heartfelt homage dedicated to the city of Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
. The track paid lyrical tribute to Kanye West's hometown of Chicago. Its deeply personal lyrical content expounds upon West's relationship with Chicago, expressing a metaphoric narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional ( fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc. ...
which features a feminized personification of his hometown. During the story, West nostalgically rhymes about growing up Chicago, his love for the city, and his guilt over leaving "her" in order to pursue his musical dreams. He lyrically references " I Used to Love H.E.R.," a 1994 rap song written by his close friend, former GOOD Music
GOOD Music (also known simply as GOOD, stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label signed an exclusive long-term worldwide label agreement with t ...
label affiliate, and fellow Chicago hip-hop artist Common. The rapper would go on to make cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
s in the single's accompanying music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
, which was filmed in the city of Chicago. Dressed in a new Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Devon, he went to Uni ...
chorus but primarily containing the same rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
lyrics, "Homecoming" still manages to resonate as a jubilant, loving ode
An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...
to West's Chicago upbringing. It is but one of several references to footsteps which once propelled him forward as a hip-hop artist that are found throughout his introspective third album ''Graduation''.
Writing and development
Aside from a slight variation applied towards his initial spoken ad-libs
In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation.
The r ...
and opening line
At the beginning of a written work stands the opening sentence or opening line. The opening line is part or all of the opening sentence that may start the lead paragraph. For older texts the Latin term "incipit" (it begins) is in use for the very ...
s in order to compose an introduction
Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to:
General use
* Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music
* Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and g ...
, the lyrics of West's rap verse were largely left the same.[Shipley, Al]
Kanye West's 'Graduation': 10 Things You Didn't Know
''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''. Retrieved on September 11, 2017. Although the new sung chorus of "Homecoming" which Chris Martin delivers contains a set of lines that are entirely different from that of John Legend's. Chris Martin was the one who requested the changes that West made to the original lyrical content. On the chorus of "Home," John Legend sang about soldiers who did not make it back and come home.[ Pareles, Jon]
Topics/People/L/Lil Wayne Review: ''Graduation''
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''. Retrieved on October 6, 2009. However, Martin felt the tone of West's conceptual approach to the track was too somber, and suggested it be recontextualized with a "happier" concept. As a result, on the chorus of "Homecoming," Chris Martin sings about Kanye West returning to his hometown of Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
. Inspired by his worldwide arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
tour
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...
with Irish rock band U2, West redesigned the song to perform as a stadium anthem Stadium anthems or sports anthems or arena anthems are terms to refer songs that are played over the public address systems at stadiums and arenas during breaks in the action to rally the fans. Unlike college fight songs, most stadium anthems were ...
. Accordingly, the new composition expresses soaring, infectious vocal melodies
A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combinati ...
and hooks in addition to memorable singalong choruses. Meanwhile, the rhythmic piano accompaniment of the arrangement is laden with energetic minor chords.
Alongside Coldplay, during the period of the recording and production of ''Graduation'' (2007), West was primarily listening to mainstream rock
Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.
Format background
Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active rock ...
bands such as Keane, The Killers
The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in t ...
, and Radiohead in an effort to make his rap songs more palatable for stadium concerts. Consequently, "Homecoming" retains a piano-driven, arena ready soundscape comparable to the music of Coldplay and these bands. However, West had Chris Martin forgo his typical midtempo balladry
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
in favor of flashier, inspirational piano work. Martin's pounding piano playing displays a gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
influence recurrent in West's productions, while the rest of the rhythm section harbors characteristics of reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
. The moving piano motif was structured in such a way that it began on the off-beat to give the recording a rawer, hip-hop vibe. Also evident within its stripped-down instrumentation, minor-key composition, and stop-start arrangement lies West's subtle yet growing inclination towards post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...
and new wave tendencies.
While making modifications to the composition, West rearranged the structured of the storytelling framework for its lyrical content. He chose to utilise a more conventional formal structure typically found in rap songs while incorporating his pop sensibilities into the newly written chorus. West took his original one single verse from "Home" which was thirty-two bars in length, divided its lyrics into two separate sixteen-bar verses and them organized around a chorus section. Even though his lines were mostly unchanged, West would rap them in a tighter, more assured flow with clearer enunciation
Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone as well as the idea and practice of effective speech and its forms. It stems from the idea that while communication is symbolic, sounds are final and compelli ...
than on the original version, indicative of years of experience and increased lyrical dexterity. Compared to John Legend's soulful singing, Chris Martin delivers the pop chorus of "Homecoming" with a smoother, straightforward rendition. He recites his elastic refrain and bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
in a breezy sing-along
Sing-along, also called community singing or group singing, is an event of singing together at gatherings or parties, less formally than choir singing. One can use a songbook. Common genres are folk songs, patriotic songs, kids' songs, spiritual ...
manner, making the record come off more upbeat. Martin's singing laspes into a soft, ethereal falsetto and uses laid-back crooning
Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range ...
to maintain a sense of nostalgic
Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of (''nóstos''), meaning "homecoming", a Homeric wo ...
wistfulness.
Recording
The recording sessions for "Home (Windy)" and "Homecoming" took place over the course of several years at five different studio locations. These recording studios include the Fever Recording Studio in North Hollywood
North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, the Abbey Road Studios in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, the Sony Music Studios
Sony Music Studios was an American music recording and mastering facility in New York City. The five-story building was a music and broadcasting complex located at 460 W. 54th Street, at 10th Avenue, in the Hell's Kitchen section of Manhattan ...
in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, and The Record Plant
The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...
and Ocean Way Recording
Ocean Way Recording was a series of recording studios established by recording engineer and producer Allen Sides with locations in Los Angeles, California, Nashville, Tennessee, and Saint Barthélemy. Ocean Way Recording no longer operates record ...
in Hollywood, California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.[ The track was mixed at Chalice Recording Studios in Hollywood, California and ]Chung King Studios
Chung King Studios was a recording studio that operated in New York City under that name from 1986 to 2015. It was founded by producer John King and engineer Steve Ett with financial backing from the Etches brothers, occupying three different locat ...
in New York City.[ The earliest studio recordings of "Home (Windy)" were made as far back as the year 2001.] The track's instrumental brandished the hallmarks of West's once trademark hip-hop production
Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an Master of ceremonies, MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, pl ...
technique. It featured a soulful vocal sample of harmonious belting vocals from Patti LaBelle and the BlueBelles's cover of the 1945 show tune, "You'll Never Walk Alone
"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''Carousel''. In the second act of the musical, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and enco ...
." Meanwhile, the original lyrics of the song's chorus were sung by singer John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...
.[ He at the time was a largely unknown recording artist and went by the name of John Stephens.] "Home (Windy)" is among the earliest in a long history of the two close friends collaborating with one another, as West would go on to produce the singer's debut studio album ''Get Lifted
''Get Lifted'' is the debut studio album by American singer John Legend. It was released by GOOD Music, Sony Urban Music, and Columbia Records on December 28, 2004 in the United States. The production on the album was handled by Legend's then-m ...
'' (2004) the very same year he released his own first album ''The College Dropout
''The College Dropout'' is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on February 10, 2004, by Def Jam Recordings and Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. In the years leading up to release, West had received pr ...
'', whose tracks Legend in turn also lent his vocals to.
Years later, Kanye West and Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Devon, he went to Uni ...
met each other for the very first time by chance on February 14, 2006 at Abbey Road, the iconic recording studios in London, England. At this point is his career, West was traveling the world rather than have recording artists and producers come to him for musical collaborations. He would go around and meet other record producers in locations such as New York, Atlanta and London, then return to The Record Plant for additional sound treatment. One day, West had just finished up a show at Abbey Road and Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
happened to be recording music in a studio there at the same time. As the rock band was recording a radio gig they held at Abbey Road for the national radio station BBC Radio 2, West was producing the theme song for the soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack ...
of the 2006 action film '' Mission: Impossible III''. According to audio engineer Andrew Dawson, Martin showed up after discovering that West was working in the very next studio. Upon their encounter, West did not mind the interruption by Chris Martin and after the band's show, the two joined in a recording booth for an impromptu jam session.
West and Chris Martin recorded "Homecoming" in the same room that The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
recorded their music, using the very same microphones. Martin reportedly wore exactly the same attire over the course of the several days the track was recorded, which is something of a habit for the musician. At the time of the re-recording, West had ready an unused hip-hop beat
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery (c ...
intended for what went on to become "Heard 'Em Say
"Heard 'Em Say" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his second studio album, ''Late Registration'' (2005). The song features a guest appearance from Adam Levine. It was produced by West with Jon Brion, the former of which served as a so ...
," the third single from his sophomore album ''Late Registration
''Late Registration'' is the second studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on August 30, 2005, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West recorded the album over the course of a year during sessions ...
'' (2005). But Chris Martin reportedly advocated, "No this track's beat needs to be more like a homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia.
...
or something." West subsequently retracted the looped soul sample repeated that was throughout "Home" and had it replaced insead with a pompous piano riff
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
, which he decorated over stadium-friendly drums. Most of the tracks on ''Graduation'' had contained glossy, layered synthesizer-based productions influenced by West's experimentation with electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...
. But on "Homecoming," he opted for different, more stripped-down instrumental to complement the introspective quality of its triumphant yet melancholic lyrics.
For the track, West reduced usage of synthesisers and effects, stripping its backbeat
In music and music theory, the beat is the basic unit of time, the pulse (regularly repeating event), of the ''mensural level'' (or ''beat level''). The beat is often defined as the rhythm listeners would tap their toes to when listening to a p ...
down to the sparest stomp and clap to accommodate his poignant storytelling rhymes. Rather than synths, the syncopated piano part acts as the centerpiece of the song and works with a ponderous, melodic bassline to form a rhythmic figure
Figure may refer to:
General
*A shape, drawing, depiction, or geometric configuration
*Figure (wood), wood appearance
*Figure (music), distinguished from musical motif
*Noise figure, in telecommunication
*Dance figure, an elementary dance pattern ...
which generates interlocking grooves. The track was ornamented with the use of additional percussion instruments
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
and is subtly layered by a monotonous presence of crowd cheers that West injected into the mix to supplement the beat. When word got out that West and Chris Martin were working together in the studio, a source claimed that their recording, "sound dlike a Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
song with a beat
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery (c ...
, which is exactly what anyewanted." After having the opportunity to hear their record for himself, Jay-Z decided to also invite Chris Martin to make a guest appearance on one of his songs. Their collaboration would result in the track "Beach Chair" on Jay-Z's comeback album, '' Kingdom Come'' (2006). Jay-Z was swift to release "Beach Chair" on his ninth studio album a year prior to the release date of ''Graduation''.
Composition
"Homecoming" is a midtempo hip-hop song that runs for a duration of three minutes and twenty-six seconds.[ The track is a ]gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
-inflected piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
jam which harbors various instrumental nuances and vocal cues from music genres encompassing reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
, pub rock, post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...
, new wave, and pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
. Essentially, the basis of the musical composition involves a synthesis of the sparse rhythmic pulse
In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the cardiac cycle (heartbeat) by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface of the body, such as at the n ...
of reggae with the punchy yet articulate structure and brevity of post-punk alongside quirky new wave sound effects. Furthermore, the soaring refrains and strident piano riff
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
implement catchy pop hooks and breezy melodies
A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combinati ...
that express an arena rock
Arena rock (also known as AOR, melodic rock, stadium rock, anthem rock, pomp rock, corporate rock and dad rock; ; ) is a style of rock music that originated in the mid-1970s. As hard rock bands and those playing a softer yet strident kind of po ...
aesthetic. The track's rhythmic instrumentation
Instrumentation a collective term for measuring instruments that are used for indicating, measuring and recording physical quantities. The term has its origins in the art and science of scientific instrument-making.
Instrumentation can refer to ...
consists of staccato piano chords
Chord may refer to:
* Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously
** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning
* Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve
* Chord ( ...
, percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
-backed drums, and syncopated, melodic bass line
Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, dub and electronic, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played (in jazz and some ...
s.
According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing
EMI Music Publishing Ltd. is a British multinational music publishing company headquartered in London, owned by parent company Sony Corporation of America.
In May 2018, Sony Music Publishing agreed to increase its stake in EMI to 90%, pending ...
, the song is set in the time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...
of common time
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...
, with a moderate tempo
In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...
of 88 beats per minute
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery ...
. "Homecoming" is written in the key of E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major.
The E natural minor scale is:
:
Changes needed ...
, and Chris Martin's vocal range
Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of st ...
spans from a low of D4 to a high of E5. The musical composition uses four- measure phrases
In syntax and grammar, a phrase is a group of words or singular word acting as a grammatical unit. For instance, the English expression "the very happy squirrel" is a noun phrase which contains the adjective phrase "very happy". Phrases can consi ...
which follow a basic sequence of Em–D/F#–Em/G–G–Am7–D/C–Cmaj7–Bm7 as its chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
. Opening with a hammering E minor triad, "Homecoming" begins West shouting, "Yeah! And you say Chi city! Chi city! Chi city!" over a prominent piano motif. The uplifting piano accompaniment runs throughout the entire composition as its main instrument. The piano arrangement begins on the off-beat and each period
Period may refer to:
Common uses
* Era, a length or span of time
* Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Period (music), a concept in musical composition
* Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...
ends with a single note stab followed by nearly a bar of silence. All throughout the track, the noisy sounds of a cheering crowd can inexplicably be heard lurking in the background.
Within two verses, West does his emotive rapping atop a heavy yet buoyant, percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
-backed drum beat
A drum beat or drum pattern is a rhythmic pattern, or repeated rhythm establishing the meter and groove through the pulse and subdivision, played on drum kits and other percussion instruments. As such a "beat" consists of multiple drum strokes ...
.[ West raps his less intricate verses at a gradual pace with a flow that relies on ]end rhymes
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds (usually, the exact same phonemes) in the final stressed syllables and any following syllables of two or more words. Most often, this kind of perfect rhyming is consciously used for a musical or aesthetic ...
and manages to punctuate both the piano melodies and rhythms of the song. There are momentary rests and occasional piano flourishes at certain intervals within the instrumental to highlight West's lyricism and indicate transitions between sections. Meanwhile, Chris Martin supplies the energetic piano playing and sings the freewheeling chorus. His keening, high countertenor vocals garnered comparisons to that of musician and singer-songwriter Sting, frontman of the British post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...
band The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...
. Martin sings a percussive yet melodic refrain with smooth, laid-back crooning
Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range ...
hooks over a bouncing groove
Groove or Grooves may refer to:
Music
* Groove (music)
* Groove (drumming)
* The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s
* The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station
* Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station
...
generated by the chugging piano progressions, lumbering bassline and stomping rhythm of the track's off-beat kick drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...
, yet another an element of reggae. Towards the end, Chris Martin even opts to perform the song's outro in a manner strongly reminiscent to a reggae singer. His usage of "le-yo-oh-oh" ululations invokes that of the vocal stylings of Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
n musician Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
.
Lyrically, "Homecoming" serves as an homage to Kanye West's hometown of Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
. In comparison to previous records, ''Graduation'' was at times thematically distanced, introspective and characterized by more conflicted, confessional storytelling. The jubilant ode
An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...
to his Chicago upbringing is among many touching callbacks to the footsteps that propelled West forward in his journey as a hip-hop artist found on his third studio album. "Homecoming" is where West finds himself rapping about growing up in Chicago from the perspective of a local youth returning to his old neighborhood, recalling memories of old friends and a past love interest
''Gli Innamorati'' (, meaning "The Lovers") were stock characters within the theatre style known as commedia dell'arte, who appeared in 16th century Italy. In the plays, everything revolved around the Lovers in some regard. These dramatic and pos ...
.[ Throughout the romantic narrative, West employs an ]extended metaphor An extended metaphor, also known as a conceit or sustained metaphor, is the use of a single metaphor or analogy at length in a work of literature. It differs from a mere metaphor in its length, and in having more than one single point of contact bet ...
in which he personifies the city as a childhood sweetheart
Childhood sweetheart is a reciprocating phrase for a relationship (but not a partnership) between young persons. This may come about by an extension of friendship, physical attraction or develop from natural affinity.
The relationship is usually ...
named Wendy. He rhymes about his love for Chicago and his guilt over leaving "her" to pursue his musical dreams. West tells the story of how the childhood sweetheart slipped through his fingers with vivid lines. His evocative wordplay captures his bittersweet relationship with the place that made him which he once called home. Both the opening and closing lines lyrically reference " I Used to Love H.E.R.," a similar metaphoric rap song written by West's close friend, label affiliate, and fellow Chicago hip-hop artist Common. After each verse, Chris Martin sings a triumphant chorus about West making his return: "Do you think about me now and then? / 'Cause I'm coming home again."
Release and promotion
The initial news of West's musical collaboration with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin were reported by '' The Daily Star'' on February 24, 2006. West reportedly told the newspaper, "Chris Martin is definitely one of the people I study. He was completely bashful about the concept of doing a record. He wanted to work on the music because he loves music and working in the studio and adding his ideas." West later announced his collaboration with during an interview with '' Billboard'' on January 19, 2007. He stated that "Homecoming" was likely to be released as the lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
for his third album ''Graduation'' (2007).[ However, the track "]Can't Tell Me Nothing
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his third studio album, ''Graduation'' (2007). The song contains additional vocals from Young Jeezy and Connie Mitchell. It was produced by West with DJ Toomp with West be ...
" was released as the album's lead single instead, while "Homecoming" whereas was subsequently released as the fifth and final single. "Homecoming" was first heard by music listeners when the digital radio station BBC Radio 1Xtra hosted an exclusive "Audience With Kanye West" venue at the BBC Radio Music Theatre in London on August 13, 2007. West guided a specially selected audience through ''Graduation'', playing the album in its entirety directly from his MacBook Air
The MacBook Air is a line of ultrabook computers developed and manufactured by Apple Inc. It consists of a full-size keyboard, a machined aluminum case, and, in the more modern versions, a thin light structure. The Air was originally position ...
laptop via a speaker system.[ The premiere was part of an extensive promotional campaign that West embarked on for his third album during a trip to the ]United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. Two weeks later, "Homecoming" was one of the tracks that West played while hosting an album listening session for ''Graduation'' in New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. The late-night album listening session was held at the New World Stages
New World Stages is a five-theater, Off-Broadway performing arts complex in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is between 49th and 50th Streets beneath the plaza of the Worldwide Plaza complex at Eighth Avenue. ...
on August 28, 2007.[ Inside an auditorium, West explained the influences and aspirations that went into the making of his third album.] Throughout the night, he played previews of its songs from start-to-finish without interruption, some with video accompaniment to match. When an audience member asked Kanye why the production of "Home" had been altered and become "Homecoming," he replied that he believed the original hip-hop beat wouldn't rock stadiums
A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
, but the song's lyrics were too good to go to waste.
Critical reception
Following its release, "Homecoming" received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. Nick Levine from '' Digital Spy'' describes the track as an "impressive slow jam" and refers to Chris Martin as "the Sting of our times." Giving the single four out of five stars, Levine noted, "This could quite easily have become a crass exercise in mutual back-slapping, but, thankfully, Martin seems to have brought out West's inner softie, making 'Homecoming' the bragging rapper's most affecting moment to date." ''Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog.
Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
'' Mark Pytlik wrote that the song feels like it hits all the right notes.[Pytlik, Mark. September 11, 2007]
Review: ''Graduation''
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog.
Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
. Retrieved on 2009-10-06. After his admittance that "Homecoming" exceeded his expectations, Jackie Im of ''Treblezine'' called track's hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
incredibly catchy and summarizes the composition as a "nice little pop song that leads into Kanye's most earnest moment." He also compared Chris Martin's piano playing to that of English singer, pianist and composer Elton John. Similar sentiments were expressed by Jon Caramanica from ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', who thought the piano jam recalls that of early Billy Joel. Writing for ''NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', Louis Pattison reported "Homecoming" as being a "solid" track while '' NOW Magazine'' editor Jason Richards labeled it as the highlight of ''Graduation''.[ While he upholds the belief that ''Graduation'' contains "a couple of real clunkers," Kyle Ryan of '']The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' wrote that with songs like "Homecoming," the album also has "its usual share of West gold." '' Slant Magazine'' quipped that in contrast to Jay-Z's earlier collaboration with Chris Martin on "Beach Chair" from his comeback album '' Kingdom Come'', West's track "just might make Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
acceptable for the cool kids again." Ann Powers
Ann K. Powers (born February 4, 1964) is an American writer and pop music critic. She is a music critic for NPR and a contributor at the ''Los Angeles Times'', where she was previously chief pop critic. She has also served as pop critic at ''The ...
, writer for ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'', also held the belief that Kanye bests Jay-Z's use of Martin's vocal abilities.[Powers, Ann. September 10, 2007]
Hip-hop's Man of Two Minds
''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
''. Retrieved on 2009-10-06. Sharing a similar sentiment, '' Paste'' reviewer Ross Bonaime wrote that when comparing the songs, West uses Martin in a much more successful manner and regards the combination of the two recording artists as "undeniably pretty great."
On the other hand, several music journalists questioned the authenticity of "Homecoming" due to the fact that Chris Martin doesn't hail from the city of Chicago. Calling the song an "interestingly flawed venture," Dorian Lynskey of ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' chided, "If you're rapping about growing up in Chicago, don't duet with a singer from Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
. Emote though he may, Chris Martin can't convince anyone that he is moved by the memory of 'fireworks over Lake Michigan.'"[ ]Nathan Rabin
Nathan Rabin (; born April 24, 1976) is an American film and music critic. Rabin was the first head writer for '' The A.V. Club'', a position he held until he left the ''Onion'' organization in 2013. from ''The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' views the collaboration as a demonstration of how West's a broad musical palette can occasionally get him into trouble, saying that Chris Martin doesn't embody the rich musical heritage of Chicago. '' Exclaim!'' Del Cowie remarked that due in part to Martin's guest appearance, "Homecoming" doesn't evoke the emotional connection that a hometown ode
An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...
should elicit. Labeling the track as one of the album's transgressions, Noah Love of '' ChartAttack'' stated that he could have done without Chris Martin crooning
Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range ...
over the record and believed West was still finding his lane as a lyricist. ''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
'' music critic Greg Kot
Greg Kot (born March 3, 1957) is an American music journalist and author. From 1990 until 2020, Kot was the rock music critic at the ''Chicago Tribune'', where he covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and busines ...
was dismissive of the song's instrumentation
Instrumentation a collective term for measuring instruments that are used for indicating, measuring and recording physical quantities. The term has its origins in the art and science of scientific instrument-making.
Instrumentation can refer to ...
, saying, "Chris Martin coos over a cornball piano riff
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
." He denounces that "Homecoming" falls flat and adds up to being the album's biggest misstep.[Greg Kot (August 31, 2007)]
'Graduation' day arrives: Kanye West exploits his growing pains
''Chicago Tribune''. Accessed 2007-10-01.
Accolades
Despite divided opinions regarding Chris Martin, "Homecoming" has managed to appear on several lists of West's best songs. '' Paste'' magazine ranks "Homecoming" as West's fifty-first best album track. ''Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' listed both the original John Legend version and the Chris Martin version of "Home"/"Homecoming" at thirty-eight among West's one-hundred best songs. "Homecoming" was also declared the fiftieth greatest Chicago rap song by ''Complex''. To honor his thirty-ninth birthday, ''The Jamaica Observer
''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety o ...
'' composed a list of the top ten best songs Kanye West has ever made, in which "Homecoming" was included. '' Highsnobiety'' cited "Homecoming" as the fortieth best Kanye West song, referring to it as a "classic Kanye cut." For their list of ''Kanye West's 10 Most Stripped-Down, Minimal Songs'', head writer Jordan Darville of '' ChartAttack'' placed "Homecoming" at number four. In regards to the track's inward lyricism, he wrote, "The synth
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
-rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
epics on ''Graduation'' are on a race to outdo each other, which make its introspective moments that much more deeply felt." '' Billboard'' cited "Homecoming" as among West's ten most romantic songs and stated that it is one of the most loving hometown tributes that rap music has to offer. CraveOnline ranked "Homecoming" at the very top of their list of Kanye West's fifteen best songs. When summarizing the composition, it stated, "Even though this storytelling track is very personal, and therefore not directly relatable, Kanye reaches its high point topically and instrumentally, proving his expertise as both a producer and a rapper. Coldplay's singer Chris Martin features on the chorus, but the main star of this track is the piano instrumental ... The love ode to Chicago turns out to be familiar to everyone, regardless of their location, class, gender or whether they've left their first home." Jeva Lange of ''The Week
''The Week'' is a weekly news magazine with editions in the United Kingdom and United States. The British publication was founded in 1995 and the American edition in 2001. An Australian edition was published from 2008 to 2012. A children's ed ...
'' named it as West's best track, though Lange voiced the opinion that "With the exception of myself, nobody will tell you 'Homecoming' is West's magnum opus." "Homecoming" received a nomination for Best R&B/Hip-Hop Track at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards.
Chart performance
In the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, "Homecoming" made its first chart appearance on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart on May 22, 2008 at number sixty-eight. It eventually peaked at number fifty-three on the chart for the issue dated June 14, 2008. The single made its debut on the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 at number ninety-six, for the issue dated June 7, 2008. That very same week, "Homecoming" also entered at number nineteen on the US Hot Rap Songs
Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by ''Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stati ...
chart. The next week, "Homecoming" climbed thirteen places to number eighty-three on the Hot 100 chart. For its third week on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, "Homecoming" moved up a further twelve spaces to number seventy-one. In the end, the song reached its peak position at number sixty-nine on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for the issue dated June 28, 2008, which was its fourth week on the chart. Weeks later, for the issue dated July 12, 2008, "Homecoming" ascended to its peak position at number fifteen on the Hot Rap Songs chart. On April 1, 2015, "Homecoming" was certified Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Pla ...
by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of one million paid digital downloads.
In Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, "Homecoming" debuted at number eighty-nine on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, where it reached number seventy-nine. The single performed well overseas and was commercially success throughout much of Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
. It reached the top twenty in several countries, with its highest positions being in Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. "Homecoming" entered at number nineteen on Irish Singles Chart, being the highest debut for the week ending January 10, 2008. Two weeks later, the single ascended to its peak position at number five on the chart. "Homecoming" debuted at number seventy-seven on the UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
for the issue date September 29, 2007 on download sales alone before relapsing. The song re-entered the chart at number sixty-nine for the issue dated December 30, 2007. It reached its peak position at number nine on the UK Singles Chart on January 20, 2008. According to the Official Charts Company
The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France.
In the United Kingdom, its charts in ...
, "Homecoming" has since sold 15,000 copies, being certified Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...
by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
(BPI).
"Homecoming" was also a moderate success in Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. In New Zealand, "Homecoming" made its debut at number thirty-eight on the New Zealand Singles Chart
The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
, and over the course of six weeks eventually rose to its peak position at number twenty-two. The song entered at number forty-seven on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, peaking at number thirty-two a week later. "Homecoming" was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing ...
(ARIA) for the shipment of 35,000 copies.
Music video
Background
The accompanying music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for "Homecoming" was directed by Hype Williams
Harold Williams (born August 1, 1970) is an American music video director, film director, film producer, and screenwriter.
Early life
Williams was born in Queens, New York. He is of mixed African-American and Honduran descent. He attended Adel ...
and filmed on location in the city of Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
on November 6, 2007. It was the latest in a long history of collaborations between Williams and West, as the two had previously worked together in the past on several music videos, including for that of "Can't Tell Me Nothing
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his third studio album, ''Graduation'' (2007). The song contains additional vocals from Young Jeezy and Connie Mitchell. It was produced by West with DJ Toomp with West be ...
" and " Stronger," the lead singles of West's third studio album, '' Graduation'' (2007). The music video was filmed entirely in black-and-white
Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey.
Media
The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
, with Williams taking a simplistic approach for the visuals. For the video, West dressed in a designer classic-fit Stüssy
Stüssy ( ) is an American privately held fashion house founded in the early 1980s by Shawn Stussy. It benefited from the surfwear trend originating in Orange County, California, but was later adopted by the skateboard and hip hop scenes.
Hist ...
flannel madras plaid shirt beneath a sleeveless jacket and wore a keffiyeh as a scarf around his neck.
Prior to its premiere, West posted up screenshots taken from the video as previews on his official blog on March 6, 2008. Exclusive behind-the-scenes images taken from the "Homecoming" video shoot later made available. Additionally, behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of the music video was later released by Channel ZeroTV. The footage reveal that several of West's friends and affiliates were present for the video shoot, including rappers Bump J of Major Figgas
Major Figgas was an American hip hop group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
History
Major Figgas was founded in the Erie Ave area of Philadelphia by Gillie da Kid, Wallo, and Abliva, who were friends from the neighborhood. They knew Bump J, Dutc ...
and Wildstyle of Crucial Conflict as well as GOOD Music
GOOD Music (also known simply as GOOD, stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label signed an exclusive long-term worldwide label agreement with t ...
recording artist Malik Yusef
Malik Yusef El Shabazz Jones (born April 4, 1971) is an American spoken word artist, poet, rapper, writer, composer, producer and director based in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Early life
He was raised in Chicago's South Side neighborho ...
. The video shoot also featured appearances from Don Crowley, Virgil Abloh
Virgil Abloh (; September 30, 1980 – November 28, 2021) was an American fashion designer and entrepreneur. He was the artistic director of Louis Vuitton's menswear collection beginning in 2018, and was given increased creative responsibilitie ...
, Ibn Jasper, music video director Morocco Vaughn and students of Orr Academy High School
Rezin Orr Academy High School is a public four-year high school bordered between the neighborhoods of West Garfield and Humboldt Park located on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is a part of the Chicago Public Schools district and is mana ...
. Kanye West premiered the music video for "Homecoming" through his official Vimeo
Vimeo, Inc. () is an American video hosting, sharing, and services platform provider headquartered in New York City. Vimeo focuses on the delivery of high-definition video across a range of devices. Vimeo's business model is through software a ...
account and blog on April 1, 2008.
Synopsis and reception
The music video features a monochromatic montage of West wandering throughout the many different areas of Chicago, with slow-motion
Slow motion (commonly abbreviated as slo-mo or slow-mo) is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger in the early 20th century. This can be accomplished through the use ...
shots and angles
The Angles ( ang, Ængle, ; la, Angli) were one of the main Germanic peoples who settled in Great Britain in the post-Roman period. They founded several kingdoms of the Heptarchy in Anglo-Saxon England. Their name is the root of the name ...
highlighting the city's streets, buildings, monuments and citizens. Among the several various locations and landmarks that he visits and are shown include the ''Cloud Gate
''Cloud Gate'' is a public sculpture by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor, that is the centerpiece of AT&T Plaza at Millennium Park in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. The sculpture and AT&T Plaza are located on top of Pa ...
'' sculpture at Millennium Park
Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago, operated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. The park, opened in 2004 and intended to celebrate the third millennium, is a prominent civic center nea ...
, DuSable Museum of African American History
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, formerly the DuSable Museum of African American History, is a museum in Chicago that is dedicated to the study and conservation of African-American history, culture, and art. It was founded i ...
, Tribune Tower
The Tribune Tower is a , 36-floor neo-Gothic skyscraper located at 435 North Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Built between 1923 and 1925, the international design competition for the tower became a historic event in 20th-ce ...
, Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Sears Tower
The Willis Tower (originally the Sears Tower) is a 108- story, skyscraper in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, United States. Designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM ...
, and the Cabrini–Green and Harold L. Ickes
Harold LeClair Ickes ( ; March 15, 1874 – February 3, 1952) was an American administrator, politician and lawyer. He served as United States Secretary of the Interior for nearly 13 years from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold th ...
housing projects. Some of West's old friends, early supporters of his music, and local hip-hop acts such as L.E.P. Bogus Boys can be seen following him around the city. Most notably, his friend, label affiliate and fellow Chicago rapper Common, who is referenced during the song, makes two cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
s. Throughout the video, these scenes are interspersed with animated silhouette
A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...
outlines and shots of West rapping the song's verses while surrounded by reflective mirrors on top of a moving vehicle and Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Devon, he went to Uni ...
singing the chorus while playing an upright piano.
The music video was generally very well received by fans and media outlets. VH1 ranked the video for "Homecoming" as the fifth greatest music video filmed in an artist's hometown, writing, "Chi-town shinned under the spotlight in Yeezus' video 'Homecoming.' The edgy shots of Chicago were on point and Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
's Chris Martin was the perfect touch." On their list of Kanye West's forty-two best music videos, ''Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' placed the "Homecoming" video at number twenty-seven. The music video for "Homecoming" was listed at number eighty-four on BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
's ''Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2008'' countdown. It received a nomination for Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008, live from Paramount Pictures Studios (which, like MTV, is owned by Viacom), honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories wer ...
.
Live performances
West included "Homecoming" as one of the closing performances of the setlist on his ''Glow in the Dark Tour
The Glow in the Dark Tour was a world concert tour by Kanye West featuring Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D, Santigold and Nas. It began on April 16, 2008 in Seattle, Washington and traveled to Latin America, Asia, Europe, New Zealand, and Australi ...
'', which began on April 16, 2008 at the KeyArena
Climate Pledge Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is located north of Downtown Seattle in the entertainment complex known as Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, for which it was ori ...
in Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
.[
] The composition is but one of the many, various songs taken from West's first three studio albums that West utilises for his conceptual concert. They serve to form a space opera storyline that tells the tale of how a stranded space traveler struggles for over a year making attempts to escape from a distant planet while on a mission to bring creativity back to Earth. In the narrative, West performs "Homecoming" towards the end when he finally manages to return home to the planet of Earth. Near the end of the tour's North American leg, with singers and a percussionist
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
/DJ behind him, West performed "Homecoming" during the final night of Lollapalooza 2008 in August in his hometown of Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, where he co-headlined the festival with Nine Inch Nails. "Homecoming" was among a list of songs that West performed during a 90-minute set when he headlined the annual dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded da ...
festival Global Gathering
Global Gathering was an annual dance music festival by Angel Festivals Limited. Festivals are held in countries such as the UK, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and feature leading electronic music artists from around the globe. The festival ran ...
on July 25, 2008, becoming the very first hip-hop artist to do so. He was accompanied by backup singers
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...
, a disc jockey
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
and three pairs of drums while the concert featured a liberal use of lighting and smoke effects.
Kanye provided a live rendition of "Homecoming" during his appearance on ''VH1 Storytellers
''Storytellers'' is a television music series produced by the VH1 network.
In each episode, artists perform in front of a (mostly small and intimate) live audience, and tell stories about their music, writing experiences and memories, somewhat ...
'' on February 28, 2009. The performance wasn't included in the original broadcast but was later featured on the bonus DVD of the live album release. West performed "Homecoming" before an audience of 3,000 students during his annual free Stay In School benefit concert at the Chicago Theatre
The Chicago Theatre, originally known as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre, is a landmark theater located on North State Street in the Loop area of Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1921, the Chicago Theatre was the flagship for the Balaban a ...
on July 11, 2009. The concert was held in an effort to raise awareness of West's charity foundation, and he later partnered with Fuse to broadcast the live performance on television on July 25, 2009. On December 31, 2010, Kanye made a surprise appearance and joined Chris Martin and rapper Jay-Z for a performance of "Homecoming" at the Marquee Nightclub during the grand opening of the luxury resort casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
and hotel Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas (commonly referred to simply as The Cosmopolitan or The Cosmo) is a resort casino and hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The resort opened on December 15, 2010, and is located just south of the B ...
. Jay-Z co-headlined the New Year's Eve celebration with Chris Martin and it was the very first time that West and Martin performed the song together. West performed the song live at the 2011 Coachella Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert ...
.
Cover versions
"Homecoming" has been covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
and remixed by other hip-hop artists. The Kickdrums created a mashup of "Homecoming" and the song "Ain't No Love (Heart of the City)" by rapper Jay-Z. Entitled "No Love Coming Home," the track interpolates the sung chorus of "Homecoming" and combines it with verse- raps of "Ain't No Love (Heart of the City)." It was included on '' Viva La Hova'', a collaborative mixtape hosted by Mick Boogie
Mick Batyske, known by his stage name DJ MICK (also sometimes styled as MICK) and formerly Mick Boogie, is an American DJ and entrepreneur. He is an A-list DJ and spun private parties for celebrities including Kanye West, LeBron James, Jay-Z a ...
and Terry Urban
Terry Urban is an American artist, DJ and music producer best known for his mixtape albums Viva La Hova, Southerngold and Biggie Stardust.
Biography
Terry Urban was born in Cleveland, Ohio on May 23, 1977. After graduating school he moved to ...
composed entirely of mashups of Jay-Z and Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
songs that was approved by both the rapper as well as the rock band. A remix for "Homecoming" was produced by DiscoTech for inclusion on ''Sky High'', a remix mixtape that was mixed and compiled
In computing, a compiler is a computer program that translates computer code written in one programming language (the ''source'' language) into another language (the ''target'' language). The name "compiler" is primarily used for programs that ...
by DJ Benzi and Plain Pat
Patrick Reynolds, professionally known as Plain Pat, is an American music executive, record producer, songwriter and disc jockey (DJ). He is perhaps best known for overseeing American musicians Kanye West and Kid Cudi, during their respective ...
. The mixtape features remixes by various DJs
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
and record producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
s of songs taken from West's first three studio albums. It was made in anticipation of the release of his fourth studio album ''808s & Heartbreak
''808s & Heartbreak'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released by Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records on November 24, 2008, having been recorded earlier that year in September and October at Glenwood Studi ...
''. The remix project was commissioned by Kanye West himself the year prior. He handed over a cappellas and other session tapes to DJ Benzi, who then spent his time trying to match different and DJs and producers to certain tracks. Like every of the other tracks, "Homecoming" (DiscoTech Remix) had at least five revisions recorded before being completely finished. The song's instrumental
An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to inst ...
was given a new club
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises ...
-friendly dance theme.
'' Rockabye Baby!'' featured an interpretation of "Homecoming" as the closing track of their tribute album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...
, ''Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Kanye West''. Intended for infants, the gentle cover is a wordless lullaby
A lullaby (), or cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to) children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies they are used to pass down cultural knowledg ...
instrumental, substituting piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
chords
Chord may refer to:
* Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously
** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning
* Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve
* Chord ( ...
and drums in favor of xylophone
The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in ...
s and bells. Producer Carlos Serrano created a mashup of "Homecoming" and " Born to Die" by the baroque pop singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent r ...
. Entitled "Coming to Die," the song has a sultry yet cinematic atmosphere conceived from layering the vocal track of West's emotive rapping and Chris Martin's lush singing over the sentimental "Born to Die" instrumental. The Florida production duo Urban Noize dedicated to Kanye a remix EP entitled ''Mr. West'' that features eight remixes of his songs. A remix of "Homecoming" was among them, and the sonic textures of the track's instrumentation is tailored with a laid-back jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
vibe.
Track listing
* U.S. Digital download
# "Homecoming"
*International Digital download
# "Homecoming"
# "Good Night" (featuring Mos Def
Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...
and Al Be Back)
*Australian CD Single:
# "Homecoming"
# "Good Night" (featuring Mos Def
Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...
and Al Be Back)
*European CD Single
# "Homecoming"
# "Good Night" (featuring Mos Def
Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...
and Al Be Back)
*UK CD Single:
# "Homecoming"
# "Good Night" (featuring Mos Def
Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...
and Al Be Back)
*Australian iTunes – SingleAustralian iTunes – Homecoming – Single
Retrieved: June 13, 2008
# "Homecoming"
# "Good Night" (featuring Mos Def
Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...
and Al Be Back)
*UK 12" single
;;A-side
# "Homecoming" (Album Version)
# "Homecoming" (Instrumental)
;;B-side
# "Homecoming" (Album Version)
# "Homecoming" (Instrumental)
Personnel
Information taken from ''Graduation'' liner notes.[
*Songwriters: Kanye West, Chris Martin, Warryn Campbell
*Producers: Kanye West, Warryn Campbell
*Recorders: Bruce Buechner, Andrew Dawson, Anthony Kilhoffer, Greg Koller
*Mix engineer: Mike Dean, Andrew Dawson
*Assistant engineers: Matty Green, Anthony Palazzole, Andy Marcinkowski
*Additional vocals: Chris Martin
*Percussion: Jon Brion
*Sound design: Sean Cooper
*Project coordinator: DJ Reflex, Sandra Campbell
*Artwork: Takashi Murakami
]
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
* List of United Kingdom Top 10 singles in 2008
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
*
{{authority control
2007 songs
2008 singles
Kanye West songs
Music videos directed by Hype Williams
Song recordings produced by Kanye West
Song recordings produced by Warryn Campbell
Songs written by Kanye West
Songs written by Chris Martin
Songs written by Warryn Campbell
Songs about Chicago
Roc-A-Fella Records singles
Black-and-white music videos