"Round of Applause" is a single by

Christian hip hop Christian hip hop (originally gospel rap, also known as Christian rap, gospel hip hop or holy hip hop) is a subgenre of contemporary Christian music and hip hop music. It emerged from urban contemporary music and Christian media in the United S ...

artist Lecrae, released on May 14, 2013. The lead single from the commercial version of his mixtape ''

Church Clothes 2 ''Church Clothes 2'', officially ''Church Clothes, Vol. 2'', is the second mixtape by Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released on November 7, 2013 by Reach Records. Hosted by Don Cannon, it follows Lecrae's previous mixtape, ''Church Clothes'' ...

'', it was followed a week later by an extended, non-commercial version which featured

B.o.B Bobby Ray Simmons Jr. (born November 15, 1988), known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years later, ...

. Upon the release of the album's track-listing on November 2, which listed "Round of Applause" without B.o.B's feature,

Reach Records Reach Records is an American independent record label specializing in Christian hip hop. The label was founded in 2004 by Ben Washer and the hip-hop artist Lecrae. In addition to Lecrae, the Reach Records roster contains artists like Tedashii, ...

producer Alex Medina tweeted that the commercial version of ''Church Clothes 2'' does not contain the feature, while the free version hosted by Don Cannon does contain B.o.B's feature.

Lyrics and style

Produced by

K.E. on the Track Kevin Erondu, better known as K.E. on the Track, is an American record producer. Early life Kevin Erondu was born in Tampa, Florida. He originated in Valdosta, Georgia. Career K.E.'s breakthrough came in 2009, when he produced the single "Swag ...

, sonically the song features an "anthemic

trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...

beat", a menacing synth line, and "street shaking, attention grabbing drums". Lyrically, the song congratulates college graduates and those who succeed in life despite the odds against them. Lecrae created a website page for the single, on which he expressed he was "Proud of all the graduates out there. Never overlook the unique opportunity you have in education. There are many paths you could have taken, obstacles to deter you, and things to distract you, but you beat the odds."

Reception

The song for the most part met with a positive reception, with Danitha J of ''The Source'' calling the collaboration between Lecrae and B.o.B "epic" and praising Lecrae for his positive message. Writing for Jesus Freak Hideout, Kevin Hoskins thought "Lecrae and B.O.B. spit honest words laid over nice beats throughout the entire listen". Christian Music Zine considered the song a highlight from the album, and

HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group. ...

praising "Round of Applause" for, alongside the tracks "Misconception pt. 2" and "Was it Worth it", offering topical and conceptual depth. On June 4, 2013, Lecrae performed the single live 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 A ...

106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...

. On June 21, 2013,

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included the extended version of the song in its list "Three Songs You Need to Hear Right Now", along with

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

's "

Don't Hold the Wall "Don't Hold the Wall" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake for his third studio album, ''The 20/20 Experience'' (2013). It was written and produced by Timberlake, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley and Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, ...

" and

will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...

's "

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". "Round of Applause" charted at No. 45 on the Christian Songs chart. In contrast to this reception, Aubrey McKay of Wade-O Radio leveled criticism at the song, in particular the collaboration with B.o.B. McKay stated that in his opinion Lecrae and B.o.B "didn't mesh well together", and that "B.o.B.'s verse was sub-par".

References

{{Authority control 2013 songs 2013 singles Lecrae songs B.o.B songs Trap music songs Reach Records singles Songs written by K.E. on the Track Song recordings produced by K.E. on the Track