"Selah" is a song by American rapper

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 ...

from his ninth studio album, ''

Jesus Is King ''Jesus Is King'' is the ninth studio album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released on October 25, 2019, through GOOD Music and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. The album follows a Christian theme, different from his usual work. Wes ...

'' (2019). The song contains additional vocals from

Ant Clemons Anthony Clemons Jr. (born September 26, 1991) is an American singer. He rose to prominence as a guest artist on Kanye West's 2018 single " All Mine". Clemons has since worked with a multitude of artists, including West, Ty Dolla Sign, Beyoncé, ...

BongoByTheWay Uforo Imeh Ebong (born 1989), known professionally as Bongo ByTheWay (formerly Bongo the Drum Gahd) is a Nigerian record producer, best known for producing songs for Kanye West, The Game, Lecrae, and Teyana Taylor, among others. Originally workin ...

, and the

Sunday Service Choir The Sunday Service Choir, (commonly known as Sunday Service) is an American gospel group led by artist and producer Kanye West and conducted by choir director Jason White. Beginning in January 2019, the group has performed every Sunday, as well ...

. West co-wrote it with 11 others, while Jeffrey LaValley received songwriting credit due to the song sampling a rendition of the New Jerusalem Choir's work. A hip hop and

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 an ...

song, it instrumentally relies on

military drums Military drums or war drums are all kinds of drums and membranophones that have been used for martial music, including military communications, as well as drill, honors music and military ceremonies. History Among ancient war drums that can ...

. The song includes samples of the Sunday Service Choir's rendition of "Revelations 19:1". Lyrically, it sees West asserting his Christian faith and referencing

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

verses. The song had originally been slated for release on ''Yandhi'' in November 2018 until the album was scrapped, though it later leaked the following year. Ultimately released as the second track on ''Jesus Is King'' in October 2019, "Selah" received lukewarm reviews from

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 ...

. They were often complementary towards the composition and a few praised the sampling of the Sunday Service Choir, though some critics expressed negative feelings of the song's lyrical content. It was among the Winning Gospel Songs at the 2021

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

Rhythm & Soul Awards. The song charted at number 19 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and also reached the top 20 in Australia, Canada, Latvia, and the United Kingdom. It has been 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 met ...

in the United States by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA). West and the Sunday Service Choir performed the song live in November 2019. It was used for the

Super Bowl LIV Super Bowl LIV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2019 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Conferenc ...

and

Super Bowl LV Super Bowl LV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2020 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the American Football Conferen ...

trailers of the tenth ''

Fast & Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, a t ...

'' franchise film, '' F9'' (2021). The album's accompanying film of the same name features an alternative version of the song. A rendition of the New Jerusalem Choir's "Revelations 19:1" was released on the Sunday Service Choir's debut studio album, ''

Jesus Is Born ''Jesus Is Born'' is the debut studio album by American gospel group Sunday Service Choir, with American rapper Kanye West acting as executive producer. It was released on December 25, 2019, through INC. The album was released to coincide with Ch ...

'' (2019). Despite being sampled within "Selah", the former was released two months later. A gospel song, the rendition includes a

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

that features praise for

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

being delivered by the Sunday Service Choir. It charted at number 17 on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Gospel Songs Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

chart in 2020. The rendition has been performed live by the Sunday Service Choir on multiple occasions.

Background and development

American singer-songwriter

first became involved with West during the recording sessions for the rapper's eight studio album '' Ye'' (2018), with Clemons helping record the album's second

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

" All Mine" (2018). Following on from Clemons being involved with West as a songwriter for

Teyana Taylor Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Shumpert ( Taylor; born December 10, 1990) is an American singer, actress, dancer and choreographer. In 2005, she signed a record deal with Pharrell Williams' Star Trak Entertainment imprint. Afterwards, she choreographe ...

's second studio album ''

K.T.S.E. ''K.T.S.E.'' (an initialism of ''Keep That Same Energy'') is the second studio album by American recording artist Teyana Taylor, released on June 22, 2018, by GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. Following the release of ''VII'' in 2014, Taylor t ...

'' in June 2018, the two of them didn't see each other again until the fall of that year. At that time, Clemons went to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and found himself

freestyling Freestyle is a style of improvisation, with or without instrumental beats (Mystrodamus), in which lyrics are recited with no particular subject or structure and with no prior memorization.Kevin Fitzgerald (director), '' Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme' ...

in front of others, including West. During the freestyle session, Clemons gave West a demo he worked on, off of which they built the skeleton of "Selah", originally called "Chakras". Alongside helping create the song and providing backing vocals for it, Clemons contributed vocals to fellow ''Jesus Is King'' tracks "

Everything We Need "Everything We Need" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his ninth studio album, ''Jesus Is King'' (2019). The song features guest appearances from American singers Ty Dolla Sign and Ant Clemons, and additional vocals by the Sunday Ser ...

" and "

Water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...

". In 2019, West and vocal arranger Nikki Grier of

group the

re-wrote the lyrics of songs by him. While doing this, West took on the stance of wanting to create music related to

God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...

, setting out to make

Christian music Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely around ...

. Though some members of the Sunday Service Choir had been initially dismissive of ideas by West, the group ultimately warmed up to his ideas. Throughout 2019, the Sunday Service Choir's concerts were popular with numerous celebrities, including American actor

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...

. The group ultimately worked on ''Jesus Is King'', being heavily involved with it vocally. The first feature on the album is from the Sunday Service Choir on the track "Every Hour", while the group provided additional vocals for "Selah" as well as "Everything We Need" and "Water". Alongside the Sunday Service Choir and Clemons, the former of the three includes vocals from record producer Bongo ByTheWay. West had originally planned to release "Selah" on ''Yandhi'' in November 2018 and recorded a demo for it, though the album was ultimately shelved. In August 2019, West's wife

Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (formerly West; born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, media personality, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the sex ...

posted an image of a track list for ''Jesus Is King'' that showed the song slated for release on it. In the image, the

was open to Psalm 57:6, a passage that uses the word "Selah". By September 29, 2019, West had re-recorded certain lyrics for the song. It later leaked online on October 13 of that year after being played at 2019 listening sessions for the album in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, Chicago and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, with the leak being different from the version of the song played at the listening sessions. In response to the song and other tracks by

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 ...

rappers leaking in October 2019, the record label's president

Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper, songwriter and record executive. He rose to prominence as one-half of the hip hop duo Clipse, which was mainly active from 1994 to 20 ...

branded the leaks "cute" but he stated that "if I find out who is leaking it, I will make a decent example out of you...and no one can stop it, no Kanye, nobody!"

Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

shared a trailer for ''Jesus Is King'' that same month, featuring a preview of the song. Jeffrey LaValley, musical director of the New Jerusalem Choir, received writing credit on "Selah" due to having created and wrote the melody of the group's recording "Revelations 19:1" (1984), which the song samples a rendition of. With the original version having been released back in 1984, West only needed a

mechanical license In copyright law, a mechanical license is a license from the holder of a copyright of a composition or musical work, to another party to create a "cover song", reproduce, or sample a portion of the original composition. It applies to copyrighted ...

for usage because it could be classified as

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...

. He also wrote the song, along with

Cyhi the Prynce Cydel Charles Young (born September 15, 1984), known professionally as CyHi the Prynce, is an American rapper and singer. In 2009, Young signed his first major-label contract with Konvict Muzik, with the backing of Def Jam Recordings. In 2010, h ...

Consequence Consequence may refer to: * Logical consequence, also known as a ''consequence relation'', or ''entailment'' * In operant conditioning, a result of some behavior * Consequentialism, a theory in philosophy in which the morality of an act is determi ...

, Federico Vindver,

No Malice Gene Elliott Thornton Jr. (born August 18, 1972), better known by his stage name No Malice (formerly known as Malicious and later Malice), is an American rapper from Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is best known for being one half of hip hop duo C ...

, BoogzDaBeast, Rennard East, Pusha T,

E*vax Evan Peter Mast, also known by his stage name E*vax or E.VAX, is an American electronic music artist and one-half of the New York-based electronic rock band Ratatat, alongside Mike Stroud. Career Mast met his Ratatat bandmate Mike Stroud when t ...

Sean Leon Matthew Sean Leon (born January 30, 1991) is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer from Toronto, Ontario. He is the founder of the IXXI Initiative, formed in 2012 in Toronto. The collective helped foster the career of Daniel Caesar in ta ...

, John Boyd, and Adam Wright. The title "Selah" is a

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

term Term may refer to: * Terminology, or term, a noun or compound word used in a specific context, in particular: **Technical term, part of the specialized vocabulary of a particular field, specifically: ***Scientific terminology, terms used by scient ...

that appears throughout the

Book of Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived f ...

, which West defined as a term meaning "to look back and reflect upon".

Composition and lyrics

Musically, "Selah" is a hip hop and gospel track. Instrumentation for the song consists primarily of

, which have been noted for conveying attitude. The

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 ...

of it was compared to that of the track "Gerudo Valley", from the soundtrack of video game '' The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' (1998). The song features samples of a gospel rendition of the New Jerusalem Choir's "Revelations 19:1", as performed by the Sunday Service Choir. Prior to the song's

, organ chords are featured alongside West rapping. The chorus includes repeated "

hallelujah ''Hallelujah'' ( ; he, ''haləlū-Yāh'', meaning "praise Yah") is an interjection used as an expression of gratitude to God. The term is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible (in the book of Psalms), twice in deuterocanonical books, and four tim ...

" chants from the Sunday Service Choir, which are sampled from the rendition. Percussion and sound effects of metal scraping accompany the chorus, while the

octave In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...

of the vocals rises. The group being sampled adds gospel vocals to the chorus and as it continues, the instrumentation is silenced.

A capella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

singing from the Sunday Service Choir follows, while the chorus ends with the line "He is wonderful" from the group. After the chorus, West raps in time with the drums coming in. The lyrics of the song are used by West to assert his faith in Christianity, with it including verses of the Bible being referenced by him. The song opens with West using his faith to boast, "God is king, we the soldiers," which alludes to West's past and how he has evolved over time. Comparing himself to

Noah Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...

before Before is the opposite of after, and may refer to: * ''Before'' (Gold Panda EP), 2009 * ''Before'' (James Blake EP), 2020 * "Before" (song), a 1996 song by the Pet Shop Boys * "Before", a song by the Empire of the Sun from ''Two Vines'' * "Befo ...

the story of the

Genesis flood The Genesis flood narrative (chapters 6–9 of the Book of Genesis) is the Hebrew version of the universal flood myth. It tells of God's decision to return the universe to its pre- creation state of watery chaos and remake it through the microc ...

took place, West mentions that he is being judged. West delivers Christian rapping, including him using the lyrics: "Everybody wanted ''Yandhi''/Then

did the laundry." The lyrics indicate that West scrapped ''Yandhi'' due to his religious beliefs after going through a

new birth Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sepa ...

experience, since he vowed to no longer create

secular music Non-religious secular music and sacred music were the two main genres of Western music during the Middle Ages and Renaissance era. The oldest written examples of secular music are songs with Latin lyrics.Grout, 1996, p. 60 However, many secular s ...

, providing fans with meaning of the album being shelved. West uses certain lyrics to reference John 8:33 and John 8:36. For the conclusion of the song, crys of "Woo" are heard.

Release and promotion

"Selah" was released on October 25, 2019, as the second track on West's ninth studio album ''Jesus Is King''. On September 28, 2019, West played the song twice during a listening party for the album at the

Auditorium Theatre The Auditorium Theatre is a music and performance venue located inside the Auditorium Building at 50 Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, Illinois. Inspired by the Richardsonian Romanesque Style of architect Henry Hobson Richardson, the building was d ...

in Chicago. Of the song's presence at the listening session, attendee

Donald Lawrence Donald Lawrence (born May 4, 1961, Gastonia, North Carolina) is an American gospel music songwriter, record producer and artist. He is best known for his Grammy Award-nominated songs "The Blessing of Abraham" and "Encourage Yourself". He studied ...

recalled that watching "a crowd that was probably 25% African American, 75% caucasian — hip-hop kids from the suburbs — go bananas when the choir came in as amazing. The following day, West previewed the song as part of the album's listening party at New York's

United Palace The United Palace (originally Loew's 175th Street Theatre) is a theater at 4140 Broadway in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The theater, occupying a full city block bounded by Broadway, Wadsworth Avenue, and W ...

. West and the Sunday Service Choir performed the song live at Bethany Church in

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-sma ...

on November 3, 2019. For West's Sunday Service Experience at

Joel Osteen Joel Scott Osteen (born March 5, 1963) is an American lay preacher, televangelist, businessman and author based in Houston, Texas. Known for his weekly televised services and several best-selling books, Osteen is one of the more prominent fi ...

Lakewood Church Lakewood Church is a non-denominational evangelical Christian megachurch located in Houston, Texas. It is one of the largest congregations in the United States, averaging about 45,000 attendees per week. The 16,800-seat Lakewood Church building, ...

on November 17 of that year, the song was performed by him and the group. During the performance, the line "He saved a wretch like me" was sung off-key by West. West performed the song live during a Sunday Service concert at

Pigeon Forge Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 6,343. Situated just 5 miles (8 km) north of Great Smoky Mountains National Par ...

's LeConte Center on January 19, 2020. On January 27, West held a midnight Sunday Service concert in tribute to American basketball player

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...

after the

2020 Calabasas helicopter crash On January 26, 2020, a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed in the city of Calabasas, California, around northwest of Downtown Los Angeles, while en route from John Wayne Airport to Camarillo Airport. All nine people on board were killed: retire ...

killed 9 people including Bryant and his daughter. West performed the song live during the concert, with his sister-in-law

Kourtney Kardashian Kourtney Mary Kardashian (born April 18, 1979) is an American media personality and socialite. In 2007, she and her family began starring in the reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians''. Its success led to the creation of ...

sharing videos of him performing it to her

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Reception

"Selah" was met with lukewarm reviews from

, with general praise for the composition. Rawiya Kameir of ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' noted "the battle drums that propel" the song for echoing "the stark, confrontational attitude of" West's sixth studio album ''

Yeezus ''Yeezus'' is the sixth studio album by American rapper and producer Kanye West. It was released on June 18, 2013, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West gathered a number of artists and close collaborators for the production, ...

'' (2013). ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

''s Brian Josephs praised the song for the Sunday Service Choir going "to awe in the climax". Jordan Bassett from ''

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 ...

'' commented that the song features "dour organ" and "intermittent percussion". Sam C. Mac of ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'' viewed the Sunday Service Choir as "on hand" for elevating the song, specifically with a "hallelujah" chant "that's augmented by dynamic leaps in octave and by Ye's colossal bursts of percussive, scraping-metal sound effects". Will Rosebury from '' Clash'' admitted that hearing West rap the lyrics, "Keeping perfect composure/When I scream at the chauffeur/I ain't mean I'm just focused" would mean the fans "fearing an ultra-positive Kanye will breathe a sigh of relief," while Rosebury questioned "who the fuck wants a reined-in Kanye West?" In a review for ''

American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...

'', Luke Levenson stated the song is where "West punctuates his bars with bible verses several times," which he called "punchy moments" that are "weighed down by the effeteness" of certain lyrics. Levenson elaborated, describing West as delivering the lyrics "with an exerted vocal effect, tensing up his throat as the track drives beneath his voice" and concluded by writing that this "amounts to heavy stuff," though is "less gripping" than West's previous works related to God. ''

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 ...

'' critic

Jon Caramanica Jon Caramanica (born 1975) is an American journalist and pop music critic who writes for ''The New York Times''. He is also known for writing about hip hop music. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, Caramanica received his ba ...

opined that the song "swells until West cites Bible verses over door-slam percussion, suggesting an explosion of religious awakening", while noting his rapping sometimes being "tart". In a mixed review, Brendan Klinkenberg of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' complemented the song's composition for "lightly affected organs opening to bludgeoning percussion and a crescendoing choir" but criticized West's rapping due to being what "capsizes the vessel" and slammed his lyricism. For ''

The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'', Spencer Kornhaber said that the album's excitement "comes to a thud" when West begins rapping on the song, criticizing his lyricism despite directing praise towards the song's drums and the addition of the Sunday Service Choir for the chorus. Wren Graves was more negative at ''

'', noting the drums "temporarily impress" and analyzing that the song "creates an expectant atmosphere with moody organs" alongside the Sunday Service Choir "whispering 'Hallelujah'" as West "quotes the

Book of John The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...

on bondage and slavery," but complained that even though you think it "is going somewhere" due to the Sunday Service Choir getting louder and the tension rising, "poof, nothing happens". Graves expressed further criticism, describing the later part of the song as where West "returns with a meandering verse about greed, betrayal, forgiveness, and truth, saying nothing as he tries to cover everything," concluding that there is "no central idea, no point". Ross Horton from ''

The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...

'' listed the song among the parts of ''Jesus Is King'' "not worth saving," branding it as "a bunch of Bible verses interspersed with barbed, growled snatches of vocal". In ''

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 ...

'', Dean Van Nguyen called the song's lyrical content "as thin as

Bible paper Bible paper, also known as scritta paper, is a thin grade of paper used for printing books which have many pages, such as a dictionary. Technically, Bible paper is a type of woodfree uncoated paper. This paper grade often contains cotton or line ...

". "Selah" received a nomination for Top Gospel Song at the 2020 ''Billboard'' Music Awards, though ultimately lost the award to fellow album track "

Follow God "Follow God" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his ninth studio album, ''Jesus Is King'' (2019). The song was produced by West, BoogzDaBeast and Xcelence. The producers wrote it alongside Aaron Butts, though the song's sampling of wor ...

". At the 2021

Rhythm & Soul Awards, the former was awarded as one of the Winning Gospel Songs.

Commercial performance

Following the release of ''Jesus Is King'', "Selah" debuted on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 19. The track remained on the Hot 100 for two weeks. It entered at number three on the US

Christian Songs Hot Christian Songs is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It ranks the popularity of Christian songs using the same methodology developed for the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the magazine's flagship songs ...

chart, alongside charting identically on the

chart. On the US

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, the track reached number 10. "Selah" was certified

by the

(RIAA) for amassing 500,000 certified units in the United States on July 9, 2021. The track entered the

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...

at number 19, charting identically to its debut on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Similarly, "Selah" reached number 18 on the

ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

, standing as the album's second highest charting track in Australia. The track was less successful 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 ...

, debuting at number 24. It charted identically on the Latvian Singles Chart and

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 ...

, peaking at number 19 on both of the charts. Top 30 positions were attained by the track in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

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 ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

, and

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

. In Slovakia, the track experienced lesser performance, peaking at number 31 on the country's Singles Digitál Top 100 chart. It also reached the top 50 in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

and

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

Appearances in media

West screened his

concert film A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian. Early history The ...

'' at The Forum in the County of Los Angeles on October 23, 2019, revealing "Selah" as part of the soundtrack. Two days later, ''Jesus Is King'' was released simultaneously with the album of the same name, including a special mix of the song that is listed in the film's credits. American musician Louie Zong shared an edit of "Selah" that combined it with "Gerudo Valley" on the same day, which was met with generally positive responses from fans of West. On November 14, 2019, LaValley recalled his niece calling him from

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

and "saying congratulations," with LaValley questioning in response: "Congratulations? Congratulations for what?" LaValley's niece replied by telling that his "tune is on Kanye's album," with him responding with: "Girl, shut up," and laughing, while being amazed when seeing himself credit as a writer on the song. According to LaValley, the song's popularity brought more attention to the New Jerusalem Choir version, which he labeled "an honor". When questioned about West possibly performing the song in LaValley's hometown of

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start fir ...

, he stated: "I don't know. I'd love for him to. I'd love to see him come to Flint," though LaValley acknowledged that an appearance from West "would be controversial". Kim Kardashian shared a video of her and Kanye's daughter Chicago West singing the "hallelujah" part of "Selah" via

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

on January 28, 2020. Kardashian captioned the video "Chi's favorite songs 🙏🏼✨" and fans praised Chicago's singing skills, while Kanye later stated that it is their daughter's favorite song. On February 2, 2020, the

trailer for the tenth ''

'' franchise film '' F9'' (2021) was released and included the song. The song was later used in another trailer that premiered at the

in February 2021.

Sunday Service Choir version

A rendition of the track "Revelations 19:1" by the New Jerusalem Baptist Church Choir was recorded by the Sunday Service Choir, and the rendition is sampled within "Selah". The Sunday Service Choir version of "Revelations 19:1" was released on December 25, 2019, as the third track on the group's debut studio album ''

''. However, this was two months after the release of "Selah" on ''Jesus Is King'', meaning that the rendition had been sampled prior to release. In January 2019, former

West Angeles Church of God in Christ West Angeles Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal megachurch and a member of the Church of God in Christ denomination. Its main place of worship, the West Angeles Cathedral, is located in the West Adams Historic District of Los Angeles, Califo ...

music director Jason White received a call from Ray Romulus of

the Stereotypes The Stereotypes are a production team created in 2003, comprising Jonathan Yip, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves and Ray Charles McCullough II. In June 2010, they were listed among the "Top 10 Songwriters and Producers to Watch" in ''Billboard'' magazi ...

telling him that Kanye West wanted a choir, requesting 100 people for it and to put together a band. Despite being "a little scared" of getting involved with any of West's controversies, White said that he "could see something different about this guy" on the night of first meeting West in rehearsal and he has since served as the Sunday Service Choir's director. White solely arranged the rendition, while he also composed it alongside Nikki Grier, Stephen A. Hurd and Steve Epting. "Revelations 19:1" is a gospel track, which features the Sunday Service Choir singing for over five minutes. Its chorus sees the group deliver praise for Christ, including them singing "hallelujah" repeatedly. The rendition reached number 17 on the US ''

'' Gospel Songs chart for the issue date of January 11, 2020. It has been regularly performed live by the Sunday Service Choir on a weekly basis.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

. * Jason White arranger, composer * Nikki Grier composer * Stephen A. Hurd composer * Steve Epting composer A. Jeffrey LaValley--composer of Revelation 19:1

Credits and personnel

Credits for "Selah" adapted from

and the

BMI Repertoire Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 20.6 milli ...

. *

production, songwriter *

production, songwriter * BoogzDaBeast co-production, songwriter * Frederico Vindver co-production, songwriter *

Benny Blanco Benjamin Joseph Levin (born March 8, 1988), known professionally as Benny Blanco (stylized in all lowercase), is an American record producer. He is the recipient of the 2013 Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also ...

additional production *

Francis Starlite Francis and the Lights is an American pop project led by Francis Farewell Starlite. The term "and the Lights" refers both to the lights on a stage and pixels on a computer screen. Starlite often uses the Francis and the Lights name when credit ...

additional production *

songwriter *

songwriter * Jeffrey LaValley songwriter * Rennard East songwriter *

songwriter *

songwriter * John Boyd songwriter * Adam Wright songwriter * Anthony Clemons additional vocals *

additional vocals *

additional vocals * Mike Dean mastering engineer, mixer * Jess Jackson mixer * Andrew Drucker recording engineer * Jamie Peters recording engineer * Jesse Ray Emster recording engineer * Josh Bales recording engineer * Josh Berg recording engineer * Randy Urbanski recording engineer * Shane Fitzgibbon recording engineer * Steven Felix recording engineer * Zack Djurich recording engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Notes

References

External links

Fast and Furious 9 Trailer Song – Selah song
lyrics at camlyrics {{Sunday Service 2019 songs Christian hip hop songs Gospel songs Kanye West songs Song recordings produced by Benny Blanco Song recordings produced by Kanye West Songs written by Consequence (rapper) Songs written by Cyhi the Prynce Songs written by Pusha T