"Wouldn't Leave" is a song by American rapper

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

from his eighth studio album, '' Ye'' (2018). The song includes vocals from

PartyNextDoor Jahron Anthony Brathwaite (born July 3, 1993), known professionally as PartyNextDoor (often stylized in all caps), is a Canadian singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer. He was the first artist to sign with Drake's record label OVO Sound ...

Ty Dolla Sign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Griffin gai ...

and

Jeremih Jeremy Phillip Felton (born July 17, 1987), known professionally as Jeremih ( ), is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer. He embarked on a musical career after meeting record producer Mick Schultz in 2008, and signed a recording contract wi ...

. It was produced by West and co-produced by Ty Dolla Sign, while additional production was handled by Mike Dean and Noah Goldstein. A minimalist track that includes

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

elements, the song contains a sample of "Baptizing Scene", performed by Reverend W.A. Donaldson. The former is a tribute to

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

, including West addressing her reaction to his "

slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

was a choice" statement. In May 2018, the song was revealed by West to be set for release on the album. Ultimately released as the fourth track on ''Ye'' in June 2018, "Wouldn't Leave" received generally mixed 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 ...

. The subject matter was mostly written negatively of by them, with the focus around it being commonly placed on West's performance. However, numerous critics complemented the production and a few praised the thought process behind the song. It reached number 24 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 2018 and charted in numerous other countries, including

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. The song was interpolated by

August Alsina August Anthony Alsina Jr.(April 8, 2013)R&B Singer August Alsina Talks Working With The Dream, Preps Def Jam Debut, ''Life + Times'' (confirms middle name; other sources confirm he is a "junior") (born September 3, 1992) is an American hip hop ...

on his track of the same title in October 2018.

Background and recording

"Wouldn't Leave" was produced by West, with co-production from American musician

and additional production from Mike Dean, and Noah Goldstein. As well as Ty Dolla Sign, the song includes vocals from singers

and

. Along with the song, the former of the three contributed vocals to ''Ye'' tracks " All Mine" and " Violent Crimes". On June 4, 2018, three days after the album's release, he teased a collaborative album with West. In a phone conversation with ''

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. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' on August 30 of that year, Ty Dolla Sign recalled "going off on the backgrounds, no

Auto-Tune Auto-Tune is audio processor software released on September 19, 1997, by the American company Antares Audio Technologies. It uses a proprietary device to measure and Pitch correction, correct pitch in music. It operates on different principles ...

" when the two worked together. On May 15, 2018, West shared a video of him in the studio that revealed a track list for ''Ye'' on a whiteboard, with West having recorded the album that year. The track list showed "Wouldn't Leave" set to be released on it as the third track.

Justin Vernon Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon (born April 30, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best-known as the primary songwriter and Lead vocalist, frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. He is also a member o ...

Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Vernon had originally formed Bon Iver as a solo project, but it eventually became a band consisting of Vernon (vocals, guit ...

later tweeted that the song originated as a collaboration between him and American musician Phil Cook, stating Cook would have performed "piano and

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...

synths A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...

," while he was supposed to be "on some op-1

samples." West had sampled Reverend W.A. Donaldson's "Baptizing Scene" in the past on his collaborative single " Niggas in Paris" (2011), with fellow rapper

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

. In a 2018 interview with

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, West made a controversial statement that "

was a choice." West was supposed to add more to his referencing of the statement within "Wouldn't Leave", though decided not to because it was "just too sensitive."

Composition and lyrics

"Musically", "Wouldn't Leave" is a gospel track that includes piano, and has been noted for having a minimalist sound. It features a sample of the recording "Baptizing Scene", as performed by Reverend W.A. Donaldson. "Wouldn't Leave" is a tribute to West's wife

, who he appreciates for consistently standing by his side. The opening of the song features PartyNextDoor singing about his feelings of insecurity towards a woman. West's first verse begins after the intro and he mentions his statement about slavery, while also rapping about an aggressive encounter with Sway from 2013. The former being referenced by West continues, as he addresses how Kardashian reacted to it, though does not explain the statement itself. Despite not issuing an apology to her, West admits he can be a lot to handle and West presents himself as offering Kardashian to leave him but shows her as declining the offer. The

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

of the song is performed by PartyNextDoor. Later within the song, West defends his behaviour, while citing his messaging style as being the problem. The public image that West presents is expressed by him as being different from the way he behaves in private, with West specifying that the two personas do not overlap. The final chorus features Ty Dolla Sign and a backing choir alongside PartyNextDoor. In the outro of the song, West thanks Kardashian for being loyal to their relationship and dedicates the outro to her as well as other women that possess similar loyalty. Ty Dolla Sign hums "keep that same energy" repeatedly during the outro.

Release and promotion

On June 1, 2018, "Wouldn't Leave" was released as the fourth track on West's eighth studio album ''Ye'', switching position from its originally slated release as the third track. At the 2018 CFDA Fashion Awards on June 4 of that year, Kardashian revealed that the song was the only one from the album that West didn't play for her properly until "the last minute." She confirmed that there was truth to West's claims of them having fought over his slavery statement, but admitted there are some things the couple do not "put on social media," though Kardashian said she's a fan of "Wouldn't Leave". Kardashian elaborated, saying that her and West, "have different views sometimes, but that's my husband, you know?" American rapper

released his single of the same title on October 2, 2018, which interpolates the song.

Critical reception

The song was met with generally mixed reviews from

, who often panned the subject matter but praised the production. '' Spin''s Jordan Sargent wrote that the song "feels like the moment when rays begins to peek through the storm clouds" on the album musically, though criticized it for being "a celebration of men abusing the love and compassion extended to them by their wives." Kyle Mullin from ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'' panned West's performance, calling his lyricism nauseating, though praised the song's "stubby, stick-in-your-eardrum beats and glistening vintage synths." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''s

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''. The staff of '' XXL'' highlighted the production for being "reminiscent of early Kanye" but panned the lyrical content due to the "lack of an explanation" of West's slavery comments from him. Writing for ''

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

'', Alex Suskind praised West's songwriting, while describing the subject matter of the song as dour. '' Variety'' critic Andrew Barker called the song "ostensibly introspective" but he slammed the subject matter due to West being self-obsessed and noted that while West's referencing of his slavery comments "offers zero insight into his actual political views, it might provide a window into his thinking." Some reviewers were less divided in their assessments of "Wouldn't Leave". In comparison to West's singles " Lift Yourself" and "

Ye vs. the People "Ye vs. the People" is a song by American rapper Kanye West. It stars a guest appearance from fellow rapper T.I., with him being credited as the People. The song was solely produced by West, who co-wrote it with T.I., and due to the work of the F ...

" from April 2018, the song was described by

Rob Sheffield Robert James Sheffield (born February 2, 1966) is an American music journalist and author. He is a long time contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'', writing about music, TV, and pop culture. Previously, he was a contributing editor at '' Blen ...

of ''Rolling Stone'' as West having "even drearier complaints on deck." Jonah Bromwich from ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' wrote in response to the song: "The music is an army of prayer hands, floating on a wave—please and thank you and praise you all at once—all for Kim." Bromwich explained the connection to Kardashian due to West rapping "she wouldn't leave" after having offered her "that exit." Kitty Empire of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' gave the song a negative review, branding it in connection to " Yikes" as being "another track with a superficially twinkly mien" on ''Ye''. In ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', Christopher Hooton stated that the song "chronicles the strain Kanye's recent behaviour put on his marriage" and viewed it as paying tribute to "every damn female that stuck with they dude hen he's been an inconsiderate, unthinking asshole"

Commercial performance

In the week of ''Ye'' being released, "Wouldn't Leave" debuted on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 24. The song also entered the US

Streaming Songs The Streaming Songs chart is released weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine and lists each week's top streamed radio songs, on-demand songs and videos on leading online music services in the United States. The chart represents one ...

chart at number 11, with 26.3 million streams, and reached number 14 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 that same week. The song descended 68 places to number 92 on the Hot 100 the following week, becoming the largest declining track from the album. On September 23, 2020, "Wouldn't Leave" was certified

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by the

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(RIAA) for selling 500,000 certified units in the United States. The song had its best chart performance in New Zealand, reaching number 21 on the NZ Singles Chart. Similarly, it charted at number 24 on the

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

. On the

Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are ...

, the song reached number 27. "Wouldn't Leave" debuted at number 33 and 35 on the ARIA Singles Chart and Slovakia Singles Digitál Top 100, respectively. The song also reached the top 100 in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

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, and the Czech Republic.

Credits and personnel

Recording * Recorded at West Lake Ranch,

Jackson Hole, Wyoming Jackson Hole (originally called Jackson's Hole by mountain men) is a valley between the Gros Ventre Range, Gros Ventre and Teton Range, Teton mountain ranges in the U.S. state of Wyoming, near the border with Idaho, in Teton County, Wyoming, T ...

Personnel *

production, songwriter *

co-production, songwriter, vocals * Mike Dean additional production, songwriter, engineering, mixing * Noah Goldstein additional production, songwriter recording engineering *

songwriter, vocals *

songwriter, vocals * Francis Starlite * Jordan Thorpe songwriter *

songwriter * Kenneth Pershon songwriter *

Malik Yusef Malik Yusef el-Shabazz Jones (born April 4, 1971) is an American spoken word artist, poet, rapper, record producer, and director based in Chicago, Illinois. Early life Jones' surname means "King Joseph" (''Malik'' and ''Yusuf'', respectivel ...

songwriter * Reverend W.A. Donaldson songwriter * Terrence Boykin songwriter * Mike Malchicoff engineering * Zack Djurich engineering * Sean Solymar assistant recording engineering * Jess Jackson mixing Credits adapted from Tidal.

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Jeremih 2018 songs Gospel songs Kanye West songs Song recordings produced by Kanye West Song recordings produced by Mike Dean (record producer) Songs written by Jeremih Songs written by Justin Vernon Songs written by Kanye West Songs written by Malik Yusef Songs written by Mike Dean (record producer) Songs written by Pardison Fontaine Songs written by PartyNextDoor Songs written by Ty Dolla Sign Songs about American slavery