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"Love Lockdown" 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 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 ...
'' (2008). The song was produced by West, while co-produced by
Jeff Bhasker Jeff Bhasker (born March 4, 1974) is an American record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. He was awarded the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2016 and nominated in 2013. An accomplished producer, he ...
. The producers co-wrote it with
Esthero Esthero ( ; born Jenny-Bea Englishman on December 23, 1978 in Stratford, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who lives in Los Angeles, California. The name ''Esthero'' refers both to the singer and formerly to the two-person team of hersel ...
,
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 ...
, and Starshell. West initially shared the song via his blog on September 10, 2008, before re-recording it after negative reactions. The song was later released for digital download on September 18, 2008 by
Roc-A-Fella Roc-A-Fella Records was an American hip hop record label and music management company founded by record executives and entrepreneurs Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke in 1994. History 1994–2000: Formation ...
and Def Jam 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 ...
from the album. An electropop song, its instrumentation relies on piano and Roland TR-808 drumbeats. West sings through
Auto-Tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...
on the song, with the lyrics looking at a failed relationship's after effects. "Love Lockdown" received widely positive 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 ...
, many of whom complimented the production. Some directed praise towards the drums in the production, while numerous critics highlighted West's vocal performance on the song. It was named to year-end lists for 2008 by multiple publications, including ''
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 ...
'' and ''
Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with a rotating me ...
''. The song won the award of Best Rap/Hip Hop Dance Track at the 2009
International Dance Music Awards The International Dance Music Awards or IDMAs is an annual awards ceremony held in Miami Beach, Florida, United States as a major part of the Winter Music Conference. The awards have been held every year since the conference's creation in 1985 e ...
. On the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, it became West's highest debut by entering at number three on the chart. The song also reached the top 10 in Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. "Love Lockdown" has been certified quadruple platinum and gold in the United States and the UK by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and
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), respectively. 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 ...
premiered on October 7, 2008. The video replicates the role of
Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including ...
in the American film '' American Psycho'' (2000), with West making his appearance in his own apartment while all colour has been removed from the rooms. In 2008, ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' listed the visual as their Video of the Year. West first performed the song live 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 ...
, taking influence from the 2008 Summer Olympics' opening ceremony for the performance. He later performed it on multiple occasions, including at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Hollywood Bowl in 2011 and 2015, respectively. The song was used for ''
Grand Theft Auto ''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is primarily d ...
''s standalone video game compilation, '' Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City'' (2009). Cover versions of it were performed by
Glass Animals Glass Animals are an English indie pop band formed in Oxford in 2010. Founded and led by singer, songwriter, and producer Dave Bayley, the group also features his childhood friends Joe Seaward, Ed Irwin-Singer and Drew MacFarlane. Bayley wrote ...
and Lorde in 2014 and 2018, respectively. A remix 12" vinyl was released in November 2008 for "Love Lockdown", which included remixes done by
Chew Fu Chew Fu is a New York-based electronic record producer, remixer and DJ, born in the Netherlands. He is best known for his official refixes for pop artists including Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Timbaland, Mariah Carey, Far East Movement and Robyn and h ...
and Jake Trothn, among others.


Background and recording

Around the time of West's third studio album '' Graduation'' being released in September 2007, American record producer
Jeff Bhasker Jeff Bhasker (born March 4, 1974) is an American record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. He was awarded the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2016 and nominated in 2013. An accomplished producer, he ...
started to play keyboards for West's band due to them needing someone to fill in. Originally, Bhasker met West through the rapper's DJ
A-Trak Alain Macklovitch (born March 30, 1982), known by his stage name A-Trak, is a Canadian DJ, record producer, and record executive. He came to prominence in the late 2000s as an international club DJ and remix artist, known for incorporating highly ...
and was trying to increase name recognition for himself as a producer by working with West; Bhasker called him "awesome". He contributed writing to multiple songs on ''808s & Heartbreak'', including "Love Lockdown", which was co-written by West,
Esthero Esthero ( ; born Jenny-Bea Englishman on December 23, 1978 in Stratford, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who lives in Los Angeles, California. The name ''Esthero'' refers both to the singer and formerly to the two-person team of hersel ...
,
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 ...
, and Starshell. Bhasker recalled that all of the songwriters "deciphered what" was being said on the song's demo, shortly after it had been freestyled in full by West. According to Bhasker, the writers helped fill in the words when deciphering West's demo and he admitted collaborators are needed "that understand songwriting to make the song as good as it can be, even if its not like, 'Okay, let's try this melody or that melody.'" West produced the song, while co-production was handled by Bhasker. After she accidentally met West in the hallway of a recording studio, Starshell participated in a songwriting session. During the session, the track was written. Starshell later expressed feelings of gladness that she had worked with West, since gathering the experience early in her career helped her understand how the music business works. She explained, stating: "In this industry, it's about networking and relationships." Inspired by 1980s synthpop icons such as Phil Collins, Gary Numan and
Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singer ...
for the material on ''808s & Heartbreak'', West considered the tracks to be more minimal and functional due to him making usage of the Roland TR-808 drum machine. West stated his intention was to juxtapose the mechanical sounds of the
Auto-Tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...
and 808s with the more traditional sounds of taiko drums and
choir monk In the Catholic Church, a choir monk is a monk who is planned to be or already is ordained as a priest. In particular, they are distinguished from religious brothers and lay brother Lay brother is a largely extinct term referring to religious bro ...
s. "Love Lockdown" was premiered live by West 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 ...
on September 7. Two days later, West admitted via his blog that the song was his favorite to date at the time and had been written a week and a half before the premiere. In an interview with Kiss FM, West revealed that it was one of the first two tracks created by him once he went "into album mode" after the success of ''Graduation''. On September 10, 2008, West shared the song through his blog. The shared version was met with generally negative responses from fans of West, including an ''Underwriter'' blog critic that heavily appreciated his previous works. Replying to his fans, West confirmed via his blog that the song was being re-recorded: "Your prayers have been answered! There's a new version of 'Love Lockdown' coming." Simultaneously, West revealed that he "re-sung it" and the song was being
mastered Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via meth ...
while telling those that do not like auto-tune it is "too bad" because West loves the effect and has been using it since his 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); "Love Lockdown" was ultimately released as a single on September 18, 2008. The cover art for the single features PostScript's Type 4 font, which West described as "perfected" to please all the "design snobs, lol". On September 25, 2008, West posted six stems for the song to his blog, each featuring isolated song portions of "Love Lockdown", and the stems were used to enable fans to remix the song. The stems included an a cappella, distorted vocals, the piano, and the outro
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 ...
-beat. West went on to name "Love Lockdown" as an example of him creating a track "that people never heard before".


Composition and lyrics

Musically, "Love Lockdown" is an electropop song. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, 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. "Love Lockdown" is composed in the key of
C minor C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of three flats. Its relative major is E major and its parallel major is C major. The C natural minor scale is: : Cha ...
with a quick
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 120 beats per minute (BPM) and West'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 two octaves, going from a low of G2 to a high of G4. The song is written in a verse-chorus form that expresses quiet-loud dynamics, featuring verses delivered in a low, somber tone before shifting into loud, chanting choruses. The track is built around sharp piano and "harsh" Roland TR-808 drumbeats, the latter of which emulate a human heartbeat.Bailey, 2014. p. 40 The song commences with a heartbeat-like low tone bass, which was described as "melodic". Prior to the drums of the song, a synth pulse is featured. For going against the typical sound of a hip hop beat, along with the Roland TR-808, the track instead makes use of "thundering" tribal taiko drums in its chorus' instrumentation that accompany West's vocals. The chorus also contains
hand claps A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), ...
and heavy percussion, the latter of which was contributed by Gibi Zé Bruno, Lula Almeida, and Rodney Dassis.
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 ca ...
are included in the song, accompanied by a house piano riff. West does not rap at all on the song, with him singing for the entirety of it. Auto-tune is used on West's voice throughout, being accompanied by somber keys for much of the song. West sings through a voice synthesizer, while strangled squeals are also included in the song. The song contains introspective lyrics, in which West discusses the after effects of a failed romantic relationship. Before the chorus of the song, West demonstrates trying to make the decision between staying and going. In the chorus, West fully suggests to "keep your love locked down". The chorus' lyrics represent a man moving on from someone he loves, as this will protect his heart. Certain lyrics of the song are used by West to portray a struggle to properly show love; the lyrics were described by ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' as "simplistic, succinct and powerful".


Release

On September 18, 2008, "Love Lockdown" was released for digital download in various countries 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 ...
from ''808s & Heartbreak'' by West's
record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
s
Roc-A-Fella Roc-A-Fella Records was an American hip hop record label and music management company founded by record executives and entrepreneurs Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke in 1994. History 1994–2000: Formation ...
and Def Jam. The song was serviced to US rhythmic contemporary radio stations on September 30, 2008. West blogged that he considered the song making it to radio to be a triumph. On October 18, 2008, a
CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
was released for the song in various countries. A 12" vinyl was later released for the song across Europe on November 11, 2008. The vinyl features remixes by Aero Tronic,
Chew Fu Chew Fu is a New York-based electronic record producer, remixer and DJ, born in the Netherlands. He is best known for his official refixes for pop artists including Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Timbaland, Mariah Carey, Far East Movement and Robyn and h ...
, and Flufftronix on the
A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
, while the B-side includes the instrumental of the song, a remix by Jake Trothn, and the song's main mix. An Essential 5 EP for the song was released for digital download in Germany on November 18, 2008. Six days later, West's fourth studio album ''808s & Heartbreak'' was released, including "Love Lockdown" as the fifth track on the album.


Critical reception

"Love Lockdown" was met with widely positive 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 ...
, who generally praised the production and West's vocals. In his review of the song for
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, Fraser McAlpine glorified the "remarkable" production that "would still be great" if "literally" any contemporary music artist was put over it, and he highlighted the "frantic martial drumming". McAlpine approved West "attempting to sing" despite being a rapper by calling his attempt "automatically impressive" and explained West "left his comfort zone" by doing so, with him concluding that West is "probably not as much of a genius as he thinks he is" but is "trying, and this should be applauded" despite West sounding somewhat similar to Jamaican-American rapper Sean Kingston. Comparing "Love Lockdown" to the version of the song West originally shared, Gareth Grundy of ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...
'' commented that the "synthesized vocal and shuffling drums" had been "quickly beefed up", which added "drama to what was previously a dirge". Writing for ''PopMatters'', Dave Heaton analyzed the song as starting "with a heartbeat-like bass tone that manages to be melodic" despite not having a heavy presence and lauded West's vocals, noting that he "at one point goes into a brief robot scream". He continued, directing praise towards the song's piano melody and "high-powered drums", admitting that the latter "kick the song up a thousand notches". Chris Richards from ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' said that the rhythm of the track "feels particularly vivid", with him opining that West's "scorned" performance alongside "a stampede of percussion" is "as thrilling as it is melancholy". ''
The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, w ...
'' Dan Cairns stated West shows "an emotional candour of such a personal nature" on the track that listening to it "can seem almost voyeuristic".
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, Caramanica received his bachelor's degree ...
of ''
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 ...
'' wrote that the track's "thunderous drums cut through an electro haze", which he viewed as suggesting West's "old, oversize sound".
Jody Rosen Jody Rosen (born June 21, 1969 in New York City) is an American journalist and author. He is a contributing writer for ''The New York Times Magazine''. Career Journalism Rosen served as critic-at-large for '' T: The New York Times Style Magaz ...
from ''
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 ...
'' highlighted the track for being "powered by thundering tribal drums", while describing West's vocals as sliding "from digitized trills into strangled squeals". Scott Plagenhoef was less positive in ''
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 ...
'', citing "the clapping drums" of the track as being one of the album's sonic highlights and calling it a "very good" song that does "work surprisingly well on the
car radio Vehicle audio is equipment installed in a car or other vehicle to provide in-car entertainment and information for the vehicle occupants. Until the 1950s it consisted of a simple AM radio. Additions since then have included FM radio (1952), 8 ...
", though he pointed the track out as a "second-tier" single from West. Reviewing for Digital Spy, Nick Levine praised the Taiko drums of the track and observed "a house piano riff" as well as "military-style drums", though called the result "unsettling" and "a little bit paranoid". He elaborated, branding the song "much less radio-friendly" in comparison to West's singles " Stronger" (2007) and "
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. ...
" (2008); Levine concluded by labeling "Love Lockdown" an "interesting experiment" but wondered why West would "want to turn himself into a barely adequate singer?"


Accolades

"Love Lockdown" appeared on year-end lists for 2008 of multiple publications. The song was named the 41st best single of the year by
laut.de laut.de is a German online magazine dealing exclusively with entertainment music, especially pop music, rock music, alternative, metal, hip-hop, jazz and techno. It comprises record reviews, interviews, biographies of important artists, music ...
, while ''Pitchfork'' listed it as the 39th best track and Mike Powell of the publication called the song West's "most deceptively ambitious" piece of music. On ''
Blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with a rotating me ...
''s list of the top songs from 2008 to download, the track was ranked at number 21. ''PopMatters'' listed the track as the 10th best single of the year, with the magazine's Josh Timmermann admitting it "isn't quite a pop-cultural event" like other songs by rappers while calling the track "a weirder, moodier, more personal creation" and citing it as proof "that Kanye the AutoTune Soul Man is yet another force to reckon with, in addition to Kanye the Rapper and Kanye the Super-Producer". "Love Lockdown" was voted 9th on ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
''s
Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abs ...
poll for 2008 with 38 mentions; 37 of them were for the single version of it. The track's best achievement was being named by ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' as the best song of the year. For the 2014 issue of '' XXL'' that was in celebration of 40 years of hip hop, the magazine selected the track as one of the five best singles of 2008. The track is included in the 2015 edition of Robert Dimery's book ''1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die''. It was awarded Best Rap/Hip Hop Dance Track at the 2009
International Dance Music Awards The International Dance Music Awards or IDMAs is an annual awards ceremony held in Miami Beach, Florida, United States as a major part of the Winter Music Conference. The awards have been held every year since the conference's creation in 1985 e ...
, alongside receiving a nomination for Best R&B/Urban Dance Track at the ceremony. The track was nominated for the Viewer's Choice Award at the 2009 BET Awards, ultimately losing to fellow rapper T.I.'s single " Live Your Life". At the
2009 Teen Choice Awards The 2009 Teen Choice Awards ceremony was held on August 9, 2009, at the Gibson Amphitheatre, Universal City, California. The event was hosted by the Jonas Brothers, Nick, Kevin and Joe, who also performed. ''Twilight'' took home most awards with ...
, "Love Lockdown" received a nomination for Choice Music: R&B Track.


Music video


Background

On October 7, 2008, the
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 "Love Lockdown" premiered exclusively on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
''. West admitted to
Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom ''Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". Sh ...
that he based parts of the video on actor
Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, including ...
's portrayal of the murderer character Patrick Bateman from the 2000 film adaptation of the novel '' American Psycho'' (1991), saying he does "kind of embody" Bateman. Recalling the end of the film where Bateman "didn't really kill anyone", West expressed admiration for "the clean aesthetic and the way he was all about labels", concluding by stating that he "wanted to express all of that in the video". Following the premiere, DeGeneres deemed the visual "brilliant" and it was subsequently posted on her website.


Synopsis and reception

The music video is mostly set in West's real life apartment, with him being dressed in white while appearing in the apartment. For paying homage to Bale's role in ''American Psycho'', the rooms were treated to remove all colour. West unhappily moves around the apartment, not looking into the camera until two minutes into the video. During the song's choruses, African dancers and drummers appear, beating on djembe drums to the Roland TR-808 drumbeats of song. Simultaneously, African tribe members are present, who run wildly and head into battle. Two women eventually increase their vividness, becoming some of the dominant characters. West later sits against the wall as the camera starts shaking. ''Time'' named the music video as their Video of the Year for 2008. At the
2009 MTV Video Music Awards The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, honoring the best music videos from the previous year between June 2008 to June 2009, were presented on September 13, 2009, at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City, and televised by MTV. The ceremony was h ...
, the visual received nominations for the awards of Video of the Year,
Best Male Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video was one of four original general awards that have been handed out every year since the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, though, the award was briefly renamed Male Artist of the Year, and ...
and Best Hip-Hop Video.


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from ''The Inspiration Room''. Filming * Produced by HSI London * Edited at The Whitehouse Post,
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 ...
* Post-production by Prime Focus London Personnel *
Simon Henwood Simon Henwood (born, 31 March 1965 in Portsmouth, England) is a British artist, author, film director, and music video director. Henwood first gained attention as a children's writer and later on for his paintings inspired by adolescence, as wel ...
director * Hagai Shaham director *
Jonathan Sela Jonathan Sela (born April 29, 1978) is a French-born Israeli cinematographer. He has shot numerous commercials, music videos and feature films, including ''John Wick'', '' The Midnight Meat Train'', '' Transformers: The Last Knight'', and ''Dea ...
director of photography * Richard LaSelle production designer * Nicki Allix editor * Josephine Simon-Mogensen post-production * Dan Lorenzini post-production * James Maclachlan post-production * Chris Chitty post-production * Adam Crocker post-production * Richard Watson post-production * Duncan Russell post-production * Tom Russell post-production


Commercial performance

On the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the song opened at number three for the issue date of September 29, 2008, with first-week digital sales of 213,000. The song became West's highest debuting single on the chart, surpassing his previous record of entering at number five with " Swagga Like Us" one week prior. "Love Lockdown" also became West's sixth entry as a solo artist on the Hot 100 and his third highest charting single as a lead artist, behind "
Gold Digger Gold digger is a term for a person, typically a woman, who engages in a type of transactional relationship for money rather than love. If it turns into marriage, it is a type of marriage of convenience. Etymology and usage The term "gold ...
" (2005) and "Stronger. The song experienced the second highest debut of 2008 on the chart, tying with
David Cook David Cook may refer to: Entertainment * David Cook (game designer) (active since 1980s), American game designer for TSR * David Cook (singer) (born 1982), winner of the seventh season of ''American Idol'' * David Cook (writer) (1940–2015), Briti ...
's " The Time of My Life". On the Hot 100, "Love Lockdown" also became the 10th song of the 2000s decade to debut in the top three. However, the song was the second entry in the top three of the chart by any artist unaffiliated with ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
''. As of May 31, 2018, the song stands as West's ninth biggest hit of all time on the Hot 100. The song entered at number 13 on the US
Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles sa ...
for the issue dated October 4, 2008 and remained at the same position the following week. For the issue date of December 20, 2008, the song reached the top 10 at the closing position, rising from number 12 the previous week. It eventually peaked at number eight on the Pop 100 on the chart issue dated January 10, 2009. The song was the 24th most downloaded single of 2008 in the United States, with digital sales of 1,863,000. By July 2011, the song had surpassed digital sales of 3,000,000 in the US. This made it the fifth track to do so that includes West, while the song became his fourth track as a lead artist to surpass the sales amount in the country. On September 23, 2020, "Love Lockdown" was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for pushing 4,000,000 certified units in the US. On the Canadian Hot 100, "Love Lockdown" debuted and peaked at number five. The song debuted at number 30 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 ...
for the issue dated September 29, 2008, though departed the chart for a week before re-entering at number 29. It climbed the New Zealand Singles Chart during the succeeding four weeks, going on to peak at number 11 on the November 10, 2008 chart issue. On January 12, 2009, "Love Lockdown" was certified gold by Recorded Music NZ (RMNZ) in its 15th week on the chart for sales of over 7,500 units in the country. In Australia, the song opened at number 37 on the ARIA Singles Chart dated October 5, 2008. Later that same month, it reached number 39 on the chart and remained in the top 40 for 13 consecutive weeks prior to peaking at number 18 for the week of January 25, 2009. The song lasted for 23 weeks on the ARIA Singles Chart. By February 16, 2009, the song had been 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 exceeding 35,000 shipped copies in Australia. The song peaked at number four in Denmark and Ireland on the Danish Top 40 and Irish Singles Chart, respectively. On the
German Singles Chart The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindust ...
, "Love Lockdown" debuted at number eight, becoming West's first top 10 single in Germany as a lead artist. In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number 84 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 dated September 21, 2008. The following week, the song rose 68 places to number 16 on the chart. It later peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart for the issue date of October 26, 2008. The song remained at the same position for two consecutive weeks and lasted for a total of 26 weeks on the chart. On January 27, 2017, the song was certified gold 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) for selling 400,000 units in the UK. As of October 24, 2019, it ranks as West's 16th most successful track of all time on the UK Singles Chart. It further charted at number 10 and 11 in the Netherlands and Sweden on the
Dutch Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Du ...
and Sverigetopplistan charts, respectively. The song also reached the top 20 on Norway's Topp 20 Singles chart, the '' Billboard'' European Hot 100 Singles chart, Austria's
Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Tuesdays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as ...
, the Switzerland Singles Top 75, and the Official Finnish Singles Chart.


Live performances

West first performed "Love Lockdown" live at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, with the performance closing the show. The performance was noted for taking influence from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics and saw West singing a version of the song through auto-tune that featured a deep bassline, a simple piano riff used to emphasize his vocal melody, and a beat delivered for the chorus by a series of marching drummers. On October 14, 2008, West performed the song on '' Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' while wearing a Sonny Crockett outfit and sang
off-key Off-key is musical content that is not at the expected frequency or pitch period, either with respect to some absolute reference frequency, or in a ratiometric sense (i.e. through removal of exactly one degree of freedom, such as the frequency of ...
at points. West started his appearance at the
2008 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2008 MTV EMAs (also known as the MTV Europe Music Awards) were held at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England, on 6 November 2008. It was hosted by Katy Perry. This was the second time the awards have taken place in England. Nominations Winne ...
with a performance of the song. He performed it for the '' Late Show with David Letterman'' on November 24 of that year, being accompanied by drummers and lights. In 2015, ''
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 ...
'' ranked the performance as the 17th best hip hop performance on the show. On December 13, 2008, West performed the song live on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
(SNL)'' but went silent for the high notes, which were delivered by a piped-in female backup singer. A rearranged version of "Love Lockdown" was performed by West for his 2010 live album ''
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 ...
'' in February 2009, though the performance had not been included for broadcast and was solely made available online. West delivered a performance of the song 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 ...
, using
the Alan Parsons Project The Alan Parsons Project was a British rock band active between 1975 and 1990, whose core membership consisted of producer, audio engineer, musician and composer Alan Parsons and singer, songwriter and pianist Eric Woolfson. They were accompan ...
's instrumental "
Sirius Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbreviated Alpha CM ...
" (1982) as an intro for it. For West's two night concert of ''808s in Heartbreak'' in full at the 2015 Hollywood Bowl, he performed the song as the set's fifth number. This marked West's first time performing the song since October 26, 2013, and saw him wearing loose garments in white and off-white shades. The performance started with a monolithic white background wall that went on to be turned into a two-story-high stairwell by "
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
-like stagecraft", filled with numerous muscular African-American men who were stripped up to their waists. The men wore white jeans and had chalky white makeup on; they moved from the stage to the crowd for taking strategic positions in the aisles there during the final chorus, after fireworks went off above.


Appearances in media

For episode eight of
competitive dance Competitive dance is a popular, widespread sport in which competitors perform dances in any of several permitted dance styles—such as acro, ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, modern, musical theatre, tap, and improv—before a ...
reality TV series '' America's Best Dance Crew''s sixth season, a dance challenge set to the music of West used "Love Lockdown", "
All of the Lights "All of the Lights" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, released as the fourth single from his fifth studio album, '' My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' (2010). It was produced by West and features additional vocals from several other reco ...
" (2010), " Touch the Sky" (2006) and "Gold Digger". I.aM.mE, ICONic Boyz and Phunk Phenomenon, who were the remaining three crews for the episode, performed dances to the singles for the challenge. The episode first aired on May 26, 2011. For the 2009 episodic expansion pack '' Lost and Damned'' of the action-adventure game ''
Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', and the e ...
'' (2008), the song was one of the new tracks to be added to the fictional hip hop radio station The Beat 102.7. It is the 14th track on the radio station, with the song being among the tracks presented by DJ
Funkmaster Flex Aston George Taylor Jr. (born August 5, 1968), professionally known as Funkmaster Flex, is an American DJ, rapper, record producer, and host on New York City's Hot 97 radio station. In 1992, he became host of the first hip hop radio show on Hot 9 ...
for his radio show. The song was featured in the video game compilation '' Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City'' later in 2009, which contains ''The Lost and Damned'' alongside fellow ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' episodic expanasion pack ''
The Ballad of Gay Tony ''Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony'' is the second of two episodic expansion packs available for the 2008 video game '' Grand Theft Auto IV'', developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. The game was released individu ...
'' (2009). A mashup of the song with Metallica's "
The Day That Never Comes "The Day That Never Comes" is a song by heavy metal band Metallica, and the lead single from their ninth studio album, ''Death Magnetic''. The song was released to the radio and for digital download on August 21, 2008. The working title of the ...
" (2008) was used for the soundtrack of
rhythm video game Rhythm game or rhythm action is a genre of music-themed action video game that challenges a player's sense of rhythm. Games in the genre typically focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments, and require players to pr ...
''
DJ Hero 2 ''DJ Hero 2'' is a rhythm video game and a sequel to ''DJ Hero'', a spinoff of the ''Guitar Hero'' series. ''DJ Hero 2'' uses a special turntable-controller, the same as introduced in ''DJ Hero'', to simulate turntablism, the act of creating a ...
'' (2010), with the track listing being revealed on September 22 of that year. The New York compilation album for annual promotional event the
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was an annual promotional event sponsored by and featuring Victoria's Secret, a brand of lingerie. From 1995 to 2018, Victoria's Secret used the show to market its goods in high-profile settings. Models unde ...
was released in 2018, featuring "Love Lockdown".


Other versions

A re-imagined version of the song, titled "Warden", was shared by American rapper
Tonedeff Pedro Antonio Rojas, Jr. (born December 14, 1976), better known by his stage name Tonedeff, is an American rapper, producer, singer-songwriter and record executive. Tonedeff first gained national recognition on the underground hip hop scene ...
on September 29, 2008. On June 24, 2015, American record producer
Y2K The year 2000 problem, also known as the Y2K problem, Y2K scare, millennium bug, Y2K bug, Y2K glitch, Y2K error, or simply Y2K refers to potential computer errors related to the formatting and storage of calendar data for dates in and after ...
released his remix of "Love Lockdown" through
SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming s ...
. The remix features an edited version of West's vocals, which are in a slightly lower pitch compared to the original. It is an upbeat remix, with the beat being prominent. The song was covered by English
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 White Lies for
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's
Live Lounge The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cotton ...
segment on January 22, 2009. On April 3, 2014,
psychedelic pop Psychedelic pop (or acid pop) is pop music that contains musical characteristics associated with psychedelic music. Developing in the late 1960s, elements included "trippy" features such as fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, backwards recording, ...
band
Glass Animals Glass Animals are an English indie pop band formed in Oxford in 2010. Founded and led by singer, songwriter, and producer Dave Bayley, the group also features his childhood friends Joe Seaward, Ed Irwin-Singer and Drew MacFarlane. Bayley wrote ...
performed a cover version of the song for Australian radio station
Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...
's Like A Version series. The cover maintained the same melody as the original, though featured the band's trademark sound. Glass Animals later performed the cover at other live sets throughout 2014 and also recorded a studio version, which premiered via the ''Billboard'' website on July 15. Explaining the cover version, the band's frontman Dave Bayley called the original "so well-written" and highlighted the "incredible" work West did for the song, though recalled that they "thought it could be cool to push it in a different direction". The cover includes Bayley's throat
vibrato Vibrato ( Italian, from past participle of " vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms ...
over moans and
handclap A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), ...
, both of which are looped, and was ultimately included on the EP for Glass Animals' single ''Pools'' (2014). During New Zealand singer Lorde's concert in West's hometown of
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on March 27, 2018 for her
Melodrama World Tour The Melodrama World Tour was the second concert tour by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, undertaken in support of her second studio album, ''Melodrama'' (2017). Lorde headlined several music festivals before commencing the tour, and went on ...
(2017–18), she performed an a cappella rendition of the song. The rendition featured Lorde performing a section of the song while she moved around the stage, with the performance lasting for 90 seconds. Lorde said to the crowd at the concert, "It must be nice to come from the same place as Kanye West."


Track listings

Digital download #"Love Lockdown" – 4:30 Digital download #"Love Lockdown" – 4:31 #" Flashing Lights" – 3:57 CD single #"Love Lockdown" – 4:30 #"Flashing Lights" (Album Version) – 3:57 #" Stronger" (
A-Trak Alain Macklovitch (born March 30, 1982), known by his stage name A-Trak, is a Canadian DJ, record producer, and record executive. He came to prominence in the late 2000s as an international club DJ and remix artist, known for incorporating highly ...
Remix) – 4:34 #"Love Lockdown" (Video) – 4:36 EU 12" vinyl Remixes ;A-side #"Love Lockdown" (Aero Tronic Mix) #"Love Lockdown" (
Chew Fu Chew Fu is a New York-based electronic record producer, remixer and DJ, born in the Netherlands. He is best known for his official refixes for pop artists including Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Timbaland, Mariah Carey, Far East Movement and Robyn and h ...
Small Room Mix) #"Love Lockdown" (Flufftronix Mix) ;B-side #"Love Lockdown" (Instrumental) #"Love Lockdown" (Jake Troth Mix) #"Love Lockdown" (Main Mix) Germany Essential 5 EP #"Love Lockdown" – 4:31 #"
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. ...
" (feat.
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 ...
) – 3:23 #"Stronger" – 5:12 #"
Gold Digger Gold digger is a term for a person, typically a woman, who engages in a type of transactional relationship for money rather than love. If it turns into marriage, it is a type of marriage of convenience. Etymology and usage The term "gold ...
" (feat.
Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...
) – 3:29 #" Good Life" (feat. T-Pain) – 3:27


Credits and personnel

Information taken from ''808s & Heartbreak'' liner notes. Recording * Recorded at Glenwood Studios ( Burbank, California) and Avex Recording Studio (
Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...
) Personnel *
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 ...
songwriter, producer *
Jeff Bhasker Jeff Bhasker (born March 4, 1974) is an American record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. He was awarded the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2016 and nominated in 2013. An accomplished producer, he ...
songwriter, co-producer, keyboards * Jenny-Bea Englishman songwriter * Malik Jones songwriter * LaNeah Menzies songwriter * Andrew Dawson recording, mixer * Gibi Zé Bruno drums/percussion * Lula Almeida drums/percussion * Rodney Dassis drums/percussion


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


Notes


References


Bibliography

* {{authority control 2008 singles 2008 songs Electropop songs Kanye West songs Roc-A-Fella Records singles Song recordings produced by Jeff Bhasker Song recordings produced by Kanye West Songs written by Esthero Songs written by Jeff Bhasker Songs written by Kanye West Songs written by Malik Yusef Songs about heartache