Gorgeous (Kanye West song)
"Gorgeous" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010).
"Gorgeous" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who generally praised the intricacy of the production, the quality of the guest features and the rock music-inspired aesthetic of the song.
Before its release, West premiered an a cappella version of the song in the form of a freestyle rap on Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 radio show.
[5] While a majority of the artists who worked on the album passed their time playing games of basketball, Cudi smoked marijuana and worked-out on a treadmill in preparation of the recording of his lines.
[9] According to the rapper, a lot of artists in the music industry refuse to be honest and give genuine advice because they don't want to help their competition, comparing the mentality to a group of crabs in a barrel.
[18][21][22] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times commented on West's lyrical presentation on the track and compared him to rapper Jay-Z, writing "on 'Gorgeous' he sneers at the competition, 'you blowing up?
'"[23] Sputnikmusic's Channing Freeman felt that the song was "broodingly slow" and that it was "driven by piano chords and a questing electric guitar.
"[17] Dan Vidal of URB commented on the intricacy of the lyrics: "On 'Gorgeous,' he treats his distorted vocals as if they were another instrument to be blended seamlessly into the mix alongside the muted electric guitar-riff.
He spits: Penitentiary chances, the devil dances / and eventually answers to the call of autumn / all them fallin’, for the love of ballin’ / get caught with 30 rocks, the cop look like Alec Baldwin.
Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal compared elements of the song to the rock band the Strokes, and stated that it contained some of the best lyrics ever written by West.
"[18] David Amidon of PopMatters praised the performance by West on the song but felt that neither guest appearance ultimately left much of an impression.
[17] Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield wrote "nobody else is making music this daring and weird" and described the song as "spooky space funk".
[30] The Washington Post's Chris Richards stated "West's moment of post-Beatles anxiety comes during 'Gorgeous,' a song that moans and groans with a dark urgency that permeates this album.
[34] Andrew Barber of Complex stated that the track had several quotable lines, and commented that West was a "frontrunner" for hip-hop's best producers and rappers combinations.
[22] Barber called Cudi's hook excellent, and mused that the "guitar riff on the beat will stay stuck in your head for days.
"[22] Beats Per Minute writer Arika Dean commented, "The song serves as a meditation on what it means to be a different color in a country that’s grown more diverse, but also more scared and more hateful.
[39][40] The song plays during the scene where Selita Ebanks' character inspects around the garden, interacting with the animals and plants, while Kanye watches her from inside.
