Love Lockdown

"Love Lockdown"
Single by Kanye West
from the album 808s & Heartbreak
Released September 18, 2008
Format
Recorded 2008
Glenwood Studios
(Burbank, California);
Avex Recording Studio
(Honolulu, Hawaii)
Genre
Length 4:30
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • West
  • Bhasker
Kanye West singles chronology
"Stay Up! (Viagra)"
(2008)		 "Love Lockdown"
(2008)		 "Heartless"
(2008)

"Stay Up! (Viagra)"
(2008)		 "Love Lockdown"
(2008)		 "Heartless"
(2008)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help

"Love Lockdown" is a song by American hip-hop artist and record producer Kanye West. It was released as released September 18, 2008 as the lead single of his fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak. The track was written by West who co-produced it with Jeff Bhasker. Prior to its release as a single, West premiered "Love Lockdown" with a performance at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. As a pop song that retains influence of synthpop, "Love Lockdown" features auto-tune vocals sung by West. Its minimalist production is characterized by the Roland TR-808 drum machine, keyboards and tribal drums.

Despite being a drastic departure from his previous work, the song was well received by critics, and was frequently cited as a highlight of the album. Time magazine critic Josh Tyrangiel named "Love Lockdown" the best song of 2008.[1] The single was also successful commercially, as it managed to debut at #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and has since sold over three million copies in the United States.[2]

Background

Inspired by 1980s synthpop icons such as Phil Collins, Gary Numan, and Boy George, "Love Lockdown," much like 808s & Heartbreak as a whole, is composed as a melancholic pop song sung by West using the Auto-Tune vocal effect and produced with the Roland TR-808 drum machine.[3] West stated his intention was to juxtapose the mechanical sounds of the auto-tune and 808s with the more traditional sounds of taiko drums and choir monks.[4] West debuted "Love Lockdown" on September 7, 2008, as the closing performance of the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. On September 18, he released it as the lead single of 808s & Heartbreak. After announcing it as the album's first single, West posted free copies of the song on his blog for fans to download. A week later, he also posted six downloadable stems, each featuring isolated song portions of "Love Lockdown", on his blog, with the intention of enabling fans to freely remix the song for themselves.[5] These portions include an a cappella, distorted background vocals, 808, percussion, piano, and the outro synth-beat.[6]

Composition

"Love Lockdown" is an uptempo pop song that runs for a duration of four minutes and thirty seconds.[7] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by EMI Music Publishing, it is set in the time signature of common time, with a quick tempo of 120 beats per minute.[8] "Love Lockdown" is composed in the key of C# minor, and West's vocal range spans nearly two octaves, from a low of G3 to a high of G5.[8] 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's minimalist soundscape is primarily built on the rhythm of Roland TR-808 drum machine which emulates a human heartbeat.[9] For much of the song, West's auto-tuned voice is accompanied by somber keys and simplistic, repetitive 808 bass drops before building into more layered sounds during the chorus.[10][3] Going further against the typical sound of hip hop beat, along with the 808, the track instead makes use of thunderous tribal drums for its instrumentation.[11] The song contains introspective lyrics where West discusses the aftereffects of a failed romantic relationship.[12]

Chart performance

In the United States, Billboard confirmed that "Love Lockdown" sold 213,000 digital downloads in only four full days of release, therefore earning itself the title of a "Hot Shot Debut" at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and a "Hot Shot Debut" on the Pop 100 at number thirteen, where it eventually reached the eighth spot in early January. It is the highest debut of West's career, and was the second highest debut on the Hot 100 of 2008, tied with David Cook's "The Time of My Life." "Love Lockdown" is also only the tenth song of the decade to debut in the top three, and only the second by an artist unaffiliated with American Idol.[13] The single also made a "Hot Shot Debut" at number five on the Canadian Hot 100.[14]

In Europe, "Love Lockdown" peaked at number eight the UK Singles Chart and at number four on the Irish Singles Chart. It also debuted at thirty-eight in Italy and thirty-nine in Sweden. In Australia, the song debuted in its first week at thirty-seven on the ARIA Charts and peaked at number eighteen. In New Zealand, it has peaked at the eleventh spot on the RIANZ chart. On the German Singles Chart, "Love Lockdown" debuted at number eight, giving West his first top ten and highest charting single in Germany to date.

Music video

The music video for "Love Lockdown" was directed by Simon Henwood and premiered on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday, October 7, 2008.[15] On BET J, the video appeared at #32 on the Last Call 2008! Top 50 Countdown. It was filmed in West's apartment and features him in an all-white room, also dressed in white singing the verses of the song. West claims he drew inspiration from Christian Bale's portrayal of Patrick Bateman in Mary Harron's 2000 film adaptation of the novel American Psycho, a homage that is echoed in the presentation of the video's interiors, which mirror Bateman's New York City apartment in the film.[16] During the song's choruses, African tribe members appear, beating on djembe drums to the rhythm of song. More and more tribal members are shown with each chorus, and near the end, two very tall female figures covered with body paint decorated with abstract tattoo patterns reminiscent of the Nazca Lines appear. Interspersed throughout the video are visuals of what appears to be a spacecraft. The video ends with West laying in fetal position on the couch in the white room, in a homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The video was nominated for Video of the Year, Best Male Video, and Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. It did not win any of the nominations.

Track listing

Personnel

Information taken from 808s & Heartbreak liner notes.[7]

  • Songwriters: Kanye West, Jeff Bhasker, Jenny-Bea Englishman, Malik Yusef, LaNeah Menzies
  • Producers: Kanye West and Jeff Bhasker
  • Keyboards: Jeff Bhasker
  • Vocals and Drum Machine: Kanye West
  • Drums/Percussion: Gibi, Zé Bruno, Lula Almeida and Rodney Dassis

Covers and remixes

  • Jin created a remix to one of the early versions of "Love Lockdown".
  • Tonedeff released a remix titled "Warden", produced by Chew Fu.[17]
  • Kanye West posted a remix of "Love Lockdown" featuring R. Kelly on his official blog. (November 7, 2008)
  • Fall Out Boy lead vocalist Patrick Stump recorded a cover version of "Love Lockdown"
  • White Lies recorded a cover of "Love Lockdown" in a Live Lounge session for Jo Whiley's BBC Radio 1 show on January 14, 2009 and released it as a b-side to their single "Farewell to the Fairground."
  • Tiesto posted a remix of "Love Lockdown" on 23 January 2009
  • Trey Songz has a freestyle using "Love Lockdown"'s beat.
  • Solange Knowles has performed a snippet of the song at recent live performances.
  • DJ Trendsetter posted his remix on December 2008 on his official Myspace under his stage name "Trendsetter".[18]
  • LMFAO released a remix with new original verses. The remix resembles a techno-house remake.
  • Royce Da 5'9' has a remix called "Shot Down".
  • Apathy has a remix of his own called "Love Locked Ap"
  • Janina Gavankar recorded what she calls a "flip" of this song.[19]
  • My Dear Disco released a remix of "Love Lockdown" on their album The Remixes.[20]
  • Drama Beats, a.k.a.Christopher Pfaff, posted a remix on YouTube on September 29, 2008.
  • This song was sung by Pentatonix, a group on the television show "The Sing-Off."
  • Macy Gray covered it on her album Covered, which was released March 27, 2012
  • The X Factor contestants Harmony Hood sang the song for their audition.
  • Glass Animals recorded a cover of the song in 2014.[21]

Usage in media

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[56] Gold 35,000^
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[57] Gold 15,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[58] Gold 15,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[59] Gold 400,000double-dagger
United States (RIAA)[60] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

References

  1. ↑ Time, December 22, 2008, pages 47-8.
  2. ↑ "RIAA – Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Nielsen Business Media Inc. 2010-08-18. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
  3. 1 2 "MTV News RAW: Kanye West". MTV. Retrieved 2008-11-23.
  4. ↑ "Video: Kanye West Visits Conan O'Brien". Rap Up. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  5. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (2008-09-25). "Kanye West Lets Fans Remix "Love Lockdown" For Free". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  6. ↑ West, Kanye (2008-09-25). "LOVE LOCK DOWN STEMS!!!". Kanye West/Mascotte Holdings. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  7. 1 2 808s & Heartbreak (Media notes). Kanye West. Roc-A-Fella Records. 2008. 0-06025-1791919-8.
  8. 1 2 West, Kanye (2008). "Kanye West "Love Lockdown" Sheet Music". MusicNotes.com. EMI Music Publishing. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  9. ↑ Bailey, 2014. p. 40
  10. ↑ Bailey, 2014. p. 106
  11. ↑ Shaheem, Reid (2008-10-15). "Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak Album Preview: More Drums, More Singing, 'No Typical Hip-Hop Beats'". MTV. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  12. ↑ Bailey, 2014. p. 40
  13. ↑ Bonson, Fred (2008-09-25). "Chart Beat". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  14. ↑ [vnu_content_id=1003854860]
  15. ↑ DeGeneres, Ellen (2008-10-07). "Kanye West's World Premiere Video!". WAD Productions. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
  16. ↑ World Entertainment News Network (2008-10-08). "Kanye West Inspired By Christian Bale's 'American Psycho'". Starpulse.com. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
  17. ↑ (October 13, 2008). Tondeff Explains Kanye West Edit, 2009 For QN5
  18. ↑ (December 7, 2008) Trendsetter aka Mark Holiday official myspace
  19. ↑ YouTube - Janina Gavankar - Love Lockdown
  20. ↑ "(August 21, 2010)". mydeardisco.bandcamp.com.
  21. ↑ (July 15, 2014)
  22. ↑ DJGENERAL Interviews Stephen Stohn Pt 2 (DEGRASSI EPISODE TITLES 1025-1044) – Kary's Degrassi Blog
  23. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Kanye West – Love Lockdown". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Kanye West – Love Lockdown" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Kanye West – Love Lockdown" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Kanye West – Love Lockdown" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  28. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Kanye West – Love Lockdown". Tracklisten. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Kanye West – Chart history" European Hot 100 for Kanye West. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Kanye West" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  31. ↑ "Kanye West: Love Lockdown" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  32. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kanye West – Love Lockdown". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  33. ↑ Mahasz: Hungarian Singles Chart, retrieved 2010-03-13.
  34. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 46, 2008". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  35. ↑ "Kanye West – Love Lockdown Media Forest". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Kanye West – Love Lockdown". Top Digital Download. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  37. ↑ "Charts.nz – Kanye West – Love Lockdown". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  38. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Kanye West – Love Lockdown". VG-lista. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  39. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Kanye West – Love Lockdown". Singles Top 100. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  40. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Kanye West – Love Lockdown". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  41. ↑ "Kanye West: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  42. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  43. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  44. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  45. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  46. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  47. ↑ "Kanye West – Awards (Billboard Singles)". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  48. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  49. ↑ "Kanye West Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  50. ↑ "Canadian Hot 100 Year-End 2008". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  51. 1 2 "Charts Plus Year end 2009" (PDF). Charts Plus. Retrieved 2010-07-19.
  52. ↑ "2008 Year-End Billboard Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
  53. ↑ "Canadian Hot 100 Year-End 2009". Billboard.com. 2009. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
  54. ↑ "Éves összesített listák - MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 (súlyozott)". Mahasz. Mahasz.
  55. ↑ "Year End Charts - Year-end songs - The Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  56. ↑ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2009 Singles". ARIA. 31 December 2008. Archived from the original on 8 February 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  57. ↑ "Guld OG Platin I August" (in Danish). IFPI. Archived from the original on 23 February 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  58. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Kanye West – Love Lockdown". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  59. ↑ "British single certifications". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 March 2018. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. 
  60. ↑ "American single certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 8 March 2018. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 

Bibliography

  • Bailey, Julius (2014). The Cultural Impact of Kanye West. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-137-57425-1.
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