Reborn (Kids See Ghosts song)

"Reborn" is a song by American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts, and the fifth track off their 2018 eponymous debut studio album. The song was acclaimed by critics, and charted in the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Slovakia, Portugal, Ireland, France, Czech Republic, Canada, and Australia. It was also the highest-charting song from the album in the United States, Ireland, and France, and was certified gold in the US.

"Reborn"
Song by Kids See Ghosts
from the album Kids See Ghosts
ReleasedJune 8, 2018 (2018-06-08)
Recorded2018
StudioKanye West's ranch, Jackson Hole
GenreHip hop
Length5:24
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help
Kids See Ghosts track listing
7 tracks
  1. "Feel the Love"
  2. "Fire"
  3. "4th Dimension"
  4. "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)"
  5. "Reborn"
  6. "Kids See Ghosts"
  7. "Cudi Montage"

Background and development

A joint album by American rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi, titled after their project Kids See Ghosts, was announced by the former on April 23, 2018 for release on June 8.[1] The two had frequently collaborated on tracks in the past, including "Welcome to Heartbreak" and "All of the Lights".[1] One week before the release of Kids See Ghosts' album, West released his eighth studio album Ye, with vocals included from Kid Cudi on the tracks "No Mistakes" and "Ghost Town".[2]

On October 5, 2016, Cudi posted a note on Facebook about checking into rehab "for depression and suicidal urges" and wrote near the end of the note "I'll be back, stronger, better. Reborn."[3] Kid Cudi references depression in the song, which he had been struggling with since the age of 13.[4] West touches on his issues with mental health in the song, which he had previously referenced on the albums The Life of Pablo and Ye, though more so on the latter.[4] At 5 minutes and 24 seconds long, the song stands as the longest on Kids See Ghosts.[5] "Reborn" and "Cudi Montage" are the only tracks on the album to not include production from West.[6]

Lyrics
Kid Cudi sings the chorus.

The song's lyrics deal with personal themes of both West and Kid Cudi, including the ones they have overcome and the message of rebirth is repeated throughout.[7] West discusses his bipolar disorder and the controversies surrounding that, while Cudi touches on his issues with depression and reaches his emotional summit.[7][8]

The song's chorus, sung by Kid Cudi, acknowledges both artists' pasts and offers insight to how they will both move on from their difficulties:[7][9]

I'm so, I'm so reborn
I'm moving' forward
Keep moving' forward
Keep moving' forward

Release and promotion

"Reborn" was released on June 8, 2018 as the fifth track on Kids See Ghosts.[6] On the day of the album's release, multiple tracks were mislabeled on streaming services, including "Reborn", which was mislabeled as the first track on the album, "Feel the Love".[5][10]

At the 2018 Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, the song was performed live by Kids See Ghosts for the first time.[11] During the performance, West forgot several lyrics from his verse.[11] West lead a choir in performing a rendition of the song at the first "Sunday Service" of his in January 2019.[12] Kid Cudi was an attendee of the performance and it was the second track to be performed, beginning at one minute and 35 seconds into the "Sunday Service".[12] Accompanied by an entourage of instrumentalists and back up singers, Canadian-Australian musician Nicole Millar covered the song on April 12, 2019 for triple j's weekly segment Like a Version.[13] An alternative build and drop were included in the cover.[13] Kids See Ghosts performed the song live at the 2019 Coachella Music Festival, though West was brought out by Kid Cudi as a surprise.[14]

Reception

Critical reception

The song has received widespread critical acclaim from music critics. Russell Dean Stone of Highsnobiety praised the track, calling it an "anthemic standout about healing and coming through dark times, the times where you’re entirely without hope that end with stepping into the light and taking a deep breath."[15] Jayson Greene of Pitchfork, in a review for Kids See Ghosts, described "Reborn" as "the most unhurried and atmospheric music of [the album]", as well as calling West's verse one of his best in years.[9] Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Eoin Donnelly considered it to be "clearly ordained as the emotional centrepiece of KSG," applauding the duo's display of vulnerability on the track.[16]

HipHopDX's Narsimha Chintaluri dubbed the track "the album's moving centerpiece," opining that Cudi's performance "makes you feel as warm and vulnerable and seen as the best of his early work" and additionally noting the "exactness" West's verses, which he described as "his most militant and focused turnout in ages."[17] Marty Sartini Garner of The A.V. Club described Cudi's voice on the song as "soft but assured," also writing that West is "more direct than he has been since The Life Of Pablo's "Real Friends.""[18] One less positive response came from Rolling Stone, with writer Christopher R. Weingarten deeming it overly repetitive, drawing comparisons to "that Post Malone YouTube that was just the chorus of "Rockstar" looped over and over again."[19]

Accolades

Complex listed "Reborn" as the 40th best song of 2018.[20] It was ranked by Joe as the second best song of the year.[21] The staff of Vice placed the song at number 20 on their list of the 100 best songs of 2018.[22] The listeners of Australian radio station Triple J voted the song as the 196th most popular of 2018.[23] Eric Renner Brown of Billboard ranked the song as the fourth best from the five albums produced by West in 2018.[lower-alpha 3][24] Cam Wolf of GQ pointed out the song as the best on the album and claimed that the chorus is what "really pulls the track together and makes it KIDS SEE GHOSTS' best".[7] "Reborn" has been described by Andreas Hale of Billboard as the "spiritual successor" to Kid Cudi's 2010 song "Pursuit of Happiness" and he called it the album's best song.[25] Hale writes "between the captivating Cudi hook, [West's] strong lyrical offering and the magnetic production, this feels like a moment where Cudi found the magic that made 'Pursuit of Happiness' such a massive hit."[25] Hale further wrote that the song "pulls the listener in" with its "undeniable vibe" and will "certainly connect with listeners" with every listen.[25]

Commercial performance

"Reborn" managed to chart in a total of ten countries worldwide. It charted at number 39 on the US Billboard Hot 100 upon the release of Kids See Ghosts, making it the only song from the album to reach the top 40 of the Hot 100.[26] The song also became the highest charting track from the album in Ireland by reaching number 48 on the Irish Singles Chart.[27] It charted at exactly the same position on the UK Singles Chart.[28] The song was the highest charting track from Kids See Ghosts in France, reaching number 165 in the country.[29]

"Reborn" was certified Gold in the US on January 4, 2019.[30] By doing so, it became the only song from the album to achieve an RIAA certification in the US.[31]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[6]

  • Kanye West – performer, lyricist, composer
  • Kid Cudi – performer, lyricist, producer, composer
  • Oladipo Omishore – lyricist, composer
  • Evan Mast – lyricist, composer, co-producer
  • Benny Blanco – producer
  • Dot da Genius – producer
  • Plain Pat – co-producer
  • Thomas Cullison – engineer
  • Mike Malchicoff – engineer
  • Andrew Dawson – engineer, mixer
  • William J. Sullivan – engineer
  • Noah Goldstein – engineer
  • Zack Djurich – engineer
  • Mike Dean – mixer
  • Jess Jackson – mixer
  • Sean Solymar – assistant mixer

Charts
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[32] 55
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[33] 30
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[34] 90
Estonia (Eesti Ekspress)[35] 35
France (SNEP)[36] 165
Greece International Digital Singles (IFPI)[37] 37
Ireland (IRMA)[38] 48
New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ)[39] 2
Portugal (AFP)[40] 56
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[41] 44
Swedish Heatseekers (Sverigetopplistan)[42] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[43] 99
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[44] 48
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[45] 27
US Billboard Hot 100[26] 39
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[46] 18

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[47] Gold 500,000

sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Notes
  1. Credited as co-producer
  2. Credited as additional producer
  3. Pusha T's Daytona, West's Ye, Kids See Ghosts, Nas' Nasir, and Teyana Taylor's K.T.S.E.

References
  1. Rolli, Bryan (April 23, 2018). "Kanye West Announces New Album And Kid Cudi Collaboration For June". The FADER. Retrieved April 6, 2019.
  2. Thompson, Desire (June 1, 2018). "Here's Every Sample & Featured Artist On Kanye West's 'Ye' Album". Vibe. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  3. Minsker, Evan (October 5, 2016). "Kid Cudi Checks Himself Into Rehab for Depression, "Suicidal Urges"". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  4. Carter, Ben (July 1, 2018). "KIDS SEE GHOSTS: Tracking Kanye and Cudi's Fight Against Mental Illness". Central Sauce. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  5. Klinkenberg, Brendan (June 8, 2018). "A Brief Guide to the 'Kids See Ghosts' Tracklist". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  6. "KIDS SEE GHOSTS / KIDS SEE GHOSTS". Tidal. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  7. Wolf, Cam (June 8, 2018). "The Best Song on Kanye and Kid Cudi's KIDS SEE GHOSTS Is..." GQ. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  8. Blair, Robert (January 1, 2019). "Reborn: Why 2019 Is Kid Cudi's Time To Shine". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  9. Greene, Jayson (June 11, 2018). "Kanye West / Kid Cudi: Kids See Ghosts Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  10. Cush, Andy (June 8, 2018). "The Kids See Ghosts Track Lists and Credits Are Full of Errors". Spin. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  11. Saponara, Michael (November 12, 2018). "Kanye West & Kid Cudi's Kids See Ghosts Makes Live Debut at 2018 Camp Flog Gnaw". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  12. Krol, Charlotte (January 7, 2019). "Kanye West leads Sunday Service with gospel versions of his songs". NME. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  13. English, Laura (April 12, 2019). "Kanye & Kid Cudi 'Reborn' By Nicole Millar For 'Like A Version'". Music Feeds. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  14. Nyren, Erin (April 21, 2019). "Kanye West Surprises at Kid Cudi Coachella Weekend Two Set". Variety. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  15. Stone, Russell Dean (June 11, 2018). "On Instant Classic 'KIDS SEE GHOSTS', Cudi Is Reborn & Kanye Is Redeemed". Highsnobiety. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  16. Donnelly, Eoin (June 11, 2018). "Kanye West follows the divisive ye with Kids See Ghosts, a glorious collaboration with Kid Cudi". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  17. Chintaluri, Narsimha (June 11, 2018). "Review: "Kids See Ghosts" Is Kid Cudi's Redemption & Much Better Than "ye"". HipHopDX. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  18. Garner, Marty Sartini (June 11, 2018). "Kid Cudi lifts Kanye up on Kids See Ghosts". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  19. Weingarten, Christopher R. (June 11, 2018). "Review: Kanye West and Kid Cudi Brood Bravely on 'Kids See Ghosts' LP". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  20. Diaz, Angel; Setaro, Shawn; Tharpe, Frazier; Fitzgerald, Kiana; Bernucca, Carolyne; Ortiz, Edwin; Black, Adrienne; Skelton, Eric; Khal; Rindner, Grant; Josephs, Brian; Scott, Damien (December 18, 2018). "The Best Songs of 2018". Complex. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  21. Hanratty, Dave (December 27, 2018). "The 20 Best Songs of 2018". Joe. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  22. Noisey Staff (December 6, 2018). "The 100 Best Songs of 2018". VICE. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  23. "101-200 | Hottest 100 2018". triple j. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. January 27, 2019. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  24. Brown, Eric Renner (June 25, 2018). "Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Summer Album 2018 Series: Every Song Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  25. Hale, Andreas (June 8, 2018). "5 Things We Learned After Our First Listen to Kanye West & Kid Cudi's 'Kids See Ghosts'". Billboard. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  26. Post, Chantilly (June 19, 2018). ""KIDS SEE GHOSTS" Marks Kanye West's Double Debut On The Hot 100". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  27. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Kids See Ghosts". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
  28. "Reborn | Full Official Chart History |". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  29. "Discographie Kanye West". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  30. "Gold & Platinum - Kids See Ghost –Reborn". RIAA. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  31. "Gold & Platinum – Kids See Ghost". RIAA. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  32. "Australian-charts.com – Kids See Ghosts – Reborn". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  33. "Canadian Music: Top 100 Songs – June 23, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  34. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201824 into search. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  35. Nestor, Siim (June 18, 2018). "EESTI TIPP-40 MUUSIKAS: Uudo sepistas end numero uunoks*". Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  36. "Lescharts.com – Kids See Ghosts – Reborn" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  37. "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 24/2018". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 2018-06-25. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  38. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Kids See Ghosts". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  39. "NZ Heatseeker Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 18, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  40. "Portuguesecharts.com – Kids See Ghosts – Reborn". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  41. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201824 into search. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  42. "Veckolista Heatseeker – Vecka 25, 21 juni 2018". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  43. "Swisscharts.com – Kids See Ghosts – Reborn". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  44. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  45. "Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  46. "Top Hip-Hop Songs / R&B Songs Chart – June 23, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  47. "American single certifications – Kids See Ghost – Reborn". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 12, 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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