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"Power" (sometimes stylized as "POWER") is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, released as the lead single from his fifth studio album, ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' (2010). The song features additional vocals by soul singer Dwele and is co-produced by West and Symbolyc One. It is built around samples of "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson, "Afromerica" by Continent Number 6, and "It's Your Thing" by Cold Grits. After having recorded it in Hawaii, West reported that he spent 5000 hours composing "Power".〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11887/title.kanye-west-speaks-about-competition-investing-5000-hours-into-one-song-more#comments )〕 In its lyrics, West comments about the United States and his critics. Its chorus features an abrasive vocal-riff. "Power" was West's comeback single following his 2008 album ''808s & Heartbreak'' and his controversial incident with Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. The song received acclaim from music critics and it was listed amongst the best tracks of 2010 by several publications, including ''Time'', Pitchfork Media, ''Spin'', and ''Rolling Stone''. Critics described it as a return to form for West, praising its intricate production, lyrical merit, and scope. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards. The song debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at position 22 and thereafter declined. The track was promoted by a music video, which was directed by Marco Brambilla. The video features a long take of the camera pulling away from West. The video received positive reviews from critics and received two nominations for MTV Video Music Awards. West performed the song on ''Saturday Night Live'', at the 2010 BET Awards, at the 2011 Coachella Music Festival, and his Watch the Throne Tour. When performing the song, West often wore clothes made from red leather. A remix of the track featuring rapper Jay-Z was released on August 20, 2010, as a part of West's weekly GOOD Fridays series. == Background == 2009 was a troubled year for Kanye West, who had faced various controversies, including the divisive nature of his previous album, ''808s & Heartbreak'' and his interruption of recording artist Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards during her acceptance speech.〔Callahan-Bever, Noah (2010-12). (Kanye West: Project Runaway ). ''Complex''. Retrieved on 2010-11-30.〕 West explained that the motivation of some of his questionable decisions stemmed from over-work.〔 The ensuing media controversy caused West to exile himself in Oahu, Hawaii and record his fifth studio album mostly in a reclusive nature, shying away from collaborating with artists he wasn't personally close to.〔Columnist (2010-09-03). (Kanye West Hiding Out in Milan! ). Posh24. Retrieved on 2010-11-30.〕 While composing the album, West assembled a large staff of established producers including Pete Rock, the RZA and Q-Tip, with West handling portions of the production himself.〔Rodriguez, Jayson (2010-05-25). (Kanye West's 'Power' Producer Explains How Song Happened ). MTV. Viacom Retrieved on 2010-11-30.〕〔 Despite having several well-known producers on his recording team, the majority of the production featured on "Power" was done by the lesser-known Symbolyc One.〔 The song was primarily produced by him and was initially intended to be given to rapper Rhymefest, until West listened to the song and expressed interest in using the beat himself.〔 According to Symbolyc One, West was an admirer of the composition, and asked him to fly down to Hawaii, where he discovered that West had already recorded some of his version of the song.〔 A month later, the producer was asked to return to Hawaii and discovered that the beat had been further modified by West, who added "polish" to the track.〔 Symbolyc One expressed surprise that West was so interested in using the beat, since the song features drums reminiscent of a song from West's ''Late Registration'' entitled "Crack Music".〔 In an outtake from the 2012 documentary ''Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap'' directed by rapper Ice-T, West mused that he had never actually written down his lyrics before, and that "Power" represented a turning point in his songwriting process:〔
West also declared influence from his previous singles "Stronger" and "Good Life" from his third album ''Graduation'' stating that the track was meant to be inspirational for the listener.〔 According to West, he wanted his music to be appealing in an economy facing a recession.〔(2012-10-16). "(Kanye West Didn’t Write Down His Rhymes Until My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy [Video] )". ''XXL'' Retrieved on 2010-11-30〕 On June 30, 2010, the single was released on iTunes for digital download. The cover art work for "Power" was produced by American visual artist George Condo, who also designed the artwork for ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy''.〔Brown, Lane (November 19, 2010). (See New Artwork for Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy ). ''New York''. Retrieved on 2010-11-23.〕〔 The artwork depicts a decapitated bleeding head wearing a crown, pierced with a sword through it.〔Haufman, Gil (2010-10-18). (Who Is Kanye West Cover Artist George Condo? ). MTV. Viacom Retrieved on 2010-11-30.〕 The single had two other alternate cover designs, both produced by Condo. A second one was released featuring a depiction of West with a gaping, demented mouth.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Power (Kanye West song)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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