page_title: Power (Kanye West song)
section_title: Critical response
hierarchical_section_title: Power (Kanye West song) / Reception / Critical response
caption_attribution_description: English: Kanye West performing at Lollapalooza Chile on April 3, 2011 in Santiago, Chile.
context_page_description: "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. 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 5,000 hours writing "Power". In its lyrics, West comments about the United States, his mental health 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 was listed among 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.
context_section_description: "Power" received rave reviews from music critics upon release, many calling it West's best single in years. Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone gave a positive review to the song, describing it as West's best single since "Stronger", writing that West "rides a torrid whipsaw beat, as he takes on his spelunking media image, pinballing from self-aware ('I'm an asshole') to defiant ('Kiss my asshole'). The sentiment is classic Kanye, but he hasn't melted down this brilliantly in a long time." Jason Lipshutz from Billboard praised the song, saying, "with its stunning mix of rock-leaning production, memorable rhymes and unadulterated attitude, new single 'Power' is a pissed-off shot of adrenaline that plays upon all of the controversial rapper's strengths. Rhyming over a soulful vocal harmony and an abrasive sample of King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man," West dismisses his doubters, takes a shot at Saturday Night Live and shrugs off his recent hiatus from hip-hop." Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media dubbed the track 'Best New Music' in June 2010, and viewed it as an adequate response to West's self-imposed exile and public scrutiny.
  Talking about the album version of the song, David Amidon of PopMatters praised the new minor additions featured in the production, musing "from mere sonic details to a litany of background histrionics on guitar that play off of West's delivery throughout," and compared the production favorably to Late Registration. HipHopDX writer Jake Paine felt that one of the best moments of the album occurred early on, during "Power" and that track will likely be the most remembered song "in lyrical circles." Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club called the track a terrific single, declaring that it "soars to adrenaline-fueled heights on the strength of urgent, stomping percussion-driven, serpentine electric guitar, and a show-stopping sample of King Crimson’s "21st Century Schizoid Man", stating that the song best showcases West's vision on the album. BBC's Stephen Kelly called the song "brilliantly pompous."
  Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot called the song exhilarating in nature, with a furious, layered, percussion beat, praising the song's narrative about a man who "lost in translation with a whole... nation." MT Richards of Slant Magazine stated that "Power" sounded nothing like any hip-hop song of recent memory, going as far as saying that the single signified that West was in a "league of his own." Richards largely praised, the song, musing that the "misanthropic 'Power' will surely alienate those longing for another sunny hit like "Hey Mama". At last, West has emerged steely-eyed, bold, and out of his mind." AbsolutePunk's Drew Beringer stated that the track was a classic West song, with the track featuring a "brilliant sample of King Crimson" and infectious hand claps.
  The song was also well received by former King Crimson member Greg Lake, the original lead vocalist and bassist on "21st Century Schizoid Man." When asked for his own stance on sampling during an interview with O2 Academy, Lake gave a positive response. He stated, "What I was pleased with was, is the relevance of '21st Century Schizoid Man' today.' You know, it still sounds current. It still sounds relevant. That’s really gratifying after all of these years. I mean, that record is what — 40, 50 years old? I don’t know, but very old. Old like me! But it’s lovely to hear a really contemporary artist doing it." In an interview with Rolling Stone, Lake further commented, "In a way, that song still sounds modern to me. I think when you hear Kanye West do it, or include it in his own song, it's relevant. He's speaking about that crazy world that we live in. It's as true now as it was then. It's an honor when something like that happens." Due in part to West's usage, "21st Century Schizoid Man" has since become a favorite of Lake, who became known for opening each of his one-man shows by performing the song during his 2012 Songs of a Lifetime theatre tour. Lake went into detail regarding a typical performance of "21st Century Schizoid Man" at his concerts:
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caption: West's "Power" was widely acclaimed by music critics, with Rolling Stone calling it West's best single in years. Several publications named it amongst the best songs of 2010.
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