XTCY

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"XTCY"
Single by Kanye West
ReleasedAugust 30, 2018 (2018-08-30)[a]
Recorded2018
Genre
Length2:56
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Kanye West
  • Andrew Dawson
Kanye West singles chronology
"All Mine"
(2018) 		"XTCY"
(2018) 		"I Love It"
(2018)
Original cover
Original WeTransfer cover

"XTCY" is a song by American rapper Kanye West. It was originally posted on Twitter by DJ Clark Kent on August 11, 2018, as a free download from file sharing service WeTransfer. It was later released on streaming as a single on August 30, 2018. Written and produced by West and Andrew Dawson, it has additional writing credits for David Payton due to the sampling of the song "My Bleeding Wound" by the New Year.

West's first solo release since his eighth studio album, Ye, the song sees him fantasizing about sexual fantasies with his then sisters-in-law, which he thinks of on the spot as a result of abusing the drug ecstasy.

The song received generally negative reviews by critics, who criticized the track for its lyrics, often comparing its production, songwriting quality, and vocal delivery to that of an unfinished demo.

Background

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On May 15, 2018, West posted an image of an unfinished track listing for his then-upcoming album Ye. which featured the alternate title "Extacy" as the second track.[1] This version of the song was not included on Ye's tracklist when it released. "XTCY" was later reused on a June 1, 2018 track listing for Kids See Ghosts' self-titled album as an unnumbered track.[2] Kids See Ghosts was also released without the track.

Artwork

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The original artwork for "XTCY" is a photo from Kylie Jenner's 21st birthday party, taken at the Los Angeles nightclub Delilah.[3] The artwork features West's then wife, Kim Kardashian, as well as sisters-in-law Khloé Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian; the last four are the subject of the song. Kim Kardashian's dress was designed by West's fashion brand Yeezy.[3]

The cover art for the song's official single release was painted by London-based artist Shadi Al-Atallah. To her shock, West's creative team had taken an interest in her work, emailing her to request a commission; Al-Atallah initially believed this was a scam due to West's high profile and her lack of industry connections. She created the artwork in one day, to which it was subsequently used as the cover for "XTCY".[4] She would collaborate with West once more, designing the cover art for his next single, "I Love It".[5]

Composition

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"XTCY" is a minimalist,[6] experimental hip-hop song with overtly sexual themes.[7][3][8] West has rapped at length about his sex life in the past, such as on the songs "I'm In It" (2013)[9] and "All Mine" (2018).[10] The songs echoey guitar riffs, singing,[3] and moaning sounds[8] are sampled from the song "My Bleeding Wound" by the New Year.[11] West opens the track with the lines “You got sick thoughts? I got more of ‘em / You got a sister-in-law you would smash? I got four of ‘em”.[8] This sets up the rest of the tracks theming, as he uses pornographic lyrics to describe a variety of situations he could encounter with his sisters-in-laws.[6] Near the end of the track, West references his scatting from his 2018 single "Lift Yourself" as ad-libs.[11]

Promotion and release

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DJ Clark Kent
@DJClarkKent

Sitting in the studio with my man @kanyewest and he said.. "Clark, let that new "XTCY"joint go!!! So.. ENJOY: NEW KANYE WEST..

August 11, 2018[12]

DJ Clark Kent posted the song to Twitter on August 11, 2018, via download link from WeTransfer. It was West's first release since his five Wyoming Sessions albums: Daytona, Ye, Kids See Ghosts, Nasir, and K.T.S.E. It was later re-released on August 30, 2018, as a single on streaming services.[13][14]

Critical reception

[edit]

The song received generally negative reviews by critics. Katherine Cusumano of W Magazine wrote that "XTCY" felt more like a demo track than an actually completed work, though she noted that West is "no stranger to reworking his material in the public eye." She adds that West is as self-aware as ever, "referencing the recent responses to West’s pro-Trump remarks, (...) the critics who have proposed that the rapper might be mentally ill," but he fails to be self-aware regarding the songs actual content.[3] Matt Miller of Esquire called "XTCY" an "objectively unpleasant" song, suggesting that listeners would "want to make sure [their] stomach is prepared" before listening. He cited the lyrics "If she suck seed, that's a success / If a girl cum, that's a fuck fest / And we gon' score 100 on this drug test" as an example of "all this nasty shit he's describing (while on ecstasy)".[15] Writing for Vice, Shaad D'Souza expressed that the song had not changed much since its August 11 "leak", and was "still pretty bad."[13] Andre Gee of Uproxx said that while "Kanye the producer was still his god-given, self-developed genius," "XTCY" marked a significant downgrade in both his lyrics and the delivery of them, suggesting that West should take the "stick to the beats" advice he was given before his rap career.[16]

Commercial performance

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After its release as a single, "XTCY" managed to reached number 32 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart.[17]

Credits and personnel

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Credits adapted from Tidal.[18]

  • Kanye West – performance, production
  • Andrew Dawson – co-production, engineering
  • Mike Dean – engineering, mixing
  • Mike Malchicoff – engineering
  • Zack Djurich – engineering
  • Sean Solymar – assistant recording engineering
  • Jess Jackson – mixing

Charts

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Chart (2018) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[17] 32

Release history

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Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various August 30, 2018 Digital download
[18][19]

Notes

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  1. ^ "XTCY" was initially shared as a free song on August 11, 2018. It was released as an official single on August 30, 2018.

References

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  1. ^ Alex Young (15 May 2018). "Kanye West reveals tracklist for Kids See Ghosts collaborative album with Kid Cudi". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  2. ^ Salvatore Maicki (1 June 2018). "Kanye West shares tracklist for joint album with Kid Cudi, Kids See Ghosts". The Fader. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Kanye West Raps About "Smashing" His Kardashian Sisters-in-Law". W Magazine. 2018-08-11. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  4. ^ "Meet the Artist Who Painted the Kardashians for Kanye West's "XTCY"". 2018-08-18. Archived from the original on 2020-01-20.
  5. ^ Camberwell (2019-02-11). "Shadi Al-Atallah: BA Illustration Alumni, BBZ BLK BK Collective and Kanye West Collaboration". Camberwell. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  6. ^ a b Aswad, Jem (2018-08-11). "Kanye West Drops New Song 'XTCY'". Variety. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  7. ^ "Kanye West's "XTCY" Cover Art Features the Sisters-in-Law He "Would Smash"". W Magazine. 2018-08-30. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  8. ^ a b c "Kanye West - "XTCY"". Stereogum. 2018-08-11. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  9. ^ "Kanye West is too horny for his own good". The Outline. September 10, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  10. ^ "Album Review: Kanye West, ye". Soul In Stereo. 2018-06-01. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  11. ^ a b "Kanye West – "XTCY"". Spin. August 11, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  12. ^ DJ Clark Kent [@DJClarkKent] (August 11, 2018). "Sitting in the studio with my man @kanyewest and he said.. "Clark, let that new "XTCY"joint go!!! So.. ENJOY: NEW KANYE WEST." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ a b D’Souza, Shaad (2018-08-30). "Kanye West Has Officially Released "XTCY" And It's Still Pretty Bad". VICE. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  14. ^ Goddard, Kevin (2018-08-30). "Kanye West Officially Drops "XTCY" On Streaming Services". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
  15. ^ "Kanye West's New Song 'XTCY' Is Objectively Unpleasant". Esquire. 2018-08-30. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  16. ^ "Kanye West's 'XTCY' Comes From Producing, Not Rapping In 2018". UPROXX. 2018-08-14. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
  17. ^ a b "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. September 10, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  18. ^ a b "Kanye West – XTCY - Tidal". listen.tidal.com. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  19. ^ "XTCY - Single by Kanye West". iTunes Store.