Let’s be completely honest with ourselves: Kanye West was never going to let 2014 end without releasing any new music.
While most of us were out and about on December 31, Mr. West was at home with his family, quietly content to drop a brand-new track with aspiring musician Sir Paul McCartney. Yeezus, meet Macca. Macca, meet Yeezus.
While there have been rumors about the two artists collaborating since West was spotted at the Beatle’s Dodger Stadium concert this summer, “Only One” is the first physical manifestation of the duo’s ongoing alliance, and rumored to be the first of a few collaborations from West’s upcoming LP.
The track is a stripped-down ballad with vocals by West, keys and harmonies by McCartney, and lyrics attributed to West, but written from the perspective of his late mother Donda, speaking through the rapper to her granddaughter North (pictured on the single’s album art). A mother sending a message to her son from the afterlife? Sounds familiar.
Listen to the track here and check out West’s handwritten lyrics below, while we wait for the next song (or full album) to emerge.
