Welcome to Heartbreak
Encyclopedia
"Welcome to Heartbreak" is a song by American
hip hop
artist Kanye West
. The song was inspired by a conversation West had with MTV
Executive Vice President Dave Sirulnick
, who showed him some photos of his wife and children. It struck West that he really wanted to be married and have a family, but it hadn't worked out for him. The song serves as the introductory track within his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak
. It features then-newly signed GOOD Music
artist Kid Cudi
, and was co-produced by West with Jeff Bhasker
and Plain Pat. Despite not being released as a single at that time, the song managed to enter the pop charts. The song did feature on the KISS Playlist and the 1Xtra Playlist in the United Kingdom. The song was supposed to be officially released as the third single from 808s & Heartbreak in the U.K. on May 18, 2009, but was never released.
" and "Heartless
" as one of the highlights of 808s & Heartbreak
. In a review of the album, Brandon Perkins of URB analyzed the song's confessional lyrical content, saying, "On 'Welcome to Heartbreak,' Kanye pits his prized possessions against the simplicity of 'real life', marking the basic juxtapositions with a disconnected yearning: 'My friend showed me pictures of his kids/All I could show him was pictures of my cribs.' In the landscape of 808, Kanye's aspirations for fame have created a mutually exclusive dichotomy with family and love." Blender
describes the song's sonic texture as, "so icy and desolate it should come with a pair of snowshoes" while PopMatters
commented that "... it's the tone of the story that leaves the impression, not the stories themselves. He turns the vocal effects off to sound naked, vulnerable." Kid Cudi
also received praise for his vocal ability, with Wilson McBee of Slant Magazine
writing that his, "anxious cooing provides a perfect counter to West's attenuated sketches about fame and self-loathing."
, "Welcome to Heartbreak" charted on the Billboard Pop 100
. The song peaked at number eighty-seven based only on digital downloads. It was the third in a streak of album cuts that managed to enter the charts despite not being released as a single as of yet, preceded by the tenth track "See You in My Nightmares
" which was a "Hot Shot Debut," peaking at number twenty-one one in the U.S. and at number twenty-two in Canada
, and the fourth track "Amazing" which charted at eighty-nine on the Hot 100. On May 10, just a week prior to being released as a single, the song debuted in the thirty-fifth position on the UK R&B Chart
. The following week, it moved up two places to reach its peak on the chart at number thirty-three.
. The video, which features Kid Cudi
, was filmed in a subway and distinctively expresses multifaceted, colorful patchworks of compression artifact
s laced throughout its visuals, with certain scenes shot in slow motion
. The resulting choppy, pixelated imagery makes it appear as if the software that rendered the final video outputted a low-resolution, artifact-heavy product. Elderkin pitched the concept, which he refers to as, "datamoshing" to Kanye while the two were collaborating on the photo album for West's Glow In The Dark Tour
book.
"I knew that was the song this video had to be for. He liked what I showed him, and I nagged him a few times about doing it. ... I told him again, I really felt this would be a great visual for the song, and he pulled the trigger. I got busy on the phone trying to put it together, and somehow we did it the next day in New York
. I shot all the extra components the following week in L.A." Elderkin felt the visual technique was perfect for portraying the tone of the introductory track. "I wanted to use [the technique] in a more of strategic way, using calculated moshes, colors and textures to compliment the effect. Different parts of the songs represented different feelings, and I wanted to come with a visual representation of the flow and textures that are I feel are very important in this song." Following its completion, the music video was released ahead of schedule after they learned that the technique used within it had been employed in another video by the Brooklyn
-based electronic
group Chairlift
.
at SXSW on March 21, 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. The song was inspired by a conversation West had with MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Executive Vice President Dave Sirulnick
Dave Sirulnick
Dave Sirulnick is the executive vice president for Multiplatform Production, News and Music at MTV. Sirulnick's responsibilities include oversight of MTV's signature show, Total Request Live. Half of MTV's programming are within his job functions....
, who showed him some photos of his wife and children. It struck West that he really wanted to be married and have a family, but it hadn't worked out for him. The song serves as the introductory track within his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak
808s & Heartbreak
808s & Heartbreak is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released November 24, 2008 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place at Glenwood Studios in Burbank, California and Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii during...
. It features then-newly signed GOOD Music
GOOD Music
GOOD Music is a record label and management firm founded by music producer and artist Kanye West. "GOOD" is an acronym for "Getting Out Our Dreams".-History:...
artist Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
, and was co-produced by West with Jeff Bhasker
Jeff Bhasker (producer)
Jeff Bhasker is an American producer and writer, as well as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist.Bhasker was one of the producers of the rapper Kanye West's track "Runaway" which made its debut at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards...
and Plain Pat. Despite not being released as a single at that time, the song managed to enter the pop charts. The song did feature on the KISS Playlist and the 1Xtra Playlist in the United Kingdom. The song was supposed to be officially released as the third single from 808s & Heartbreak in the U.K. on May 18, 2009, but was never released.
Critical reception
"Welcome to Heartbreak" was met by positive reviews from music critics, many of whom cited it, along with "Love LockdownLove Lockdown
"Love Lockdown" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released September 18, 2008 as the lead single of his studio album 808s & Heartbreak. Written and produced by West and musician Jeff Bhasker, it was premiered by West at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards prior to its release as a single...
" and "Heartless
Heartless (Kanye West song)
"Heartless" is a song by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released on November 4, 2008 digitally as the second single for his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak. It debuted at the number four spot on the Billboard Hot 100 where it eventually peaked at number two and reached number-one on the...
" as one of the highlights of 808s & Heartbreak
808s & Heartbreak
808s & Heartbreak is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released November 24, 2008 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place at Glenwood Studios in Burbank, California and Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii during...
. In a review of the album, Brandon Perkins of URB analyzed the song's confessional lyrical content, saying, "On 'Welcome to Heartbreak,' Kanye pits his prized possessions against the simplicity of 'real life', marking the basic juxtapositions with a disconnected yearning: 'My friend showed me pictures of his kids/All I could show him was pictures of my cribs.' In the landscape of 808, Kanye's aspirations for fame have created a mutually exclusive dichotomy with family and love." Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
describes the song's sonic texture as, "so icy and desolate it should come with a pair of snowshoes" while PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
commented that "... it's the tone of the story that leaves the impression, not the stories themselves. He turns the vocal effects off to sound naked, vulnerable." Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
also received praise for his vocal ability, with Wilson McBee of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
writing that his, "anxious cooing provides a perfect counter to West's attenuated sketches about fame and self-loathing."
Chart performance
Backed by the momentum produced by the release of 808s & Heartbreak808s & Heartbreak
808s & Heartbreak is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released November 24, 2008 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place at Glenwood Studios in Burbank, California and Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii during...
, "Welcome to Heartbreak" charted on the Billboard Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
. The song peaked at number eighty-seven based only on digital downloads. It was the third in a streak of album cuts that managed to enter the charts despite not being released as a single as of yet, preceded by the tenth track "See You in My Nightmares
See You in My Nightmares
"See You in My Nightmares" is a song from Kanye West's fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak. Produced by West and his former mentor No I.D., the song features a duet between West and rap artist Lil Wayne. It was to be sent to mainstream radios on March 10, 2009, while to Rhythm/Crossover radio on...
" which was a "Hot Shot Debut," peaking at number twenty-one one in the U.S. and at number twenty-two in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and the fourth track "Amazing" which charted at eighty-nine on the Hot 100. On May 10, just a week prior to being released as a single, the song debuted in the thirty-fifth position on the UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
. The following week, it moved up two places to reach its peak on the chart at number thirty-three.
Music video
The music video for "Welcome to Heartbreak" was released on February 17, 2009 on West's blog, and was directed by Nabil ElderkinNabil Elderkin
Nabil Elderkin is an Australian professional photographer and music video and film director of mixed American and Iranian origin. Born in Chicago and raised in Australia, he is now based in Los Angeles, California.-Beginnings:...
. The video, which features Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
, was filmed in a subway and distinctively expresses multifaceted, colorful patchworks of compression artifact
Compression artifact
A compression artifact is a noticeable distortion of media caused by the application of lossy data compression....
s laced throughout its visuals, with certain scenes shot in slow motion
Slow motion
Slow motion is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger....
. The resulting choppy, pixelated imagery makes it appear as if the software that rendered the final video outputted a low-resolution, artifact-heavy product. Elderkin pitched the concept, which he refers to as, "datamoshing" to Kanye while the two were collaborating on the photo album for West's Glow In The Dark Tour
Glow in the Dark Tour
The Glow in the Dark Tour is a critically acclaimed world concert tour by Kanye West featuring Rihanna, Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D, and Nas. It began on April 16, 2008 in Seattle, Washington and travelled to Latin America, Asia, Europe, New Zealand and Australia through to early December.The tour...
book.
"I knew that was the song this video had to be for. He liked what I showed him, and I nagged him a few times about doing it. ... I told him again, I really felt this would be a great visual for the song, and he pulled the trigger. I got busy on the phone trying to put it together, and somehow we did it the next day in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. I shot all the extra components the following week in L.A." Elderkin felt the visual technique was perfect for portraying the tone of the introductory track. "I wanted to use [the technique] in a more of strategic way, using calculated moshes, colors and textures to compliment the effect. Different parts of the songs represented different feelings, and I wanted to come with a visual representation of the flow and textures that are I feel are very important in this song." Following its completion, the music video was released ahead of schedule after they learned that the technique used within it had been employed in another video by the Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
-based electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
group Chairlift
Chairlift (band)
Chairlift is an American electronic pop Duo.Based in Brooklyn, New York, Chairlift consists of members Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimberly .-History:...
.
Live performances
While showcasing artists signed onto his G.O.O.D. Music imprint, West performed the song live with Kid CudiKid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the...
at SXSW on March 21, 2009.
Chart positions
| Chart (2008) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
87 |
| UK R&B Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
33 |
Personnel
Information taken from 808s & Heartbreak liner notes.- Songwriters: Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Jeff Bhasker, Patrick Reynolds, Scott MescudiKid CudiScott Ramon Seguro Mescudi , better known by his stage name Kid Cudi , sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the... - Producers: Kanye West, Jeff Bhasker, Plain Pat
- Recorders: Andrew Dawson, Anthony Kilhoffer, Ryan West
- Keyboards: Jeff Bhasker
- Strings arrangements: Larry Gold
- Violins: Emma Kummrow, Igor Szwec, Luigi Mazzochi, Gregory Teperman, Olga Konopelsky, Charles Parker
- Viola: Davis Barnett, Alexandra Leem. Cello: James J. Cooper, III, Jennie Lorenzo
- Bass: Miles Davis
- Background vocals: Jeff Bhasker
- Mixer: Manny MarroquinManny MarroquinManny Marroquin, born 21 September 1971 in Guatemala, is a Grammy winning mixing engineer. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was nine due to the Guatemalan Civil War....
- Engineer: Jeff Chestek.
- Assistant engineers: Montez Roberts, Rick Friedrich, John Stahl