In case you needed proof that Yeezus literally never sleeps, it's here: the dude has released new music just months after dropping The Life of Pablo on Feb. 14. And, since we don't know when he might next surprise us with a release like this, we should probably jump right into an analysis of Kanye West's first Cruel Winter single lyrics. The song, which has the working title "Round and Round," was released Jun. 2 on REAL 92.3, and, as far as I'm concerned, it's a shot across the bow of anyone who thought the performer might be resting on his laurels. While artists like Adele or Lorde or Frank Ocean make us wait years between dropping new tracks — I'm still shaking my fist at the sky, refusing to give up on for the follow-up to channel ORANGE — Kanye doesn't even delay long enough for us to start asking for new material. He just churns it out like an effing machine or something. It's insane. Whatever the opposite of dragging your heels is, that's what Kanye's doing. Maybe kicking them up? I don't know yet, I'm working on it.
But anyway, this new song. Part of me wonders if it was one that he'd been kicking around as a possible addition to TLOP, because it's already so fully-formed, but then again, Kanye was still pitching ideas for the title in the studio, so maybe it's more of a work in progress and he's just sharing it on the radio to get a read on how people feel about it. It's either called "Round and Round" or "Champions," or maybe some combination. Let's take a closer look.
Oh and did I mention? There are about 100 guest artists on this track, from 2 Chainz to Gucci Mane to Big Sean and beyond, so there are only really one Kanye verse for us to take a peek at.
Pray for meI'm about to hit the Ye buttonI don't wanna say nothin' wrongBut it'd be wrong if I ain't say nothin'
In case you were worried that Kanye doesn't know about his own reputation, he puts that to bed right away. He knows that he gets in trouble pretty much every time he goes on a rant, but he doesn't care. Call it "pulling a Kanye" if you want, but he's gotta do what he's gotta do.
I done lost and made moneyNow I'm makin' somethin' they can't take from me
It seems like he's saying he goes up and down both in the industry and in our opinions, and he's finally realized that it doesn't matter. Sometimes he comes out on top and sometimes he bottoms out, but we can't take that artistic process away from him.
Now I'm fresh out of debt in this mothaf**ka!And they still ain't ready yet for a mothaf**ka!Yeezy might have to go and put his Louis onI'm 'bout to go Gucci in the Gucci store
It's like he's saying, "I hope you guys had fun making fun of me for being in debt, because I'm already out of it!" For most of us, $53 million of debt — or even $1 million — would be an insurmountable obstacle, but just a few short months after announcing it publicly, Kanye seems to be claiming he has put that debt behind him — if that's the way you want to read this thing. This whole song is basically just a nose-snubbing at anything anyone thinks of him... and what is more Kanye than that?
