Kanye West & XXXTENTACION, “True Love” | Track Review 🎵

Kanye West and the late XXXTENTACION concoct some magic on their two-and-a-half-minute collaborative single, “True Love.”

Posthumous collaborations occur frequently.  🎙 Kanye West is the latest musician to release a track with a late artist.  In the case of 🎵 “True Love”, Mr. West collaborates 🎙 XXXTENTACION. Interestingly, the origins of this track go back to 2018 – it was an unfinished record. The two-and-a-half-minute song is a pleasant surprise, all told.  It’s a situation where it’s refreshing to hear the late musician, as well as impressive hearing a respectable flow from West.  West produced “True Love” with 🎛 MIKE DEAN, 🎛 Ojivolta, and 🎛 John Cunningham.  One part of the production that stands out are the hard-hitting drums.

“True love, shouldn’t be this complicated

I thought I’d die in your arms, I thought I’d die in your…”

XXXTENTACION’s expressive vocals are a big selling point on “True Love.” He is the first voice we hear, singing the chorus, and it sets the tone.  West follows with a repetitive bridge (“No hard feelings, but these feelings harder”), before unleashing the sole verse.  Interestingly, Ye has plenty of questions, often beginning with the word wait.   Those questions (and comments) center around seeing his children during his divorce with Kim Kardashian: “Wait, when I pick ‘em up, I feel like they borrowed / When I gotta return them, scan ‘em like a bar code / Wait, no hard feelings, but these feelings hard though.” There’s that bridge reappearing in the verse! In the chorus that follows, alongside XXXTENTACION, he addresses his children and his divorce.

Final Thoughts 💭 

Just to reiterate, 🎵 “True Love” ends up being a pleasant surprise.  I love XXXTENTACION’s singing during the chorus.  I appreciate the honesty and vulnerability Kanye West exhibits consistently.  Also, the production is #winning.  It may be a short joint, but “True Love” is well worth the listen.

🎙 Kanye West & XXXTENTACION • 🎵 “True Love” • 🏷 Bad Vibes Forever / Columbia • 🗓 5.27.22

[📷: Bad Vibes Forever, Brent Faulkner, Columbia, The Musical Hype, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]