Kanye West, Ultralight Beam | Bangerz N Bopz 🔥

In the 20^th edition of Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 (2024), we highlight “Ultralight Beam” performed by Grammy-winning rapper/producer, Kanye West.

Bring on the bold, fierce songs! Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 serves up background info and insight into songs of various styles, especially songs that raise eyebrows and/or stir the pot.  Featured records can be classic or brand new. In the 20^th edition of Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 (2024), we break down “Ultralight Beam” performed by Kanye West.

“We don’t want no devils in the house, God (Yes, Lord) / We want the Lord (Yes, Jesus) /… Jesus praise the Lord.” Amen, Amen! Kanye West is one of music’s most polarizing artists, period.  He’s said some bizarre, off-the-wall, and truly despicable things throughout his career.  However, that career has been illustrious, spawning ample hits.  He’s an innovator who has 24 Grammy awards to his name out of 75 nominations (to date). Two of those nominations came from a marvelous, minimal, rap-gospel song, “Ultralight Beam.”  “Ultralight Beam” commences his somewhat messy, 2016 album, The Life of Pablo.  Where does the gospel come into play? Well, this haunting number embraces his spiritual side, enlisting assists from Chance the Rapper, Kelly Price, The-Dream, and renowned gospel innovator, Kirk Franklin.  “Ultralight Beam” was not a pop hit, settling for no. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100, with just two weeks tallied. Despite modest performance, “Ultralight Beam” is incredibly memorable, and has been certified by the RIAA as multiplatinum. Notably, this track features eight producers: West, Chance the Rapper, Swizz Beatz, MIKE DEAN, Plain Pat, Noah Goldstein, DJDS, and Rick Rubin. 

Following the sampled intro (excerpted above), Kanye West delivers the simple but memorable, tuneful chorus:  “We on an ultralight beam / We on an ultralight beam / This is a God dream / This is a God dream / This is everything / This is everything.” He follows with a simple verse, minimal, but not dissimilar to some Christian songs (“Deliver us serenity / Deliver us peace / Deliver us loving / We know we need it…”).  After another iteration of the chorus, The-Dream, with the assist from the choir, delivers the memorable post-chorus: “I’m tryna keep my faith / But I’m lookin’ for more…” Kelly Price takes the reins in the second verse, which is more lyrically complex.  She caps it off with ample faith: “Oh, no longer am afraid of the night / ‘Cause I, I look to the light.” Word! Chance The Rapper enters in with a sung bridge, also memorable, leading into an epic mostly un-pitched rap verse with no shortage of one-liners.  Some of the lyrical gems include the opening “Foot on the Devil’s neck ‘til it drifted, Pangaea,” “Treat the demons just like Pam / I mean, I fuck with your friends, but damn, Gina,” which references Martin, his own musical highlight, “Sunday Candy”, and some Biblical allusions, led by “Know what God said when he made the first rainbow.” Of course, Kirk Franklin ministers in the outro, true to self, with the choir concluding, with four key lyrics: “Faith, more, safe, war.” “Ultralight Beam” is minimalistic yet epic.  West crafted a rousing, spiritual masterpiece.

Appears in 🔻:

• 10 Recent Meaningful Songs Worth Spinning (2016)
• 50 Best Songs of 2016
• 15 Songs That Incorporate Virtues (2017)
• Secular Songs That ‘Take You to Church’ (2017)
• 13 Superb Gospel-Tinged Secular Songs (2018)

Kanye West // The Life of Pablo // G.O.O.D. / Def Jam // 2016

Kanye West, Ultralight Beam: Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 No. 20 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; G.O.O.D. / Def Jam; cottonbro studio, Harry Shelton, Kool Shooters, Lucas Pazeta, Mavluda Tashbaeva, Teddy Yang, Wesley Souza from Pexels]