Runaway (Kanye West song)
Encyclopedia
"Runaway" is a single
by American recording artist Kanye West
, released as the second single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It features a guest verse from rapper Pusha T
of Clipse
. The single debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100
.
A 35-minute short film directed by West
accompanies the song which also serves as the song's music video. The film premiered on October 23, 2010. The film has four versions: the full-length film, a one minute-shorter clean version, the video version which is an excerpt of the film that matches the length of the song, and the extended video version which is nearly double the length of the video version.
Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number one on their list of the Best Singles of 2010 maintaining "In 2010, no other song was so crazily epic or jaw-droppingly gorgeous — not on the radio, not anywhere."
of a ballerina. On October 1, 2010, West released a newer cover art for "Runaway" which is a painting also by Condo of a ballerina. The iTunes Store
uses the original photograph cover art.
commented that "In 2010, no other song was so crazily epic or jaw-droppingly gorgeous — not on the radio, not anywhere." MTV
named it the 2nd Best Song of 2010 stating that, "Runaway kicks off with a single tap of a piano key, kicking off one of the most epic, jaw-dropping, honest and thrilling pieces of music to hit the popular airwaves all year". Pitchfork Media
named it the 2nd best song of 2010 stating, "'Runaway' puts Kanye's contradictory impulses on full display like they're some immaculate museum exhibit. At nine minutes, it is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasys longest song, but also its simplest and most emotionally direct [...] 'Runaway' marks the rare moment where Kanye sides with his detractors-- if the whole world thinks he's a douchebag, well, this one time he's inclined to agree."
magazine named "Runaway" the best song of 2010. MTV
names it the 2nd best song of the year. Pitchfork Media
named it the 2nd best song of 2010.
on September 12, 2010 during a live performance with Pusha T. The pair also performed the song on an episode of Saturday Night Live
, with choreography by ballet dancers similar to in the music video.
) watches the performance while the guests in the table toast. After the performance, the ballerinas leave and West stands in a pledge like manner.
The video is being nominated for Video of the Year at the BET Awards of 2011
.
! Country
! Provider
! Certification
|-
| Australia
| ARIA
| Gold
|-
! Release history !! Format !! Release date
|-
| rowspan="2"|United States
||Digital download
|| October 4, 2010
|-
| Rhythmic crossover radio
|| October 5, 2010
|-
| United Kingdom
|| Digital download || November 14, 2010
|}
Other
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by American recording 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...
, released as the second single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It features a guest verse from rapper Pusha T
Pusha T
Terrence Thornton better known by his stage name Pusha T is an American recording artist, occasional actor and one half of the critically acclaimed hip hop duo Clipse. He is also the co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Re-Up Records along with his brother Gene 'Malice' Thornton...
of Clipse
Clipse
Clipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
. The single debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
A 35-minute short film directed by West
Runaway (2010 film)
Runaway is a 35-minute short film directed by and starring Kanye West. It serves as the music video for a compilation of songs from West's album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It is inspired by other music-related films such as Purple Rain, Pink Floyd The Wall and Michael Jackson's Thriller...
accompanies the song which also serves as the song's music video. The film premiered on October 23, 2010. The film has four versions: the full-length film, a one minute-shorter clean version, the video version which is an excerpt of the film that matches the length of the song, and the extended video version which is nearly double the length of the video version.
Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number one on their list of the Best Singles of 2010 maintaining "In 2010, no other song was so crazily epic or jaw-droppingly gorgeous — not on the radio, not anywhere."
Cover art
The original cover art for "Runaway" is a photograph by George CondoGeorge Condo
George Condo is an American contemporary visual artist.-Life and career:Condo works in the medium of painting and sculpture...
of a ballerina. On October 1, 2010, West released a newer cover art for "Runaway" which is a painting also by Condo of a ballerina. The iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
uses the original photograph cover art.
Critical response
Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
commented that "In 2010, no other song was so crazily epic or jaw-droppingly gorgeous — not on the radio, not anywhere." 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....
named it the 2nd Best Song of 2010 stating that, "Runaway kicks off with a single tap of a piano key, kicking off one of the most epic, jaw-dropping, honest and thrilling pieces of music to hit the popular airwaves all year". Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
named it the 2nd best song of 2010 stating, "'Runaway' puts Kanye's contradictory impulses on full display like they're some immaculate museum exhibit. At nine minutes, it is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasys longest song, but also its simplest and most emotionally direct [...] 'Runaway' marks the rare moment where Kanye sides with his detractors-- if the whole world thinks he's a douchebag, well, this one time he's inclined to agree."
Accolades
"Runaway" was included in a number of end of 2010 lists. Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine named "Runaway" the best song of 2010. 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....
names it the 2nd best song of the year. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
named it the 2nd best song of 2010.
Live performances
West debuted the song at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards2010 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 12, 2010 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year...
on September 12, 2010 during a live performance with Pusha T. The pair also performed the song on an episode of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, with choreography by ballet dancers similar to in the music video.
Music video
The music video for the song is a segment taken from West's 2010 film of the same name. The video shows West performing the song at a dinner party and plays the piano while ballerinas perform an interpretive dance to it. The "phoenix" (embodied by model Selita EbanksSelita Ebanks
Selita Ebanks is a Caymanian fashion model. She worked for Victoria's Secret and as a Victoria's Secret Angel from 2005-2008.-Early life:...
) watches the performance while the guests in the table toast. After the performance, the ballerinas leave and West stands in a pledge like manner.
The video is being nominated for Video of the Year at the BET Awards of 2011
BET Awards of 2011
The 2011 BET Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on June 26, 2011. The awards recognized African-Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. Actor Kevin Hart hosted the event for the first time. ...
.
Chart positions
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korea (Gaon Chart Gaon Chart The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts... ) |
14 |
Certifications
{| class="wikitable" border="1"! Country
! Provider
! Certification
|-
| Australia
| ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
| Gold
Release history
{| class="wikitable"|-
! Release history !! Format !! Release date
|-
| rowspan="2"|United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
||Digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
|| October 4, 2010
|-
| Rhythmic crossover radio
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
|| October 5, 2010
|-
| United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
|| Digital download || November 14, 2010
|}
External links
Video (34:33) (4:38, excerpt from the film to fit the length of the song) (8:29)Other