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Talking / Once Again
2024 single by Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Talking" (stylized in uppercase, single version initially titled "Talking / Once Again") is a song by the American hip-hop supergroup ¥$, composed of rapper Kanye West and singer Ty Dolla Sign. Featuring the formers daughter, North West, the song was first released as a promotional track on February 7, 2024, exclusively on Instagram, YouTube, and X. The song was later released on streaming services on February 8 as the second single from the duo's collaborative album, Vultures 1 (2024). The song was written by West and his daughter North, along with Ty Dolla Sign, Chicagoland musician Mamii, Quentin Miller, and Ant Clemons. It was produced by both West and Ty Dolla Sign, alongside Camper, Dom Maker, Edsclusive, James Blake, and Swizz Beatz.
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Background and release
"Talking" was first previewed during the "Vultures Rave" event on December 12, 2023. Only including North's verse, the preview would later become a viral sound on content platform TikTok.[1][2] The song served as North's debut as a musical artist.[3]
The music video was teased on January 24, 2024 by West via Instagram, posting a treatment created by North for the songs visuals.[4] West officially released the song alongside its music video on February 7, 2024.[5] It was later added to streaming services on February 8, 2024.
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Composition
A hip-hop song with Jersey club[6] elements, the first half of the song focuses on West's daughter, North. Over production provided by West and English singer James Blake, North introduces herself as "your bestie, miss, miss westie". North's verse is often described as a "catchy ear worm" with fun and confident lyricism.[7][8]
The "Once Again" portion of the song switches the main artist from North to Ty Dolla Sign. In his verse, Ty Dolla Sign expresses his worries for his daughter, hoping that he has been a good role model for her while asking if there's any way to stop her from growing old. He ends his verse by vowing to break his predetermined destiny, putting in the hard work to ensure his daughter has a better life than his.[9] West's only appearance is towards the songs outro, repeating the chorus from "Once Again".[5]
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Critical reception
Writing for Billboard, Michael Saponara ranked "Talking" as the fifth best song on Vultures 1. Saponara praised North for "[cooking] up an earworm of a chorus that will easily be stuck in listeners’ heads for the weeks to come." He emphasizes Ty Dolla Sign's candidness on the track, expressing his concerns for his daughter "[in the] hopes she's properly prepared with the tools to take on the world." Saponara concludes that only someone like West could've "churn[ed] a positive fatherhood anthem into a rap hit."[10]
Music videos
The first music video, released alongside the "Talking" promotional single, is directed by Italian film directors Damiano and Fabio D'Innocenzo. Matt Cocco handled the video's cinematography.[10] The video shows shots of West and his daughter North, who is depicted getting her hair braided by a group of stylists. Ty Dolla Sign and his daughter, Jailynn Griffin, also appear.[7]
On April 30, 2024, a music video directed by North West was released. The video was co-directed by Aus Taylor, who had worked on multiple visuals for Vultures 1, including photographing the cover art; cinematography was handled by Karim Belkasemi. It reuses the original treatment written by North in January. The visual focuses on North and her friends, hanging out while wearing Vultures-themed merch.[11]
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References
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