Off the Grid (song)
{{For|other songs of the same name|Off the Grid (disambiguation)#Music{{!}}Off the grid}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Off the Grid
| type = single
| artist = Kanye West featuring Playboi Carti and Fivio Foreign
| album = Donda
| released = {{start date|2021|11|14}}
| recorded = 2020–21
| studio = Mercedes Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
| genre = * Progressive rap
| length = 5:39
| label = * GOOD
| writer = * Kanye West
- Jordan Carter
- Maxie Ryles III
- Samuel Gloade
- Mark Williams
- Raul Cubina
- Aswad Asif
- David Ruoff
- Elias Klughammer
- Eric Sloan Jr.
- Billy Walsh
- Cydel Young
- Malik Yusef
- Orlando Wilder
- Tobias Smith
| producer = * Kanye West
| chronology = Kanye West
| prev_title = Life of the Party
| prev_year = 2021
| title = Off the Grid
| title2 = Believe What I Say
| year = 2021
| next_title = Eazy
| next_year = 2022
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Playboi Carti
| type = single
| prev_title = Unlock It
| prev_year = 2021
| title = Off the Grid
| year = 2021
| next_title = Popular
| next_year = 2023
}}
{{Extra chronology
| artist = Fivio Foreign
| type = single
| prev_title = Panicking
| prev_year = 2021
| title = Off the Grid
| year = 2021
| next_title = City of Gods
| next_year = 2022
}}
}}
"Off the Grid" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his tenth studio album Donda (2021). The song features vocals from American rappers Playboi Carti and Fivio Foreign, with choir vocals performed by opera singer Justin Austin. It was released to US urban contemporary radio stations as the album's fourth single on November 30, 2021 (third promoted to radio formats).{{Cite web|title=Urban/R&B Future Releases|url=https://www.allaccess.com/urban/future-releases|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124105743/https://www.allaccess.com/urban/future-releases|archive-date=November 24, 2021|access-date=November 24, 2021|website=All Access}}
Background and recording
On July 18, 2020, West announced Donda on his Twitter and posted a track listing that had "Off the Grid" on it.{{cite web |last1=Curto |first1=Justin |title=An Exhaustive, Exhausting Attempt at Understanding Kanye West's Donda |url=https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/kanye-west-donda-guide-drake-features-changes-lyrics.html |website=Vulture |access-date=18 September 2021 |date=30 August 2021 |archive-date=August 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831000851/https://www.vulture.com/2021/08/kanye-west-donda-guide-drake-features-changes-lyrics.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Rolli |first1=Bryan |title=Kanye West Is Apparently, Maybe, Releasing A New Album Called 'Donda' Next Week |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrolli/2020/07/18/kanye-west-announces-new-album-donda/ |website=Forbes |access-date=18 September 2021 |date=18 July 2020 |archive-date=April 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401024932/https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrolli/2020/07/18/kanye-west-announces-new-album-donda/ |url-status=live }}
In December, it was revealed that West was recording and executive producing for Playboi Carti's album Whole Lotta Red, which released on December 25.{{cite web |last1=Eustice |first1=Kyle |title=Playboi Carti Confirms Kanye West-Produced 'Whole Lotta Red' Album Arrives On Christmas Day |url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.59653/title.playboi-carti-confirms-kanye-west-produced-whole-lotta-red-album-arrives-on-christmas-day |website=HipHopDX |access-date=18 September 2021 |date=21 December 2020 |archive-date=December 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223183217/https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.59653/title.playboi-carti-confirms-kanye-west-produced-whole-lotta-red-album-arrives-on-christmas-day |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Darville |first1=Jordan |title=Playboi Carti's producer may have revealed Whole Lotta Red's release date |url=https://www.thefader.com/2020/12/14/playboi-carti-producer-art-dealer-release-date |website=The Fader |access-date=18 September 2021 |date=14 December 2020 |archive-date=October 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024053716/https://www.thefader.com/2020/12/14/playboi-carti-producer-art-dealer-release-date |url-status=live }} Playboi Carti recorded his verse for "Off the Grid" during these sessions. A snippet of Playboi Carti's part leaked after West played the song on his speakers during his stay at a hotel in Belgium in December. The collaboration with Fivio Foreign came together after West asked Fivio Foreign to come to Mercedes Benz Stadium on the night before the August 5 listening party.{{cite web |author1=Power 106 Los Angeles |title=Fivio Foreign Details Making Of Kanye West 'Donda' Collab & Speaks On Relationship With Pop Smoke |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vLzk5GPvbc& | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/1vLzk5GPvbc?url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vLzk5GPvbc| archive-date=2021-09-24|website=YouTube |access-date=18 September 2021 |date=11 September 2021}}{{cbignore}} Talking about the collaboration, Fivio Foreign recalled:
{{Blockquote|He gave me my space, but every eight couple bars, "I'm like yo look, I got some shit" and he's like, "Yo, keep going". That’s why it is so long, he kept telling me to keep going, keep going like three times. Like how much more, "Just keep going". [...] I was playing a couple of songs, and he was like "Who produced this?", and I'm like my man AyoAA – Ozzy, and he's like "Get him on a plane, get him out here". The "Off the Grid" shit was already done, he sent me that beat before I even met him. It wasn't drill. He got my producer Ozzy to add the drill to the song on my part.}}
The song was first officially previewed at the August 5 listening party at Mercedes Benz Stadium.{{cite web |last1=Rindner |first1=Grant |title=11 Ways Kanye West's Donda Album Has Already Changed |url=https://www.gq.com/story/kanye-west-donda-edits |website=GQ |access-date=18 September 2021 |date=9 August 2021 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914120346/https://www.gq.com/story/kanye-west-donda-edits |url-status=live }} It was previewed again in Soldier Field on August 26, with an added verse from West at the end.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}
Reception
{{Expand section|date=March 2023}}
The song received positive reviews from critics and fans, who widely considered it to be one of the best songs from the album. The track was named the best song of 2021 by Complex.{{cite web |title=The Best Songs of 2021 |url=https://www.complex.com/music/best-songs-of-2021 |website=Complex |access-date=21 February 2023 |archive-date=February 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221153754/https://www.complex.com/music/best-songs-of-2021 |url-status=live }} Matthew Ritchie on Pitchfork reviewed the song with a positive outcome, especially praising Fivio Foreign's vocals.{{Cite web |last=Ritchie |first=Matthew |title=Kanye West: “Off the Grid” |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/kanye-west-off-the-grid/ |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US |archive-date=August 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830181953/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/kanye-west-off-the-grid/ |url-status=live }} Rob Harvilla on The Ringer Described the song as "an impressively claustrophobic Brooklyn drill excursion".{{Cite web |date=2021-08-31 |title=The Good, the Godly, and the Gluttonous of Kanye West’s ‘Donda’ |url=https://www.theringer.com/2021/08/31/music/kanye-west-donda-review |access-date=2025-05-08 |website=www.theringer.com |language=en |archive-date=May 8, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250508135554/https://www.theringer.com/2021/08/31/music/kanye-west-donda-review |url-status=live }}
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.{{cite web |title=Credits / Donda / Kanye West |url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/195728118/credits |website=Tidal |access-date=18 September 2021 |archive-date=September 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210918080058/https://listen.tidal.com/album/195728118/credits |url-status=live }}
{{div col}}
- Kanye West – production, vocals
- Playboi Carti – vocals
- Fivio Foreign – vocals
- 30 Roc – production
- AyoAA – production
- Ojivolta – production
- David & Eli – co-production
- Sloane – additional production
- Irko – mastering, mixing
- Alejandro Rodriguez-Dawsøn – recording
- Drrique Rendeer – recording
- James Kelso – recording
- Josh Berg – recording
- Lorenzo Wolff – recording
- Mikalai Skrobat – recording
- Roark Bailey – recording
- Will Chason – recording
- Louis Bell – vocal editing
- Patrick Hundley – vocal editing
{{div col end}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
{{col-2}}
=Monthly charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Monthly chart performance for "Off the Grid" ! scope="col" | Chart (August 2021) ! scope="col" | Peak |
| scope="row"| Greece International Digital Singles (IFPI){{cite web|url=https://www.ifpi.gr/digital_iel.html|title=Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: (31-35)/2021|publisher=IFPI Greece|access-date=September 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913110828/https://www.ifpi.gr/digital_iel.html|archive-date=September 13, 2021}}
| 56 |
|---|
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+2021 year-end chart performance for "Off the Grid" !scope="col"|Chart (2021) !scope="col"|Position |
| scope="row"| US Christian Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Hot Christian Songs – Year-End 2021|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/hot-christian-songs|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 20, 2021|archive-date=December 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202194456/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/hot-christian-songs/|url-status=live}}
| 11 |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Gospel Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Hot Gospel Songs – Year-End 2021|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/hot-gospel-songs|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 20, 2021|archive-date=December 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211202214329/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/hot-gospel-songs/|url-status=live}}
| 3 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Kanye West|title=Off the Grid|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2021|certyear=2021|access-date=November 23, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Poland|artist=Kanye West|title=Off the Grid|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2021|certyear=2024|access-date=May 22, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Kanye West|title=Off the Grid|award=Silver|type=single|relyear=2021|certyear=2024|id=19740-997-1|access-date=February 26, 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Kanye West|title=Off the Grid|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2021|certyear=2021|access-date=November 11, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true|nosales=true|streaming=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Kanye West songs}}
{{Playboi Carti}}
{{Fivio Foreign}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Song recordings produced by Kanye West
Category:Songs written by Cyhi the Prynce
Category:Songs written by Fivio Foreign
Category:Songs written by Kanye West