XTCY

{{Infobox song

| name = XTCY

| cover = File:XTCY cover (painting).jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| album =

| released = {{Start date|2018|08|30}}{{efn|"XTCY" was initially shared as a free song on August 11, 2018. It was released as an official single on August 30, 2018.}}

| recorded = 2018

| studio =

| genre = {{flatlist|

}}

| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=56}}

| label = {{flatlist|

GOOD
Def Jam

}}

| writer = {{flatlist|

Kanye West
Andrew Dawson
David Payton

}}

| producer = {{flatlist|

Kanye West
Andrew Dawson

}}

| prev_title = All Mine

| prev_year = 2018

| next_title = I Love It

| next_year = 2018

| misc = {{Extra album cover

| header = Original cover

| type = single

| cover = XTCY Cover.jpg

| border =

| alt =

| caption = Original WeTransfer cover

}}

"XTCY" is a song by American rapper Kanye West. It was originally posted on Twitter by DJ Clark Kent on August 11, 2018, as a free download from file sharing service WeTransfer. It was later released on streaming as a single on August 30, 2018. Written and produced by West and Andrew Dawson, it has additional writing credits for David Payton due to the sampling of the song "My Bleeding Wound" by the New Year.

West's first solo release since his eighth studio album, Ye, the song sees him fantasizing about sexual fantasies with his then sisters-in-law, which he thinks of on the spot as a result of abusing the drug ecstasy.

The song received generally negative reviews by critics, who criticized the track for its lyrics, often comparing its production, songwriting quality, and vocal delivery to that of an unfinished demo.

Background

On May 15, 2018, West posted an image of an unfinished track listing for his then-upcoming album Ye. which featured the alternate title "Extacy" as the second track.{{cite magazine|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2018/05/kids-see-ghosts-tracklist/|title=Kanye West reveals tracklist for Kids See Ghosts collaborative album with Kid Cudi|magazine=Consequence of Sound|date=15 May 2018|access-date=31 August 2018|author=Alex Young}} This version of the song was not included on Ye{{'}}s tracklist when it released. "XTCY" was later reused on a June 1, 2018 track listing for Kids See Ghosts{{'}} self-titled album as an unnumbered track.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.thefader.com/2018/06/01/kanye-west-kid-cudi-kids-see-ghosts-tracklist|title= Kanye West shares tracklist for joint album with Kid Cudi, Kids See Ghosts|magazine=The Fader|date=1 June 2018|access-date=31 August 2018|author=Salvatore Maicki}} Kids See Ghosts was also released without the track.

= Artwork =

The original artwork for "XTCY" is a photo from Kylie Jenner's 21st birthday party, taken at the Los Angeles nightclub Delilah.{{Cite web |date=2018-08-11 |title=Kanye West Raps About "Smashing" His Kardashian Sisters-in-Law |url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/kanye-west-xtcy-smashing-sex-kardashian-sisters-in-law |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=W Magazine |language=en}} The artwork features West's then wife, Kim Kardashian, as well as sisters-in-law Khloé Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian; the last four are the subject of the song. Kim Kardashian's dress was designed by West's fashion brand Yeezy.

The cover art for the song's official single release was painted by London-based artist Shadi Al-Atallah. To her shock, West's creative team had taken an interest in her work, emailing her to request a commission; Al-Atallah initially believed this was a scam due to West's high profile and her lack of industry connections. She created the artwork in one day, to which it was subsequently used as the cover for "XTCY".{{Cite web |date=2018-08-18 |title=Meet the Artist Who Painted the Kardashians for Kanye West's “XTCY” |url=https://garage.vice.com/en_us/article/bjbqbd/kanye-west-kardashian-painting-xtcy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200120035220/https://garage.vice.com/en_us/article/bjbqbd/kanye-west-kardashian-painting-xtcy |archive-date=2020-01-20}} She would collaborate with West once more, designing the cover art for his next single, "I Love It".{{Cite web |last=Camberwell |date=2019-02-11 |title=Shadi Al-Atallah: BA Illustration Alumni, BBZ BLK BK Collective and Kanye West Collaboration |url=https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/camberwell-college-of-arts/stories/shadi-al-atallah-ba-illustration-alumni-bbz-blk-bk-collective-and-kanye-west-collaboration |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Camberwell |language=en}}

Composition

"XTCY" is a minimalist,{{Cite web |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=2018-08-11 |title=Kanye West Drops New Song 'XTCY' |url=https://variety.com/2018/music/news/kanye-west-drops-new-song-xtcy-listen-1202902638/# |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} experimental hip-hop song with overtly sexual themes.{{Cite web |date=2018-08-30 |title=Kanye West's "XTCY" Cover Art Features the Sisters-in-Law He "Would Smash" |url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/kanye-west-xtcy-cover-art-painting |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=W Magazine |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2018-08-11 |title=Kanye West - "XTCY" |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2009726/kanye-west-xtcy/music/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Stereogum |language=en}} West has rapped at length about his sex life in the past, such as on the songs "I'm In It" (2013){{cite web |title=Kanye West is too horny for his own good |url=https://theoutline.com/post/6160/kanye-west-i-love-it-too-horny?zd=1&zi=2daxmlpq |work=The Outline |access-date=December 17, 2018 |date=September 10, 2018}} and "All Mine" (2018).{{Cite web |date=2018-06-01 |title=Album Review: Kanye West, ye |url=http://soulinstereo.com/2018/06/album-review-kanye-west-ye.html |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Soul In Stereo |language=en-US}} The songs echoey guitar riffs, singing, and moaning sounds are sampled from the song "My Bleeding Wound" by the New Year.{{cite web |title=Kanye West – "XTCY" |url=https://www.spin.com/2018/08/kanye-west-xtcy/ |work=Spin |access-date=August 12, 2018 |date=August 11, 2018}} West opens the track with the lines “You got sick thoughts? I got more of ‘em / You got a sister-in-law you would smash? I got four of ‘em”. This sets up the rest of the tracks theming, as he uses pornographic lyrics to describe a variety of situations he could encounter with his sisters-in-laws. Near the end of the track, West references his scatting from his 2018 single "Lift Yourself" as ad-libs.

Promotion and release

{{Tweet

| name = DJ Clark Kent

| username = DJClarkKent

| date = August 11, 2018

| text = Sitting in the studio with my man

@kanyewest

and he said.. "Clark, let that new "XTCY"joint go!!! So.. ENJOY: NEW KANYE WEST..

| ID = 1028153638932250624

}}

DJ Clark Kent posted the song to Twitter on August 11, 2018, via download link from WeTransfer. It was West's first release since his five Wyoming Sessions albums: Daytona, Ye, Kids See Ghosts, Nasir, and K.T.S.E. It was later re-released on August 30, 2018, as a single on streaming services.{{Cite web |last=D’Souza |first=Shaad |date=2018-08-30 |title=Kanye West Has Officially Released "XTCY" And It's Still Pretty Bad |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/kanye-west-xtcy-listen-stream-2018/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=VICE |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Goddard |first=Kevin |date=2018-08-30 |title=Kanye West Officially Drops "XTCY" On Streaming Services |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/113535-kanye-west-officially-drops-xtcy-on-streaming-services-new-song |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=HotNewHipHop |language=en}}

Critical reception

The song received generally negative reviews by critics. Katherine Cusumano of W Magazine wrote that "XTCY" felt more like a demo track than an actually completed work, though she noted that West is "no stranger to reworking his material in the public eye." She adds that West is as self-aware as ever, "referencing the recent responses to West’s pro-Trump remarks, (...) the critics who have proposed that the rapper might be mentally ill," but he fails to be self-aware regarding the songs actual content. Matt Miller of Esquire called "XTCY" an "objectively unpleasant" song, suggesting that listeners would "want to make sure [their] stomach is prepared" before listening. He cited the lyrics "If she suck seed, that's a success / If a girl cum, that's a fuck fest / And we gon' score 100 on this drug test" as an example of "all this nasty shit he's describing (while on ecstasy)".{{Cite web |date=2018-08-30 |title=Kanye West's New Song 'XTCY' Is Objectively Unpleasant |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a22876749/kanye-west-xtcy-song-listen/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Esquire |language=en-US}} Writing for Vice, Shaad D'Souza expressed that the song had not changed much since its August 11 "leak", and was "still pretty bad." Andre Gee of Uproxx said that while "Kanye the producer was still his god-given, self-developed genius," "XTCY" marked a significant downgrade in both his lyrics and the delivery of them, suggesting that West should take the "stick to the beats" advice he was given before his rap career.{{Cite web |date=2018-08-14 |title=Kanye West’s ‘XTCY’ Comes From Producing, Not Rapping In 2018 |url=https://uproxx.com/music/kanye-west-xtcy-producing-rapping-fashion-design-legacy/ |access-date=2025-05-16 |website=UPROXX |language=en-US}}

Commercial performance

After its release as a single, "XTCY" managed to reached number 32 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.{{cite web|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/94217000|title=Kanye West – XTCY - Tidal|website=listen.tidal.com|date=30 August 2018 |access-date=11 October 2018}}

Kanye West – performance, production
Andrew Dawson – co-production, engineering
Mike Dean – engineering, mixing
Mike Malchicoff – engineering
Zack Djurich – engineering
Sean Solymar – assistant recording engineering
Jess Jackson – mixing

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col"\| Chart (2018) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
scope="row"\| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ){{cite web\|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/hot-singles/2018-09-07\|title=NZ Hot Singles Chart\|publisher=Recorded Music NZ\|date=September 10, 2018\|access-date=September 7, 2018}} \| 32

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col"| Chart (2018)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/hot-singles/2018-09-07|title=NZ Hot Singles Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=September 10, 2018|access-date=September 7, 2018}}

| 32

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope="col"\| Region ! scope="col"\| Date ! scope="col"\| Format ! scope="col"\| Label ! scope="col"\| {{abbr\|Ref.\|Reference(s)}}
scope="row"\|Various \| August 30, 2018 \| Digital download \| {{hlist\|GOOD\|Def Jam}} \| {{cite web \|title=XTCY - Single by Kanye West \|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/xtcy-single/1434446402 \|publisher=iTunes Store}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format

! scope="col"| Label

! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

scope="row"|Various

| August 30, 2018

| Digital download

| {{hlist|GOOD|Def Jam}}

| {{cite web |title=XTCY - Single by Kanye West |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/xtcy-single/1434446402 |publisher=iTunes Store}}