Ultralight Beam

Click to watch performance of "Ultralight Beam" on SNL

Kanye for President

Ultralight Beam by Kanye West ft. Chance the Rapper, The-Dream, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin

Recommended by Crews

I admit that I didn't catch the vibe the first time I listened to this song. It felt experimental, like it was jumping all over the place. (This was before I heard the rest of the album.) I'm just used to the usual "verse 1 / chorus / verse 2 / chorus / bridge / chorus" formula that you hear on the radio all the time.

But I truly appreciate it now. The form, while unexpected, really isn't that confusing. I realize now that someone had to organize the pieces to complete the puzzle, and it's part of the art.

I also like it better now that the religious themes throughout the piece have become clearer. If you're paying attention, it's obviously a song about God, from the lyrics to the actual gospel choir; however, you can't possibly capture the significance of some of these words and phrases with just the first casual listen.

It reminds me of high school English. Specifically, we studied The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot in my senior year Lit class, and it took an entire semester because every line had a hidden reference. If you read the poem without understanding the allusions, you felt like you were reading nonsense.

I'm not trying to compare Kanye West to T.S. Eliot, and many lines of this track actually can be taken at face value. The point I wanted to make is that you have to be engaged to truly appreciate Ultralight Beam.

The title itself is a reference to Saint Paul the Apostle, who was blinded by a celestial light - an ultralight beam, if you will - accompanied by the voice of God. 

If you're interested, check out this analysis (without annotations by Chance the Rapper). 

The entire piece is a lot more cohesive than I originally thought. The recurring gospel chorus unites the whole thing, despite the disjointedness that comes from featuring so many different artists that seem to kind of be doing their own thing.

The track is also united by the overarching religious theme. Each artist tells a different story, but each is a story of an individual's connection to God. It's actually quite beautiful, since faith is such a personal thing.

It's a triumphant, soaring track, and it can be mesmerizing if you let it into your soul.

Overview

Genre:
Kanye West

Favorite Lyrics:
Deliver us loving. You know we need it.

Verdict:
takes you higher

Side Note; I think I've become a big fan of Chance the Rapper.