Flashing Lights

Flashing Lights

Infobox Single
Name = Flashing Lights


Artist = Kanye West featuring Dwele
from Album = Graduation
Format = Airplay, CD, 12"
Released = November 22 2007 (US Airplay) April 21 2008 (UK)
Recorded = 2007
Genre = Hip hop, R&B
Length = 3:57
Label = GOOD Music, Island Def Jam, Roc-A-Fella
Writer = Kanye West, Eric Hudson
Producer = Kanye West and Eric Hudson
Chronology = Kanye West singles
Last single = "Pro Nails" (2007)
This single = "Flashing Lights" (2008)
Next single = "Homecoming" (2008)
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Artist = Dwele singles
Type = singles
Last single = "The People" (2007)
This single = "Flashing Lights" (2008)
Next single = "A Night in San Diego" (2008)

"Flashing Lights" is the ninth track and fourth single from rapper Kanye West's album "Graduation". The song was released as the fifth single in the UK.

ong information

It features R&B artist Dwele and contains additional vocals by Connie Mitchell (of the Australian electronica group Sneaky Sound System). Fact|date=February 2008 The single artwork was designed by Takashi Murakami.

The song was also used in a December 2007 ad campaign for French vodka Cîroc. The advertisements also feature spokesperson Diddy.

The song is featured in the video game "Grand Theft Auto IV" on the radio station The Beat 102.7.

Despite only charting at number 29, in the UK, the song has remained successful and is played on the KISS network daily.

Music video

The video, co-directed by Spike Jonze along with West himself, starts out with a car stopping in the desert at dusk, with the red tail lights and yellow headlights of a Ford Mustang creating "flashing lights" on the ground.

The term "flashing lights" arises from West being caught cheating on his girl by the paparazzi's "flashing lights." A woman (portrayed by Rita G, as a woman scorned) gets out of the car, walks a distance away from it, proceeds to strip down to her lingerie, and burns her clothes. She then walks back to her car, and opens the trunk. West is seen there, tied up and gagged. The girl somewhat flirts with West stroking and kissing him, before taking out a shovel that is in the trunk, as a terrified West helplessly watches. The camera then zooms out and we see the woman repeatedly bludgeon West (presumably to death) with the shovel. The title of the song, "Flashing Lights", is then shown in red letters against a black screen as the video ends. The video ends over a minute before the album version of the song ends. It is actually the third version of the video for the song, as West apparently wasn't satisfied with the first two in South East San Diego, CA. This was confirmed in an interview with Rita G. [cite web | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1581721/20080215/id_0.jhtml | title=Kanye West's Latest Video Vixen Defends 'Flashing Lights' Clip: 'It's Whatever You Want It To Be' | publisher=MTV | author=Jayson Rodriguez]

The video was originally premiered at the "Entertainment Weekly" Grammy after-party on February 10 2008.

It was supposed to premiere BET February 13 2008, but didn't probably due to the graphic nature of the music video.Fact|date=April 2008

Though it received much airplay, the video for "Flashing Lights" stands as one of West's most controversial music videos. Upon its release, viewers expressed that the video seemed too short and for the most part uneventful, while critics accused it of containing overly violent content. West retorted that they simply could not comprehend the subtle symbolism and metaphors embedded within the video, going on to state that he loved the video and couldn't care less if someone else felt differently.

A second separate music video for "Flashing Lights" leaked on May 23, 2008. The completely different video made active use of stop motion animation. Less than a week apart, a third separate music video for "Flashing Lights" was released on May 29, 2008. Bearing resemblance to a murder-mystery tale, this third version featured multiple enigmatic characters under the roof of a haunted mansion.

Track listing

UK CD and 12" Vinyl

# "Flashing Lights"
# "Flashing Lights" (Instrumental)
# "Stronger" (Andrew Dawson remix)

Remixes

There were 3 different remixes:
* An official remix that has a verse from the rap duo Clipse.
* An R&B Remix, featuring R. Kelly.
* The third has new intro, a new verse and ad-libs in the hook by Raheem DeVaughn.

Cover versions

* Covered by Rock City of Konvict Muzik.
* Lil Wayne and Jay-Z off of Lil Wayne's mixtape "Starring in Mardi Gras".
* Covered by Colin Munroe
* Covered by Black Buddafly
* Covered by Jazmine Sullivan

Chart performance

Even before its released date, it debuted at #61 on the "Billboard" Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs the chart week of November 10, 2007, and has since reached the top 20 of that chart, so far at #17. It was the "Hot Shot Debut" of the week on the Hot 100, the chart week of December 8, 2007, debuting at #75, and has so far risen to #29 as of January 24, 2008. "Flashing Lights" was produced by Kanye West and Eric Hudson. The song debuted the chart week of February 23 2008 on the Canadian Hot 100 at #88, and has risen to #54.

Chart positions

References

External links

* [http://blog.ruckus.com/2008/02/19/ruckus-video-watch/ "Flashing Lights" music video]


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