Saint Pablo

This article is about the song. For the tour, see Saint Pablo Tour. For the saint, see Paul the Apostle. For that named for Saint Pablo, see San Pablo (disambiguation).

"Saint Pablo"
Song by Kanye West
from the album The Life of Pablo
Released	June 14, 2016 (2016-06-14)
Recorded	2016
Genre	Hip hop
Length	6:12
Label	GOOD Def Jam
Songwriter(s)	Kanye West Sampha Sisay Michael Dean Allen Ritter Shawn Carter Deric Angelettie Ronald Lawrence Norman Whitfield Noah Goldstein
Producer(s)	Kanye West Mike Dean Allen Ritter Noah Goldstein

"Saint Pablo" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, featuring prominent vocals by British singer Sampha. It originally surfaced online on March 31, 2016, after it had been leaked onto Apple Music for a few hours. The song was later added to West's seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016) on June 14, 2016.

Composition

Sampha sings the hook and third verse of the song

The song addresses West's thoughts and insecurities, including multiple Twitter controversies and a debt he had of $53 million. ^[1]

"Saint Pablo" was produced by West himself and Mike Dean, with co-production from Allen Ritter and additional production from Noah Goldstein. It features vocals from Sampha, who sings the hook and the third verse. The song contains samples of "Where I'm From", written by Jay-Z, Deric Angelettie, Ronald Lawrence and Norman Whitfield, and performed by Jay-Z. ^[2] The piano sample also pays homage to Frédéric Chopin's "Funeral March".

Production

The Roland Juno-106 was used to create the song's main synth chords

Co-producer Mike Dean used several different synths when producing the song. The main synth used during West's verse was created using a Roland Juno-106. Moog synthesizers were used for an additional layer of melody, as well as the synth solo that occurs at 3:53. ^[3]

Release

"Saint Pablo" first premiered at Yo Gotti's The Art of Hustle release party. On March 31, 2016, the track was leaked online and appeared on Apple Music for several hours. ^{[4] [5]} On June 15, 2016, West temporarily removed The Life of Pablo from Tidal because he wanted to put the song into the album. ^[6] The track has been made widely available on Tidal, Apple Music, Google Play Music and Spotify since this removal. ^{[7] [8]}

Critical reception

"Saint Pablo" met with positive reviews. NME author Richard Owain Roberts praised the track, describing it as West being "in classically confident mode, despite the fact he opens up the epic track by admitting that he's in debt." ^[9]

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [10]	Silver	200,000‡
United States (RIAA) [11]	Gold	500,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Kanye West – "Saint Pablo" (Feat. Sampha)". Stereogum . 1 April 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
2. Dazed (2016-06-15). "Kanye West adds 'Saint Pablo' to The Life of Pablo". Dazed. Retrieved 2025-06-20.
3. "Kanye West's "Saint Pablo" Synths | Reverb Machine". reverbmachine.com. 2017-11-25. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
4. "Kanye West new track, Saint Pablo leaks online". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved June 16, 2016.
5. "Kanye West track Saint Pablo leaks on Apple Music". Standard. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
6. "We Now Know Why 'The Life Of Pablo' Was Removed From TIDAL". News HipHopEarly. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
7. "Kanye West releases new track Saint Pablo - Listen". Pitchfork. 15 June 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
8. "The Life of Pablo - Spotify" . Retrieved June 16, 2016.
9. "New Tune 'Saint Pablo' Is Proof Kanye West Is Having A Well Busy 2016". NME . Retrieved July 29, 2018.
10. "British single certifications – Kanye West – Saint Pablo". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved April 26, 2024.
11. "American single certifications – Kanye West – Saint Pablo". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved September 23, 2020.