| "The Birds Don't Sing" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Clipse featuring John Legend and Voices of Fire | |
| from the album Let God Sort Em Out | |
| Released | July 11, 2025 |
| Recorded | 2023‒2024 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:00 |
| Label | Self-released |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Pharrell Williams |
"The Birds Don't Sing" is a song by American hip-hop duo Clipse from their fourth studio album Let God Sort Em Out (2025). It features vocals from American singer John Legend and gospel choir Voices of Fire. Produced by Pharrell Williams, the song revolves around Clipse dealing with the losses of parents, related feelings of remorse, and their influences on them.
According to Pusha T, the song was built from his conversation with Pharrell about his mother's death. Pharrell's father was undergoing kidney dialysis, and Pusha expressed guilt at constantly pushing his mother to stay healthy as she went through the same process, when she was ready to live out her life. Pusha noted that his brother Malice had said, "You think the birds are singing, but they're really screeching in pain." Malice came up with the title, which was inspired by writer and activist Maya Angelou's 1969 autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings . [1] Pusha also stated that everyone in the office was crying when they recorded the song. [2] The song was first previewed at a Louis Vuitton fashion show on June 18, 2025. [3]
During Clipse's interview with Ari Melber on MSNBC, Malice stated that their parents did not understand their music, but still supported them. He also explained the meaning behind some lyrics of the song:
So, as I'm in the house and organizing and going through paperwork and policies, um, my dad's passwords to various things, like to his phones, to different accounts, was always some form of "I love my two sons. And I, you know, I remember telling him what the password was, but I couldn't get it out, you know, I was just letting him know. He was like, "What'd you say? What'd you say?" I was like, "Is I love my two sons? I love my two sons. But, it was just very touching. My dad was all about family, you know, and even in retrospect, just looking back, I just see how huge he was on family, and that's what everybody knew him for was being about family. [4]
The song contains piano-driven production, [5] [6] [7] which additionally consists of "distorted vocal scratches and galloping percussion". [7] With elements of gospel rap, [8] it finds Clipse mourning their deceased parents and reflecting on their last conversations with them, [9] [10] while John Legend performs the chorus. In the opening verse, Pusha T recounts his mother's impact on her children's lives, [6] her last days [8] and his difficulty processing her death, [11] and details feeling guilty that he was so fixated on his career that he did not realize she was dying. [9] [12] As her death was imminent, she revealed some important, personal things about her life to him, including regretting that she separated from his father. However, Pusha barely listened as he was preoccupied with business and music; he was rushing to meet with Kanye West at Elon Musk's house and scrolling through his phone. She died sooner than he expected, and he could only look back on it with regret. [9] In one line, Pusha also mentions his son Nigel meeting her and is disappointed that he will not remember her. In the second verse, Malice first narrates his final memory of his father, [13] who died a few months after their mother. [11] Malice found his body in his home, [9] [11] [13] which left him in a reflective state. [9] His father's words inspired him to return to rapping [8] (and eventually create Let God Sort Em Out). [10] In addition, Malice considers that his father also took care of his friends, as most of them did not have fathers in their lives, and that despite imparting wisdom in his upbringing his sons still ended up selling cocaine. [9] The song ends with an orchestral string section [3] [8] and choral harmonies, [8] as Legend and the Voices of Fire sing the concluding notes. [11]
The song received generally positive reviews. It was particularly praised for its lyricism, although the chorus and beat drew some criticism. Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote that Clipse "came into the game with wicked wit and storytelling precision", and that "On 'The Birds Don't Sing,' they use those gifts to talk about what must be the darkest, heaviest moments of their lives." [9] Simon Vozick-Levinson of Rolling Stone considered Pusha T's verse "a strong contribution to the canon of great rap songs about moms" and stated that Malice's verse was even more moving, before commenting "Two of the game's most brilliant villains have matured into eloquent eulogists." [6] Reviewing Let God Sort Em Out for The Guardian , Alexis Petridis wrote "The album's one sonic misstep is opener The Birds Don't Sing, its big John Legend-sung chorus venturing into a poppy commerciality that sits awkwardly with Clipse's USP, but the track is redeemed by its lyrics, a depiction of the near-simultaneous deaths of the brothers' parents that rains one emotional blow after another on the listener". [14] Clash's Niall Smith commented "the slightly stilted, theatrical beat is eclipsed by genuine emotional resonance, as Push and Malice recount the cyclical loss of both parents." [13] Variety's Peter A. Berry described Malice's words to be "spilling out as a longing reminiscence. You can almost hear an appreciative, wistful smile float through the condenser mic." He went to comment that the song "sounds like the opening of heaven's gates. Maybe their parents heard them." [7] In a review of Let God Sort Em Out for AllMusic, Fred Thomas wrote "the album boils down to the visceral talent and pummeling magic that happens whenever Clipse are rapping", and that this is exemplified on "The Birds Don't Sing", further remarking "Even a bland beat with an exceptionally mainstream cameo from John Legend on the hook can't soften the potency of lyrics about the Thornton brothers losing their parents, and the self-awareness and regrets those losses caused." He added that "Here, the pair still sound like the mortal threat they represented in younger days, but they integrate refinement, spirituality, and reflection on hard-learned lessons under that lens, communicating from a place of wisdom without losing any of their time-tested fury." [15]
During 2025 Jubilee, the "World Meeting on Human Fraternity 2025" took place on the St. Peter's Square at the Vatican City on 12 and 13 September, with concert of Andrea Bocelli, Pharrell Williams with the gospel choir Voices of Fire, and John Legend. [16] Clipse performed the song along with John Legend at the second date during the Grace For The World concert on September 13, making history for being the first rappers to ever perform at the Vatican City. [17] [18] [19] [20]
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [21] | 27 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 [22] | 92 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [23] | 30 |