We Cry Together

Last updated

"We Cry Together"
Song by Kendrick Lamar and Taylour Paige
from the album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
ReleasedMay 13, 2022 (2022-05-13)
RecordedMarch 15, 2020
Studio IGA and Windmark (Santa Monica)
Genre
Length5:41
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"We Cry Together" is a song by the contemporary American hip-hop artist, Kendrick Lamar and American actress Taylour Paige, taken from the former's fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers , released on May 13, 2022. The eighth track on the album, Lamar wrote the song alongside the Alchemist, Bekon, and J.Lbs. Florence Welch and Gary Peacock received additional songwriting credits for the sampling of their respective songs "June" and "Valentine".

Contents

A jazz rap and spoken word song, "We Cry Together" portrays Lamar and Paige as an emotionally abusive couple in the midst of a heated argument that ultimately ends with sexual reconciliation. Media outlets have pointed out that the song's concept shares similarities with Eminem's 2000 song "Kim", which sees the fellow rapper engaged in a violent argument with his then-wife. [1]

The song was met with critical acclaim, many of whom chose it as a standout from Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers for its "harrowing" intensity and realistic depictions of domestic violence. [2] Following the release of its parent album, "We Cry Together" debuted at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. A short film based on the song was released worldwide on September 1, 2022. [3]

Background and release

The introduction for "We Cry Together" was first teased on March 5, 2020, in the visual mission statement for American rapper Kendrick Lamar's creative collective PGLang. [4] It was released alongside his fifth studio Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers on May 13, 2022, as a duet with American actress Taylour Paige. Lamar wrote the song alongside the Alchemist, Bekon, and J.Lbs, who produced the track with Emile Haynie. The song contains samples of "June" written by Florence Welch and performed by Florence and the Machine, and "Valentine" written by Gary Peacock and performed by Peacock, Art Lande and Eliot Zigmund. [5] [6]

"We Cry Together" features additional narration from Lamar's longtime partner Whitney Alford. It was recorded at IGA Studios and Windmark Studios in Santa Monica, California by Ray Charles Brown Jr., Johnathan Turner, James Blunt and Matt Schaeffer, with assistance from Logan Haynes, Andrew Boyd and Tristan Bott. Derek "MixedByAli" Ali and Cyrus "NOIS" Taghipour mixed it at No Name Studios in Tarzana, with assistance from Curtis "Sircut" Bye and Brandon Blatz. Emerson Mancini mastered it at Larrabee Studios in North Hollywood. [7]

Lamar's longtime collaborator, Sounwave, revealed in an interview with GQ that "We Cry Together" was one of the earliest songs recorded for Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. In 2019, after holding onto the initial beats for a while, Lamar showed him a "scratch idea of a couple arguing. He didn’t have all the words down—he just had the male’s verse and then mumbles of the lady’s part. I come in one day and he had pitched his voice up to sound like a girl and he was literally arguing with himself." Amazed at the demo, Sounwave asked him if they should "drop it like this with just your voice?" Lamar answered, "Nah, we’ve gotta find someone who can actually nail this moment.” After a long process of finding someone who "can give this kind of emotion but also act it out the way that it’s supposed to feel", Lamar's creative partner Dave Free suggested Paige, which made them all "lit up". The song was recorded almost in one take with Lamar and Paige in February 2020. [8] Sounwave disclosed that it was "one of the songs that we knew was staying" on the album. [9]

Composition and lyrics

"We Cry Together" is a "polarizing" jazz rap and spoken word song with stripped-down pianos and drums played in a loop. [9] [10] It is set in the key of B-flat minor with its lyrics, a representation of "what the world sounds like" according to Alford, follows an emotionally abusive couple, played by Lamar and Paige, in the middle of an intense argument. Throughout the song, the duo argue and spew insults at each other non-stop over their toxic relationship, the patriarchy, politics, feminism, and gender roles. [11] The song ends with Paige demanding Lamar to reconcile with her over sex, to which he agrees while they still argue. Tap dancing can be heard in the background of the ending, before Alford urges them to "stop tap dancing around the conversation". [12]

Critical reception

Steven Loftin of The Line of Best Fit described the "traumatic and heartbreaking" song as "wonderfully elaborate and horrifyingly real, so much so it feels like a moment you shouldn’t be privy too, as if your neighbors are having a roaring argument through the paper thin walls." [13] Stephen Kearse of Pitchfork was impressed by the blow of insults present in the "noxious melodrama", writing that they felt "almost improvised despite being tightly rhymed and metered. Eminem can finally retire happy." [14] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times applauded the song's "startlingly raw toxicity, even if construed as character work" and calls it "one of the most musically successful songs on the album, a shuddering alignment of rhythm and sentiment." [15]

Several critics named "We Cry Together" as a highlight on Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Ben Bryant of The Independent chose it as "the most ruthless track" on the album. [16] Miloslaw Archibald Rugallini of Sputnikmusic lauded over how the song "creatively implements cadence to balance immersion in the drama, utilizes humor to break the tension of an ugly confrontation, has the characters swap venomous one-liners while sharing flows, and ends with them about to get their fuck on. This track is the goods, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a gaslighting fool who needs the Blu Cantrell treatment stat." He suggests Alford's closing line acts as an "observation of the nature of most quarrels (that their root cause is often ignored in the exchange of ad hominem and finger-pointing) and signposts the confrontation of self that Kendrick actually fucking has in the second half of the album." [17] Will Pritchard of The Daily Telegraph , however, criticized her closing line as the album's "most egregious" example of its "occasional blip." [18] In a more mixed review, Jeff Ihaza of Rolling Stone writes that Lamar "misfires a not entirely bad concept. It is indeed naïve to ignore the complicated dynamics of attraction, love, and violence, but so too is proffering them with too much meaning." [19]

Commercial performance

Following the release of Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, "We Cry Together" debuted at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart alongside the album's 18 songs. [20] In its second week of charting, the song descended a record-setting 81 spots to number 97, marking the biggest single-week drop in Hot 100 history for a song that remained on the chart. [21] [22]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [7]

Charts

Chart performance for "We Cry Together"
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [23] 19
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [24] 22
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [25] 20
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [26] 96
US Billboard Hot 100 [27] 16
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [28] 11
US Hot Rap Songs ( Billboard ) [29] 9

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendrick Lamar</span> American rapper (born 1987)

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he is the only musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Lamar's works has been recognized for its continual versatility, characterized by his melodic cadences, cinematic songwriting, and striking visual presentations. His regular infusion of political criticism and social commentary influenced a rise of social consciousness within his generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendrick Lamar discography</span>

American rapper Kendrick Lamar has released five studio albums, one compilation album, one extended play (EP), five mixtapes, 65 singles, and three promotional singles. Lamar initially performed under the stage name K.Dot, releasing three mixtapes under that moniker: Y.H.N.I.C. (2004), Training Day (2005), and C4 (2009). He gained major attention after the release of his fourth mixtape Overly Dedicated, which was released in 2010. It was Lamar's first full-length project to be released under his birth name and fared well enough to enter the United States Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where it peaked at number 72.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taylour Paige</span> American actress and dancer (born 1990)

Taylour Dominique Paige-Angulo is an American actress and dancer. She is best known for her role as Aziah "Zola" King in the film Zola (2020) which won her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. Other notable performances include her role as Ahsha Hayes in the VH1 sports drama series Hit the Floor, Jean of the Joneses (2016), White Boy Rick (2018), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020), and Boogie (2021).

Dacoury Dahi Natche, professionally known as DJ Dahi, is an American record producer, songwriter, disc jockey and singer from Inglewood, California. Working primarily in hip hop and R&B music, Dahi is best known for producing "Money Trees" by Kendrick Lamar, “Worst Behavior" by Drake, and "I Don't Fuck with You" by Big Sean, which reached the top 20 of the US Hot 100 chart.

"Die Hard" is a song by American rappers Kendrick Lamar & Blxst and Barbadian singer Amanda Reifer of the disbanded Cover Drive. It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio on August 9, 2022, as the third single from the former's fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. The song was produced by Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and Lamar's cousin Baby Keem, with co-production by FnZ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thundercat discography</span>

The discography of American musician Thundercat includes four studio albums, an extended play, and twelve singles.

"Yah" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The third track on the album, the song was written by Lamar, Mark Spears, a.k.a. Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and Anthony Tiffith, and produced by, Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and Tiffith, with additional production by Bēkon.

"Element" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The fourth track on the album, the song was written by Lamar, Sounwave, James Blake, and Ricci Riera and produced by Sounwave, Blake, and Riera, with additional production by Tae Beast and Bēkon. The song charted in multiple countries in 2017.

"Love" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar featuring American singer Zacari, taken from the former's fourth studio album Damn (2017). It was released to US rhythmic contemporary radio by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records on October 2, 2017, as the third and final single from the album. Lamar and Zacari wrote the song with its producers Teddy Walton, Sounwave, Greg Kurstin, and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith.

"XXX" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The eleventh track on the album, the song was written by Lamar, Mike Will Made It, DJ Dahi, Mark Spears a.k.a. Sounwave, Anthony Tiffith, Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr., and produced by Mike Will Made It, DJ Dahi, and Sounwave, with additional production by Top Dawg and Bēkon. The song features samples of the songs "America" by Bēkon and "American Soul" by Irish rock band U2. Although not released as a single, the song charted in multiple countries in 2017. These countries include Ireland, New Zealand, United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, and Sweden. Though it only appeared for 1 week for the New Zealand, Sweden, and United Kingdom charts, it stayed for 3 weeks on Ireland and United States charts, and remained on the Canada music charts for 4 weeks. The highest the song ever reached on any country's primary music chart was at number 22 in Ireland.

"God" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The thirteenth and penultimate track on the album, the song was produced by Riera, Sounwave, DJ Dahi, Bëkon, Cardo, Tiffith, with additional production by Yung Exclusive, Mike Hector and Teddy Walton.

"Loyalty" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar featuring Barbadian singer Rihanna from the former's fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The song was later sent to urban and rhythmic radio June 20, 2017, as the second single from the album. The sixth track on the album, the song was written by the artists alongside producers DJ Dahi, Sounwave, Terrace Martin, and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pray for Me (song)</span> 2018 single by the Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar

"Pray for Me" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd and American rapper Kendrick Lamar from the soundtrack album of the Marvel Studios superhero film Black Panther. The song was released by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records on February 2, 2018, as the album's third and final single. It serves as the second overall collaboration between the two artists. The song appears in the movie during the scene where the titular hero along with his allies, Nakia and Okoye, enter a secret casino in Busan.

American rapper and record producer Baby Keem has released one studio album, two mixtapes, four extended plays (EP), and ten singles. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), he has sold one million certified albums and five million certified singles in the United States.

PGLang is an American independent multidisciplinary creative communications company specializing in music and visual media production. It was founded by Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free in 2020, and is headquartered in Los Angeles. The company has won six Cannes Lions Awards, including the Special Award for Independent Agency of the Year – Craft in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Heart Part 5</span> 2022 promotional single by Kendrick Lamar

"The Heart Part 5" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was surprise released on May 8, 2022, through pgLang, Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records, as a promotional single to help anticipate the release for Lamar's fifth studio album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, where it was later included as a streaming bonus track. It is the fifth part in his "The Heart" song series following "The Heart Part 4" in 2017, and his first solo release in over four years. The song received five nominations at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, including for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Music Video, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, eventually winning the latter two.

<i>Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers</i> 2022 studio album by Kendrick Lamar

Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is the fifth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, released on May 13, 2022, by PGLang, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. The album serves as his first release under his creative company PGLang, and his final project with TDE. It features narration by Whitney Alford and Eckhart Tolle, and guest appearances from Blxst, Amanda Reifer, Sampha, Taylour Paige, Summer Walker, Ghostface Killah, Baby Keem, Kodak Black, Sam Dew, Tanna Leone, and Beth Gibbons of Portishead. Lamar, who executive produced the album under the pseudonym Oklama, reunited with frequent collaborators Sounwave, J. Lbs, DJ Dahi, and Bekon for the majority of the album's production.

"N95" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released as the lead single from his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, on May 20, 2022 through PGLang, Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The song was produced by Boi-1da, Sounwave and Jahaan Sweet, with additional production by Lamar's cousin, fellow American rapper and record producer Baby Keem.

"Auntie Diaries" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar from his fifth studio album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022). The fifteenth track on Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers and the sixth track on the album's second half, "Auntie Diaries" was produced by an ensemble of producers, including Beach Noise, Bekon & The Donuts, Craig Balmoris, Daniel Tannenbaum, and Tyler Mehlenbacher.

"Silent Hill" is a song by American rappers Kendrick Lamar and Kodak Black. It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio and urban contemporary radio through PGLang, Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records as the first US single from Lamar's fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, on May 31, 2022. The song was produced by Boi-1da, Sounwave, and Jahaan Sweet, with additional production by Beach Noise. "Silent Hill" contains "crisp, lighter beats". In the chorus, Lamar claims that he is "pushing the snakes, I'm pushing the fakes, I'm pushing them all off me like, 'Huh!'".

References

  1. ↑ Lilah, Rose (May 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's "We Cry Together" Feels Familiar". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's 'We Cry Together' Is Such a Disturbing Song About Relationships That Nobody Wants to Hear It". MEL Magazine. June 3, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Drops Short Film About Domestic Violence". BET. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  4. ↑ "What Is pgLang? Kendrick Lamar's Mysterious New Company, Explained". Complex. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar feat. Taylour Paige's 'We Cry Together'". WhoSampled. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar credits Florence Welch and Pharrell on new album". faroutmagazine.co.uk. May 13, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (CD liner notes). Kendrick Lamar. PGLang, Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope Records. 2022.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ Brown, Evan Nicole (September 1, 2022). "Taylour Paige on Starring in Kendrick Lamar's Short Film 'We Cry Together': "It Was the Right Time, Right Place, Right People" (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  9. 1 2 Hyman, Dan (August 2, 2022). ""We Knew This Was Going to Be a Tough Listen": Sounwave On the Making of 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers'". GQ. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  10. ↑ Aswad, Jem (May 17, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's Harrowing Song 'We Cry Together' Has a History Far Deeper Than Eminem's 'Kim'". Variety. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Screening "We Cry Together" Short Film Exclusively At LA Theatre". www.vibe.com. June 6, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  12. ↑ Bergeson, Samantha (May 13, 2022). "'Zola' Breakout Taylour Paige Makes Rap Debut on Kendrick Lamar's 'We Cry Together'". IndieWire. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is Kendrick Lamar's New Testament". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  14. ↑ Kearse, Stephen. "Kendrick Lamar: Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  15. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (May 16, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar, Mortal Icon". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar's Mr Morale and the Big Steppers is a tender, delicate opus – review". The Independent. May 13, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  17. ↑ Rugallini, Miloslaw Archibald. "Review: Kendrick Lamar - Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers". www.sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  18. ↑ Pritchard, Will (May 13, 2022). "Florence gets Dance Fever, the Stones open their archive – the week's best albums". The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  19. ↑ Ihaza, Jeff (May 16, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Has Been Going Through Something". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  20. ↑ Zellner, Xander (May 23, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar Charts All 18 Songs From 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers' on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  21. ↑ Aswad, Jem (June 2, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's 'We Cry Together' Posts Biggest Drop in Billboard Hot 100 History — Kind of…". Variety. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Kendrick's "We Cry Together" Sees Biggest Single-Week Billboard Hot 100 Drop in History, Going From No. 16 to 97". Complex. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar & Taylour Paige – We Cry Together". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 20". Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.