Both music and song are in totally different realms, but share or play around with the same theme (theme's at the end).
The song (lyrics) is about determination for success and telling those who underestimates them "you don't know my mind, like i said a thousand times".
Kanye's verse explains the superiority complex (ego) of his skill or of his success; "I am the king and will not beheaded". He also explains his underlying fear of not reaching success; "being broke made my head hurt", in other words fear of poverty.
Santagold's verse explains her goal to 'prove them wrong'; "i dream it and i build it tall". She also explains her impulsive nature that backs up that goal; "part of me won't let me quit, won't let me not say shit, can't be still i can't afford it, try to hold it in but it makes me sick". However towards the end she ultimately let in some doubt implying the consequences of outdoing/overdoing things (build it bigger); "make a way for when it falls", in other words failure is a part of success.
Lykke Li's chorus throughout the song reinforces both verses saying "with mics in hand we'll stand the test of time". And since all of them happens to be musical artists from different genres pushing/exploring new musical boundaries, her chorus seems fit.
The music video, although syncs with some of the words in the lyrics itself hold its own story. The video actually reminds me of Apollo 18, a horror movie that explains the mystery of 2 astronauts flying to the moon and never came back.
The end of the video lies the reason for the 'journey', to test the human psyche against the vast unknown of of the extraterrestrials. We see an astronaut in a lab facility with scientists running tests probing his mind, generally in the pursuit of knowledge.
In the video 2 astronauts are traveling to the planet/satellite, although it's depicted larger than the planet (resembles earth) they fly over, meaning the importance placed on manned missions and human explorations of the last frontier. Although they lose control of the shuttle and an astronaut dies from the impact while the other is still alive as he travels across the planet/satellite in search of life or communication. His mind however plays a trick on him when he thinks he sees a space shuttle from afar. Eventually he's too tired and drained that he collapses making way for hallucinations, hallucinations consumed by science, space, sexual desires, and guilt (guilt of him surviving while his partner died).
But the irony of it all, both song and video combined is that we're all consumed by our 'arrogance'.
How often humans strive for success and 'survival of the fittest' consumed by everyday life that we fail to forget how we're incomparable to really, everything at large.
"Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves." - Carl Sagan
Both music and song are in totally different realms, but share or play around with the same theme (theme's at the end).
The song (lyrics) is about determination for success and telling those who underestimates them "you don't know my mind, like i said a thousand times". Kanye's verse explains the superiority complex (ego) of his skill or of his success; "I am the king and will not beheaded". He also explains his underlying fear of not reaching success; "being broke made my head hurt", in other words fear of poverty. Santagold's verse explains her goal to 'prove them wrong'; "i dream it and i build it tall". She also explains her impulsive nature that backs up that goal; "part of me won't let me quit, won't let me not say shit, can't be still i can't afford it, try to hold it in but it makes me sick". However towards the end she ultimately let in some doubt implying the consequences of outdoing/overdoing things (build it bigger); "make a way for when it falls", in other words failure is a part of success. Lykke Li's chorus throughout the song reinforces both verses saying "with mics in hand we'll stand the test of time". And since all of them happens to be musical artists from different genres pushing/exploring new musical boundaries, her chorus seems fit.
The music video, although syncs with some of the words in the lyrics itself hold its own story. The video actually reminds me of Apollo 18, a horror movie that explains the mystery of 2 astronauts flying to the moon and never came back. The end of the video lies the reason for the 'journey', to test the human psyche against the vast unknown of of the extraterrestrials. We see an astronaut in a lab facility with scientists running tests probing his mind, generally in the pursuit of knowledge. In the video 2 astronauts are traveling to the planet/satellite, although it's depicted larger than the planet (resembles earth) they fly over, meaning the importance placed on manned missions and human explorations of the last frontier. Although they lose control of the shuttle and an astronaut dies from the impact while the other is still alive as he travels across the planet/satellite in search of life or communication. His mind however plays a trick on him when he thinks he sees a space shuttle from afar. Eventually he's too tired and drained that he collapses making way for hallucinations, hallucinations consumed by science, space, sexual desires, and guilt (guilt of him surviving while his partner died).
But the irony of it all, both song and video combined is that we're all consumed by our 'arrogance'. How often humans strive for success and 'survival of the fittest' consumed by everyday life that we fail to forget how we're incomparable to really, everything at large.
"Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves." - Carl Sagan