"Carnival" is a song by American hip hop superduo ¥$, composed of rapper Kanye West and singer Ty Dolla Sign, featuring fellow American rappers Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti. It was released through a single pack on streaming services on February 15, 2024, as the third single from the superduo's collaborative album Vultures 1. The pack also includes "the Hooligan Version", where only the choir is present, and an "a cappella" version.[2][3] The digital single cover consists of a still shot from a promo short clip for the album, made by Jon Rafman, which was later released in its entirety as the music video for the song.[4]
Quick Facts from the album Vultures 1, Released ...
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Produced by the superduo alongside Ojivolta, TheLabCook and The Legendary Traxster, the track was previewed during listening events in Chicago and New York shortly before its official release. The original song contained a sample of a live performance version of "Iron Man", however, upon Ozzy Osbourne's refusal to grant permission, it was replaced with one of "Hell of a Life" by West, which itself contained a legally cleared interpolation of "Iron Man".
Following its release, "Carnival" attracted scrutiny for West's mentioning of Taylor Swift, as well as comparing himself to controversial public figures such as R. Kelly, Bill Cosby, Puff Daddy and others. It was nonetheless commended as one of the best songs from Vultures 1, with praise for its production and the performances of its collaborators.
"Carnival" reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming West's first chart-topper in 13 years after featuring on "E.T." by Katy Perry in 2011. Additionally, it became his first number-one as a lead artist since "Stronger" in 2007. It also became the first number-one song for Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, as well as the second number-one for Ty Dolla Sign after featuring on "Psycho" by Post Malone in 2018. Aside from the United States, "Carnival" reached number one in Greece, Iceland, Latvia, and Lithuania, and the top-10 in 14 other territories as well as the Billboard Global 200.