Father (Kanye West song)
2026 song by Kanye West featuring Travis Scott
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"Father" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American rapper Kanye West, featuring fellow American rapper Travis Scott. It was released on March 28, 2026, with an accompanying music video, through YZY and Gamma, as the third track from West's twelfth studio album, Bully (2026). An industrial hip-hop song that features a gospel sample, West reflects on his redemption, identity, and faith, while Scott shares a faster voice that reflects on his upbringing.
| "Father" | |
|---|---|
 Wordmark displayed at the end of the music video | |
| Song by Kanye West featuring Travis Scott | |
| from the album Bully | |
| Released | March 28, 2026 |
| Recorded | November 2025 |
| Genre | Industrial hip-hop |
| Length | 2:49 |
| Label | |
| Songwriters | |
| Producers |
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| Music video | |
| "Father" on YouTube | |
| Audio sample | |
The first verse and part of the chorus of "Father" | |
In 2025, West and Scott's relationship strained when the former posted controversial statements on his X account, accusing the latter of taking credit for his own work and dismissing his statements of being "family". They later reconciled when West made a surprise appearance at Scott's concert in Japan that November. The following month, a Beats Electronics ad featuring Scott was released, containing a snippet of an untitled song, which was later reported to be "Father".
The day before the release of Bully, "Father" was fully revealed at a California listening party. The song was also accompanied by a music video directed by West's wife, Bianca Censori. Featuring sci-fi and religious elements, it features West attending a church with other unusual characters for Scott's wedding to two women, including a Michael Jackson impersonator sitting in the background. The song received positive reviews from music critics. Commercially, it topped Apple Music's top songs charts and earned its placement on multiple charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, Global 200, and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, as well as in three UK charts and multiple countries elsewhere.
Background and promotion
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West maintained a long professional relationship with Scott since the latter worked on the former's compilation album, Cruel Summer (2012).[1] Throughout the years, they collaborated on the singles "Champions" (2016)[2] and "Wash Us in the Blood" (2020),[3] with West appearing on Scott's Rodeo (2015)[4] and "Watch" (2018),[5] while Scott appeared on Donda (2021),[6] Vultures 1,[7] and the digital deluxe of Vultures 2 (2024).[8] West also contributed production to Scott's album Utopia (2023), which featured reworkings of multiple songs originally from Donda.[9]
Starting in February 2025, West's relationship with Scott strained when the latter seemingly unfollowed the former on Twitter following controversial posts from supporting Sean Combs to various antisemitic statements.[10] West later accused Scott of stealing credit from his songs recorded in the Wyoming sessions in 2018[11] and dismissed Scott's comments of calling him "family".[12] In November, they reconciled when West made a surprise appearance at Scott's concert in Tokyo, Japan as part of the latter's Circus Maximus Tour, performing various songs from "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (2007) to "All of the Lights" (2010).[13][14] In July 2026, Scott stated in a video with Variety that "Father" was recorded spontaneously while he and West were in Japan, reflecting that West "just had [his] verse in his brain."[15]
In February 2026, record producer Havoc revealed to Complex that West might have been working on a collaborative album with Scott.[16] A few days prior to the release of Bully (2026), a Beats Electronics ad from December 2025 featuring Scott resurfaced online.[17] During the last seconds of the ad, a snippet of an untitled track plays in the background,[18] which would later be revealed as "Father".[17] On March 27, West premiered a livestream of the Bully listening party in Inglewood through YouTube an hour after midnight,[19] featuring a guest appearance from Scott.[20] Hours after its release, West removed the livestream from public view on YouTube.[21] On March 28, a day after its intended release, the album was released to streaming services.[22][23] On April 1 and 3, West later performed the song at his two SoFi Stadium concerts in Los Angeles,[24] with the latter concert featuring a surprise guest appearance from Travis Scott.[25] On September 4, the two reunited to perform "Father" during West's concert at Soldier Field in Chicago.[26]
Composition and lyrics
"Father" introduces itself with angelic church organs[27] as it relies on a vocal sample from gospel singer Johnnie Frierson.[28] In a runtime of two minutes and forty-nine seconds,[29] the song blends a gospel influence with "hard-hitting momentum"[28] that relies on "heavy synth bass"[30] and industrial drums. From analysis by Collins Badewa of Style Rave, the song shares a thoughtful, meditative perspective that explores themes of "redemption, identity, and the tension between fame and faith", in contrast to West's usual emphasis on spectacle. Rather than an overwhelming start, "Father" builds up gradually with more layers that highlight its emotional impact as West raps about humility through leaving his old self behind[31] and describing his new sense of self.[27] Scott later appears on the song's second verse with "a faster flow and a more clear vocal tone"[30] while giving a shoutout to Nike, thanks to his long association with the athletic shoe brand,[32] as well as recounting his upbringing from rough neighborhoods to the riches of Malibu.[33]
Music video
On March 28, 2026, the music video to "Father" was released on YouTube, which was directed by West's wife Bianca Censori, her directorial debut.[34][35] Within twenty-four hours, it received over five million views on YouTube. During an interview with Architectural Digest Middle East in March 2026, Censori explained the concept of the music video, stating that the motive for the video being taken in a single shot was to construct a long that only exists within a dream, where "unrelated characters, worlds and temporalities collide within one continuous space." Censori later revealed that the architecture of the video was critical, wanting to highlight multiple scenarios within the same timing and space in a boundary between reality and surrealism. The music video reminisces the work of director Jacques Tati, prominent in the late 1960s, where a one-take forces the audience attention to "stay attentive in a constant present tense" with themes of God and religion. West has previously used religious imagery and themes in his music videos, including "Jesus Walks" (2004) and songs from his studio album Jesus Is King (2019).[36]
A single-shot music video, it takes place in a minimalist church, with West, "dressed in a gray suit and stone-colored cowboy boots" sporting a straight face,[37] and other attendees[35] from elderly women to nuns[37] appearing in the background. As the song begins, a series of bizarre events occur,[38] including when an attendant's card tricks evolve into flames before a police squad, next to a plate-armored knight on horseback,[34][39] arrive to arrest a nun and carry her out of the church,[34] and a pageant queen is carried down the aisle.[38] Later on, two astronauts arrive to unmask West as an extraterrestrial alien before carrying him out of the church, right before Scott appears in his wedding to two women.[35]
Throughout the music video's chaos, much of the attendees appear unbothered.[34] Concluding the music video, most of the attendees leave the church, as a man enters with a large wooden crucifix and sits in West's spot.[40] Thematically, it ranges from sci-fi elements involving aliens, UFOs, and astronauts, to religious imagery with a dancing choir group[35] and crucifix,[40] along with a knight on horseback.[39] The music video also includes an uncredited individual sitting in the background who resembles Michael Jackson,[35][41] later confirmed to be impersonator Fabio Jackson after he reposted content about the video on Instagram.[40] Jackson later faced backlash for appearing in the music video due to West's controversies and impersonating the late icon.[42]
Critical reception
Michael Saponara of Billboard ranked "Father" the fifth best track from Bully, commenting that Scott was one of the few major recording artists to "not turn their back on West in recent years."[27] Preezy Brown of Rolling Stone also ranked it as the fifth best track from the album, comparing the rappers' chemistry to "Otis" (2011).[28] Gabriel Bras Nevares of HotNewHipHop considered the song to be "one of the big highlights" on the album.[30] However, Zakaria Mafa of Stanisland considers its production as unclear and its lyrics as shallow.[43] Collins Badewa of Style Rave gave an insightful review to the song, considering "Father" to be one of the most emotional tracks from Bully, and credited its themes of spirituality and growth.[31]
Commercial performance
Upon release, "Father" topped Apple Music's top songs chart and received over four million streams on Spotify during its first day.[44] Commercially, it debuted at number six on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,[45][46] number 16 on the Rhythmic Airplay chart,[47] number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100,[48] and number 28 on the Global 200.[49] In the United Kingdom, "Father" debuted at number 27 on Singles,[50] number six on Indie Singles,[51] and number two on Hip Hop/R&B Singles charts.[52] In Australia, the song debuted at number 32 on its main singles chart,[53] but fared better on its Hip Hop/R&B Singles chart, debuting at number four.[54] Internationally, "Father" made chart appearances in Austria,[55] Canada,[56] the Czech Republic,[57] Iceland,[58] Ireland,[59] Latvia,[60] Lithuania,[61] the Netherlands,[62] New Zealand,[63] Nigeria,[64][65] Norway,[66] Poland,[67] Portugal,[68] Romania,[69] Slovakia,[70] South Africa,[71] Sweden[72] and Switzerland.[73]
Credits and personnel
Credits are adapted from Tidal,[74] Global Music Rights,[75] and publishing provided to Billboard.[76]
- Kanye West – vocals, writing, production
- Travis Scott – vocals, writing, production
- André Troutman – writing, production
- Che Pope – writing, production
- Jahaan Sweet – writing, production
- Che Smith (Rhymefest) – writing
- Sheffmade – production