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Fried (song)

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"Fried"
Song by ¥$
from the album Vultures 2
ReleasedAugust 3, 2024
GenreTrap
Length2:46
LabelYZY
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"Fried" is a song by the American hip-hop superduo ¥$, composed of rapper Kanye West and singer Ty Dolla Sign, from their second collaborative album, Vultures 2 (2024). The song features additional vocals from the Curva Nord Milano ultras. West and Ty Dolla Sign served as producers with Outtatown, TheLabCook, and Oscar Adler. With the exception of Outtatown, the producers wrote the song alongside Bump J, Malik Yusef, and Rich the Kid. An accompanying animated music video was released on August 8, 2024. Animated with CGI, it depicts a horde of masked figures running through an eerie concrete setting on a continuous loop.

The track peaked at number 87 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and within the top 10 of the New Zealand Hot Singles chart.

Background

[edit]
Rich the Kid, who featured on Vultures 1 track "Carnival", helped write "Fried".

On February 10, 2024, Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign released Vultures 1, their debut album as ¥$ and the first in their Vultures series.[1] The duo had previously collaborated on multiple tracks, including the singles "Only One" (2014) and "Ego Death" (2020). Their most recent collaboration, up until Vultures 1, was "Junya pt 2", from West's 2021 studio album Donda.[2][3] Rich the Kid, who contributed writing to "Fried", had previously contributed vocals to the Vultures 1 single "Carnival", which peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.[4][5] Producer TheLabCook was also heavily involved in both tracks.[6] The Curva Nord Milano ultras are prominently featured on the track, having also been featured on multiple Vultures series songs, "Carnival" included.[7]

Composition and lyrics

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"Fried" is a high-energy track,[8] featuring trap production and stadium chants. Many critics have noted its similarities to "Carnival", due to its production and usage of the Milano ultras.[9][10][11]

The song went under multiple minor changes in the days following the release of Vultures 2,[12] including the addition (and quick removal) of new ad-libs by Ty Dolla Sign.[13]

Reception

[edit]

"Fried" received mixed reviews by critics. In a positive review of the song, Michael Saponara of Billboard placed the song 6th on his list of the best Vultures 2 songs, stating it gave the album "positive change of pace ... to send the energy levels through the roof." They complimented the appearance of the Curva Nord Milano ultras, who were a "perfect fit", and help give "Fried" a "sinister texture", predicting the song will become a fan-favorite at listening events.[14] Ben Beaumont-Thomas of The Guardian had mixed thoughts on the song, finding the tracks lyrics were a mixture of "witless porn-addled bars ... alongside some satisfyingly weighted ones". He complimented West and Ty Dolla Sign's performance as "convincingly unhinged when delivering the song’s climactic lines, sealing the kind of blown-out rager that West helped inspire with 2013’s Yeezus".[15]

Others critics were more negative. In his review of Vultures 2, Gabriel Bras Nevares of HotNewHipHop called the track "an embarrassing attempt to copy the appeal behind 'Carnival' with even worse lyrics".[16] Slant Magazine's Paul Attard saw the song as a "desperate attempt" to recreate the success of "Carnival", and viewed it as emblematic of greater issues with Vultures 2, writing that it "serves as the working thesis for this blunder: all bluster, zero modesty."[10] Pitchfork's Stephen Kearse also noted similarities between the two tracks, feeling that Playboi Carti's appearance on the Vultures 2 "Field Trip" was also an attempt to capitalize on the success of "Carnival".[11]

Music video

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On August 8, 2024, West would post the music video for "Fried", marking the first visual from Vultures 2.[17] It is a minimalist, animated video, running for two–and–a–half–minutes. The video shows a large group of masked individuals wearing black hoodies and pants running through an eerie concrete setting, consisting of geometric structures and walls.[17][18] They seem to run across hallways continuously, which infinitely stretch outwards. The music video led to mixed reactions from fans; some felt it worked well as a visualizer, while others were confused as to how it connected to the song.[18]

The video was directed by West and Austin Taylor, while the animation was done by London-based animator and creative director Carlos Rico. Rico, along with Arseni Novo and Velvet Control,[19] created the music videos 3D models. The final video was edited and produced by Medet.[19] A short behind-the-scenes clip, showcasing the making of the video, was shared on Rico's Instagram account on August 9, 2024.[20]

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for "Fried"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[21] 80
Global 200 (Billboard)[22] 151
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[23] 8
UK Indie (OCC)[24] 43
US Billboard Hot 100[25] 87
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[26] 24

References

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  1. ^ Coleman II, C. Vernon (March 8, 2024). "Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign's Vultures 2 didn't drop". XXL. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  2. ^ Atkinson, Katie (October 24, 2023). "Ty Dolla $ign Announces 'Multi Stadium Listening Event' for Kanye West Joint Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  3. ^ Renshaw, David (October 24, 2023). "Ty Dolla $ign announces 'multi stadium listening event' aheaed of rumored Kanye West album". The Fader. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  4. ^ Mock, Ben (February 10, 2024). "Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign Drop 'Vultures 1': All Features & Production Credits". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  5. ^ Trust, Gary (2024-03-11). "Ye & Ty Dolla $ign's 'Carnival' Hits No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  6. ^ Wass, Mike; Aswad, Jem (2024-12-07). "With 'Carnival,' Ye and Ty Dolla $ign Shouted Down Controversy With a Viral X-Rated Hook". Variety. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  7. ^ "Vultures 2 by ¥$, Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign". Tidal. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  8. ^ Ali, Amina (2024-09-17). "Kanye West Reveals His Favorite Song He's Released". HOT 97. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  9. ^ Nevares, Gabriel Bras (August 6, 2024). "Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign Vultures 2 Album Review". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Attard, Paul (August 5, 2024). "Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign Vultures 2 Review: Phoned in and Disconnected". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Kearse, Stephen (November 2, 2024). "Vultures 2". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 14, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  12. ^ Horvath, Zachary (2024-08-05). "Kanye West Makes Tweaks To These "VULTURES 2" Tracks Amid Quality Complaints From Fans". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  13. ^ Schube, Will (2024-08-16). "Kanye West Adds New Verse To 'Forever' As 'Vultures 2' Updates Continue". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  14. ^ Saponara, Michael (2024-08-05). "Ye & Ty Dolla $ign's 'Vultures 2' Album: Every Song Ranked From Worst to Best". Billboard. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  15. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (2024-08-06). "Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign: Vultures 2 review – some of Ye's most jaded, degraded moments". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  16. ^ Nevares, Gabriel Bras (2024-08-06). "Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign "VULTURES 2" Album Review". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  17. ^ a b Bernstein, Elaina (August 8, 2024). "Ye Drops Visuals for 'Fried'". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Fisher, Caroline (August 7, 2024). "Kanye West & Ty Dolla Sign Unleash 'Fried' Music Video". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  19. ^ a b "¥$, Ye, Ty Dolla $ign - FRIED". Arseni Novo. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
  20. ^ Rico, Carlos. "Behind-the-scenes of the 'Fried' music video animation". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2024-12-26. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
  21. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  22. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  23. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 12, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  24. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  25. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  26. ^ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
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