Homecoming by Chris Martin

"Homecoming" is a song by American hip-hop recording artist and record producer Kanye West. It was included as the twelfth song on the track-listing of his third studio album Graduation (2007). The track was produced by West with Warryn Campbell and features a guest appearance from Chris Martin, lead vocalist of the English alternative rock band Coldplay. Chris Martin sings the song's chorus and outro and provides a piano-driven motif. The instrumentation combines rhythmic, gospel style piano riffs with spare, reggae-tinged grooves of a heavy yet buoyant drumbeat and ponderous bass line. The song features pop-oriented refrains while also integrating elements of post-punk and new wave with arena rock sensibilities. "Homecoming" is written as a tribute dedicated to West's hometown of Chicago, Illinois. His conceptual lyricism expresses an extended metaphor where he personifies Chicago as a childhood sweetheart to convey his relationship with the city. A reworking of a track entitled "Home (Windy)," the song first originated from a 2001 demo tape. While the lyrical content of the verses largely remain the same, the lyrics of the chorus for the original incarnation of "Homecoming" are different and were sung by singer John Legend. In addition, this recording had exhibited West's once trademark soulful vocal sample production style. Over the years, "Home (Windy)" circulated under the new title "Home" on West's various mixtape releases as well as on the advance copy of his debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004). "Homecoming" came about when West met Chris Martin for the first time by chance at the famed Abbey Road Studios in London, England on February 14, 2006. Afterwards, the two held an impromptu jam session and recorded the track, with Martin requesting that West alter the tone of his approach to the songwriting and production. Although it was intended be the lead single of Graduation, the song was released as the fifth and final single from the album. "Homecoming" was released in the United Kingdom as a digital download and was due to be released as a physical single on February 4, 2008. However, the physical single was cancelled due to downloads starting to decline, but was later released on vinyl. The single was met with moderate commercial success in the United States and Canada. It was more successful overseas, peaking in the top twenty on European charts and reaching the top-ten positions in Ireland and the United Kingdom. "Homecoming" has since been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Upon its release, "Homecoming" received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. Though West was complimented for his introspective lyricism and storytelling abilities, Chris Martin's contribution was met with polarizing reactions. Some music journalists criticized Martin's appearance due to him not being from Chicago. Those in favor likened his performance to that of Sting from The Police while the collaboration also earned comparisons to the works of Elton John and Billy Joel. An accompanying music video for the single was directed by Hype Williams and filmed in the city of Chicago. Shot entirely in black-and-white, the video features a montage of West traversing the streets of Chicago and showcases its landmarks, monuments and people. The music video was very well-received and praised for the way West's hometown is visually paid homage. It was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards.