Runaway by Kanye West

"Runaway" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West, released as the second single from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). It features Pusha T, who is signed to West's label GOOD Music. The production was handled by West, alongside co-producers Emile, Jeff Bhasker, and Mike Dean. The composition features repetitive piano riffs, intricate samples and a production style with several similarities to West's album 808s & Heartbreak (2008). Described as a deeply personal song in nature, it expresses West's thoughts on his failed relationships, and his acceptance of the media's perception of him. Lyrically the song explores criticism aimed at West in the past and serves as a "toast to the douchebags." Before the song's premiere at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, it generated substantial public interest due to what had happened the year prior at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. West's performance received positive reviews, with the full song being released online on October 4, 2010. The song received critical acclaim from music critics and was listed amongst the best songs of the year by several publications, including MTV, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Complex, New York Post, amongst others. Critics praised the song for its sincere subject matter, the openness of the song and the soulful, clean production. Upon release, the song became one of the best reviewed singles released by West, with several critics noted that the track solidified West's commercial comeback with the public. The song debuted and peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at position 12 and is the centerpiece of Runaway, a 35-minute short film featuring the majority of songs from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The song's nearly ten-minute music video features ballet dancers performing elaborate choreography. The music video received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who praised the scope of the video, the degree of creativity and the production design.