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Kanye West releases new song 'Only One' ft Paul McCartney for New Year's Day

The unusually sentimental song is from the perspective of West's late mother

Daisy Wyatt
Thursday 01 January 2015 12:32 GMT
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Singer, rapper and self-professed 'Yeezus', Kanye West
Singer, rapper and self-professed 'Yeezus', Kanye West

Kanye West has dropped a new single featuring Paul McCartney in time for New Year’s Day.

The sentimental track “Only One” marks a departure from the rapper’s last album Yeezus, and sounds more like a hymn-like ballad – albeit a highly Auto Tuned one.

The song, which debuted worldwide on iTunes this morning, is told from Kanye West’s late mother’s perspective, who movingly tells him to “tell Nori about me” in reference to West’s daughter North.

“Only One” is billed as featuring McCartney, although it is hard to hear his vocals on the track over West’s Auto Tuned singing.

He also plays a keyboard accompaniment and it is thought he plays the organ that comes in after West repeatedly implores “tell Nori about me” at the end of the song.

The New York Post reported last year that West and McCartney were working on a secret collaboration together.

The track was rumoured to be called “Piss On Your Grave”, but the song has yet to materialise online.

It is thought that The Beatles star will feature on the rapper’s follow-up to 2013’s Yeezus, which is expected to be released at some point in 2015.

Reports suggest that the artists have recorded several tracks together, with potential for their work to “develop into an album”.

2015 could be a big year indeed for this unlikely duo.

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