Kendrick Lamar is back and all about loving himself in his new single. After rumors swirled about a new song, possibly titled "(i) (love myself)" surrounded the "Money Trees" rapper last week, today (Sept. 23) he finally dropped the upbeat, uplifting new track "i."
"i" starts things off with a spoken word skit, with a speechmaker declaring that Lamar is someone who is not just a rapper but a writer who "believes in all of us." After the intense opening remarks, "i" takes a turn for the sunny music. Featuring a melody comprised almost exclusively of a Spanish flare acoustic guitar and some bopping, peppy drums, "i" grooves more like a mid-2000s Santana track and less like Lamar's heavy hitting debut album good kid, m.A.A.d. city.
Lamar brings himself into the song with half sung, half rapped verses and uses vocal effects to get the desired twists and turns in the track. The positivity oozes out of "i," with Lamar writing and emphasizing self-positivity and self-love.
"I been through a whole lot / Trials, tribulations, but I know God / Satan wanna put me in a bow tie / Pray that the holy water don't go dry," he raps out of the gate before launching into the catchy, hook-y chorus, where Lamar sings that "I love myself."
The topic of happiness, finding confidence and loving yourself doesn't feel like a huge stretch for Lamar, but it works far better than it should. The song is positive but doesn't force the topic into your face, instead it's an easy message, delivered via Lamar's most commercially focused song to date.
Listen to Kendrick Lamar's new single "i" below:
