"Feel" (stylized as "FEEL.") is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The fifth track on the album (tenth on the Collector's Edition of Damn[2]), the song was written by Lamar and Mark Spears, a.k.a. Sounwave, and produced by Sounwave. The song features bass from bass guitarist Thundercat and vocals from Chelsea Blythe. The song originally had a music video which was never released and randomly leaked on YouTube.
| "Feel" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Kendrick Lamar | |
| from the album Damn | |
| Recorded | 2017 |
| Genre | Jazz rap |
| Length | 3:35 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | |
Lyrics
editThe song sees Lamar taking a deeper look into the void and isolation caused by fame and success, specifically how he feels detached from his family and friends.[3]
A common recurrence in "Feel" is the phrase "Ain't nobody prayin' for me", a sentiment that Lamar "revisits elsewhere".[4]
Critical reception
editIn a positive review, writers of Rolling Stone magazine said "with round, textured notes from the Grammy-winning bass virtuoso Thundercat and a rickety, rim-shot drum pulse, "Feel" nods to the live-musician inflections of To Pimp a Butterfly – or the sixth track from last year's untitled unmastered.[5] Ann Powers of NPR Music also gave a positive review, saying "Feel" was the first song that "jumped out" at her on Damn. Powers also commented that the song is reminiscent of To Pimp a Butterfly.[6]
Samples
editThe song contains a sample of the song "Stormy" by American musician O. C. Smith from the album For Once in My Life.[7] It also contains interpolations from "Don't Let Me Down" by Fleurie from the album Love and War.[8][9]
Live performances
editLamar has performed "Feel" as an encore on the Damn tour.[10]
Credits and personnel
editCredits adapted from the official Damn digital booklet.[1]
- Kendrick Lamar – songwriter
- Mark Spears – songwriter, producer, mixing
- Thundercat – bass
- Chelsea Blythe – additional vocals
- Matt Schaeffer – additional guitar, mixing
- Derek Ali – mixing
- Tyler Page – mix assistant
- Cyrus Taghipour – mix assistant
Charts
edit| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] | 66 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[12] | 30 |
| Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[13] | 80 |
| France (SNEP)[14] | 105 |
| Germany (GfK)[15] | 82 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[16] | 34 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] | 56 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] | 32 |
| Portugal (AFP)[19] | 28 |
| Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[20] | 41 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[21] | 51 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[22] | 46 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[23] | 35 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[24] | 21 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[25] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[26] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[27] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b "Digital Booklet - DAMN. copy.pdf". DocDroid. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- ^ India, Lindsey (December 8, 2017). "Kendrick Lamar Surprises Fans With 'Damn.' Collector's Edition". XXL. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
- ^ Britton, Luke Morgan (April 14, 2017). "Kendrick Lamar - 'DAMN.': First-listen track-by-track review - NME". NME. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ Caramanica, Jon (April 16, 2017). "Review: Kendrick Lamar's Anxiety Leads to Joy and Jabs on New Album". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar's 'Damn.': A Track-by-Track Guide". Rolling Stone. April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Basking In Sin: Some Initial Thoughts On Kendrick Lamar's 'DAMN.'". NPR.org. April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar's 'FEEL.' - Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Every Sample On Kendrick Lamar's 'DAMN.'". YouTube. Genius. April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Listen to the Samples From Kendrick Lamar's New Album 'DAMN.'". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ Masley, Ed (July 13, 2017). "Kendrick Lamar launches DAMN. Tour in Glendale with triumphant one-man show of force". AZ Central. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Feel." (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 16. týden 2017 in the date selector. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Feel." (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Feel." (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Feel." (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 1, 2017. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Feel.". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
- ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 16. týden 2017 in the date selector. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar – Feel.". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ "Canadian single certifications – Kendrick Lamar – Feel". Music Canada. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
- ^ "American single certifications – Kendrick Lamar – Feel". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 7, 2018.