Love Lockdown

About Love Lockdown

"Love Lockdown" is a song by American hip-hop artist and record producer Kanye West. It was released on September 18, 2008 as the lead single of his fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak. The track was written by West who co-produced it with Jeff Bhasker. Prior to its release as a single, West premiered "Love Lockdown" with a performance at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. As a pop song that retains influence of synthpop, "Love Lockdown" features auto-tune vocals sung by West. Its minimalist production is characterized by the Roland TR-808 drum machine, keyboards and tribal drums. Time magazine critic Josh Tyrangiel named "Love Lockdown" the best song of 2008. Despite being a drastic departure from his previous work, the song was well received by critics, and was frequently cited as a highlight of the album. The single was also successful commercially, as it managed to debut at #3 on the U. S. Billboard Hot 100 and has since sold over three million copies in the United States. West performed the song on Saturday Night Live, The Ellen Show, Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as well as at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards and the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards. more »