Flashing Lights

"Flashing Lights" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his third studio album, Graduation (2007). The song features a guest appearance from R&B singer Dwele and additional vocals from Australian singer Connie Mitchell. West co-wrote and co-produced the song with Eric Hudson, who had completed the production before the duo added a live string section in 2007. It was released to US rhythmic contemporary radio as the album's fourth single on November 20, 2007, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. A hip-hop, electro rap, and R&B song with elements of numerous genres, it prominently utilizes strings and synths. Lyrically, the song features West rapping about a complicated relationship where a girl has power over him; he also compares the paparazzi to Nazis. "Flashing Lights" was met with universal acclaim from music critics, who mostly praised the production. Some highlighted the synths in particular, while a few critics saw the song as a significant moment in hip-hop. It has since appeared on best-of lists from multiple publications, including Pitchfork's decade-end ranking for the 2000s. The song was one of the Award Winning Songs for the 2009 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards. The song charted at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while reaching number 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It also attained top 40 chart positions in Ireland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, while peaking at number 54 in Canada. In the United States, the song received a sextuple platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. It was also certified platinum in both Denmark and the UK by IFPI Danmark and the British Phonographic Industry, respectively. An accompanying music video debuted on February 10, 2008. It stars Rita G who takes out her frustration on West and he is placed in the trunk of...