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"Lust" (stylized as "LUST.") is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The ninth track on the album (sixth on the Collector's Edition of Damn), the song was written by Lamar, DJ Dahi, Mark Spears a.k.a. Sounwave, and BadBadNotGood, and was produced by DJ Dahi, Sounwave, and BadBadNotGood. The song features uncredited guest vocals from record producer Kaytranada. Although not released as a single, the song charted in multiple countries in 2017.

Production

The song is about routine; the things we allow to interrupt them, along with romantic lust and material desire. The song's lyrics also reflect Lamar's reaction to the 2016 presidential election, specifically the anger and confusion some of the nation felt in the wake of it. Specifically, Lamar speaks about the protests against Donald Trump, including the struggle to keep the energy up and sustain the protests long-term, without getting fatigued. By the end of the song, the theme of acceptance comes into play.

The song is built off an original composition by BadBadNotGood which features guest vocals from electronic musician Kaytranada. Lamar first met the band at Coachella in 2016, immediately asking the band to collaborate. With Lamar, producers DJ Dahi and Sounwave flipped the track, with additional string arrangements made by jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, who played on Lamar's third studio album, To Pimp a Butterfly. The song contains a sample of Rat Boy's 2015 song "Knock Knock Knock", sampled by former collaborator Dahi. When he found out about the sample, Rat Boy tweeted his appreciation.

Critical reception and tributes

Kathleen Johnston of GQ described "Lust" as the best song on Damn.

Months after the release of "Lust" and Damn, creative collective Combined Culture released a short film inspired by the track on June 17, 2017, in celebration of Lamar's 30th birthday earlier in June.

Live performances

Lamar performed "Lust" live at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 23, 2017. He performed the song seated in a cage accentuated by strings of LED lights. Lamar has performed "Lust" on the Damn tour.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the official Damn digital booklet.

Production and songwriting

• Kendrick Duckworth – songwriter
• Dacoury Natche – songwriter, producer
• Mark Spears – songwriter, producer, strings
• Chester Hansen – songwriter, producer (as part of BADBADNOTGOOD)
• Alexander Sowinski – songwriter, producer (as part of BADBADNOTGOOD)
• Matthew Tavares – songwriter, producer (as part of BADBADNOTGOOD)
• Leland Whitty – songwriter, producer (as part of BADBADNOTGOOD)
• Kamasi Washington – strings
• Kaytranada – additional vocals
• Rat Boy – additional vocals (sample)

Technical

• Derek Ali – mixing
• Tyler Page – mix assistant
• Cyrus Taghipour – mix assistant

Charts

Certifications

References

1. ^ "Digital Booklet - DAMN. copy.pdf". DocDroid. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
2. India, Lindsey (December 8, 2017). "Kendrick Lamar Surprises Fans With 'Damn.' Collector's Edition". XXL. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
3. ^ DJ Z (April 11, 2017). "Kendrick Lamar's "Lust" Will Feature Guest Vocals by KAYTRANADA - DJBooth Article". DJBooth.net. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
4. ^ "The Production on Kendrick Lamar's "Lust" Explores the Dread of Mundanity". Thump. 14 April 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
5. McDermott, Maeve (April 14, 2017). "Kendrick Lamar's 'DAMN.': A track-by-track instant review". USA Today. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
6. ^ Jack Smith IV (April 14, 2017). "In one verse, Kendrick Lamar captured the turbulent aftermath of the election". Retrieved April 19, 2017.
7. ^ Johnston, Kathleen. "'Lust' is the best track on Kendrick Lamar's new album, Damn". British GQ. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
8. BADBADNOTGOOD (April 11, 2017). ""LUST."". Instagram. Retrieved 2020-11-23. "...produced by @djdahi @sounwavetde with additional vox by @kaytranada on our sample!
9. Josephs, Brian (2016-07-28). "BADBADNOTGOOD Got the Props". SPIN. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
10. "Kendrick Lamar's 'Damn.': A Track-by-Track Guide". Rolling Stone. April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
11. ^ "Producer DJ Dahi Talks the 5 Songs He Made For Kendrick Lamar's DAMN". SPIN. 2017-04-24. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
12. "Lust by Kendrick Lamar on WhoSampled". WhoSampled. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
13. ^ "Rat Boy responds to Kendrick Lamar sampling him on 'LUST'". The Independent. April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
14. "Rat Boy responds to being sampled on new Kendrick Lamar album - NME". NME. April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
15. "Kendrick Lamar's "Lust" Inspired This Powerful Short Film". Complex. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
16. "Kendrick Lamar's 'Lust' Inspires Short Film About the Life of a Black Man". XXL Mag. 23 June 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
17. "Kendrick Lamar Setlist at Coachella Festival 2017". setlist.fm. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
18. "Kendrick Lamar sends off Coachella weekend 2 on a high note". USA Today. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
19. 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.
20. "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
21. "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.
22. "Kendrick Lamar – Lust." (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
23. "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
24. "Kendrick Lamar – Lust." (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
25. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 24, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
26. "Kendrick Lamar – Lust.". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
27. "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.
28. "Kendrick Lamar – Lust.". Singles Top 100. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
29. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
30. "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
31. "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
32. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
33. "Canadian single certifications – Kendrick Lamar – Lust". Music Canada. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
34. "American single certifications – Kendrick Lamar – Lust". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 22, 2021.

• 2017 songs
• Kendrick Lamar songs
• Songs written by Kendrick Lamar
• Songs written by DJ Dahi
• Songs written by Sounwave
• Songs written by Matthew Tavares
• Songs written by Chester Hansen