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"Power Trip"
Single by J. Cole featuring Miguel
from the album Born Sinner
Released	February 14, 2013 (2013-02-14)
Recorded	2012
Genre	Hip hop R&B
Length	4:00
Label	Roc Nation Columbia Dreamville
Songwriter(s)	Jermaine Cole Hubert Laws
Producer(s)	J. Cole
J. Cole singles chronology
"This Time" (2012) "Power Trip" (2013) "Crooked Smile" (2013)
Miguel singles chronology
"Do You..." (2012) "Power Trip" (2013) "How Many Drinks?" (2013)

"Power Trip" is a song by American rapper and record producer J. Cole featuring American singer Miguel. It was released on February 14, 2013 as the lead single from J. Cole's second studio album, Born Sinner (2013). The song was written and produced by J. Cole himself, with Hubert Laws receiving songwriting credits for the sampling of his song "No More".

Background

The single marked the second collaboration between Cole and Miguel, following their moderate hit single, "All I Want Is You". Soon after releasing a five track extended play, titled Truly Yours, Cole released "Power Trip" on Valentine's Day. When asked about the single, Cole explained:

"The most exciting part about that song and the reason why we went with it is that it sounds like nothing that's out. It was between that, and this other record that's like, maybe a bigger record, but 'Power Trip' had that newer sound. Like with 'Power Trip,' absolutely you couldn't point to any song on the radio and be like, 'Oh, this sounds like that'…everything from the beat to the way that I'm flowing, you've never really heard me so "sleepy". I really did them verses in my crib and just loved the way they felt."

Cole originally sang the song's chorus himself, until a meeting with Jay-Z, who suggested that Cole reach out to Miguel. When J. Cole played it for Jay-Z, his first words were, 'Yo, you should get Miguel on this,'" Cole recalls.

Music and lyrics

The hip hop / R&B song is a continuation of his song "Dreams" from his mixtape The Warm Up, in which he obsesses over the girl and devises his plan to kill her boyfriend. J. Cole speaks about his "longest crush ever". He later stated his hopes for the song: "I've always wanted to use my voice to shift culture, even if just a millimeter."

Critical reception

"Power Trip" was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. NMB of XXL praised the song, as one of the album's strongest tracks along with "Crooked Smile" and "Let Nas Down". Phillip Mlynar of Spin said, "there's a more appealing, mild-mannered side to Cole that shines when he writes songs about relationships: The Miguel-abetted "Power Trip," especially, teeters on the edge of blooming into a melancholic OutKast single. Joven Haye of DJBooth.net praised the song's production, also saying "The captivating production brings out some savvy-storytelling from Cole, which when paired alongside one of the catchiest hooks of the year, solidifies the pair’s flawless chemistry."

Jay Soul of RapReviews.com also praised the song calling it, "a single that fits excellently within the structure of Born Sinner – the last verse of the previous song leads cleverly into it, and it's not by any means dumbed down." Francesca D'Arcy-Orga of PopMatters said, "It's one of the catchiest songs on the album. Interestingly, it’s a song that wouldn’t go amiss at all on Cole’s first album and is very similar in style to "Work Out", showing that Cole is still sticking to what he knows best regardless of whether Nas likes it or not." Corban Golbe of Pitchfork Media stated that, "once in a while he can create something catchy – the Miguel-featuring "Power Trip" almost seems like it was designed in a lab for radio rotation." Complex ranked "Power Trip" number eight, on their list of the 50 best songs of 2013. HipHopDX said, ""Power Trip" may actually be one of the best radio-friendly rap songs of the last five years." XXL would end up naming it one of the top five hip hop songs of 2013. The song was also nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.

Awards and nominations

Chart performance

The song debuted at number three on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, selling 210,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It took off online as well, skyrocketing to more than 300,000 plays on Cole's SoundCloud page in less than a day. The song was sent to urban contemporary radio on February 19, 2013. The song has since peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100, marking his second top 20 single in the US, and number 46 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his highest-charting single there at the time. The song also became a top five hit on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the US Rap Songs chart, peaking at number five and number three, respectively. On July 15, 2013, the single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million digital copies in the United States.

Music video

In an interview on March 3, 2013 with radio personality Big Tigger, J. Cole said the visual to his new single "Power Trip" will be shot next week in his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina. The video treatment will be J. Cole's very own idea, which he mentioned in a previous interview that the idea came to mind as he was creating the song. On April 8, 2013, along with announcing the release date for Born Sinner, he announced that the video for "Power Trip" would be released the following day, which it was on April 9. J. Cole served as creative director on the video, and it was shot and directed by Nabil Elderkin and Mike Piscitelli.

The video begins with a strip-club scene, and then it follows J. Cole and one of his friends as they wait outside of a girl's house (Dinah Sade) – clearly the one who he has been up all night pining about with "constant drinking and love songs." Soon, we learn that this tank-top-clad girl has a boyfriend: Cole's collaborator, Miguel. As that sequence fades away, we are left to wonder where Cole and his friend are driving to and why there are pieces of wood and plastic bags tied to the top of their car. A suspicious cop pulls them over, but finding nothing besides a shovel in the trunk, he lets them on their way. It is not until the duo finally park in the woods and remove the items from the top of the car that we understand the rapper's obsession has actually led to murder.

Charts

Certifications

Radio and release history

References

1. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/the-juice/1549808/j-cole-reps-talk-power-trip-single-born-sinner-album%7Cdate=December 2013
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6. "J. Cole - 'Born Sinner' Album Review - XXL". Xxlmag.com. 2013-06-19. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
7. Mlynar, Phillip (19 June 2013). "J. Cole, 'Born Sinner' Review". Spin.com. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
8. J. Cole. "J. Cole - Born Sinner - Stream & Read Album Review". Djbooth.net. Archived from the original on 2014-01-31. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
9. "J. Cole :: Born Sinner :: Roc Nation". Rapreviews.com. 2013-06-11. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
10. Francesca D'Arcy-Orga 14 July 2013. "J. Cole: Born Sinner". PopMatters. Retrieved 2013-10-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
11. "J. Cole: Born Sinner | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. 2013-06-21. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
12. "8. J. Cole f/ Miguel "Power Trip" — The 50 Best Songs of 2013". Complex. 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
13. "HipHopDX's Top 25 Albums Of 2013 | Discussing Lil' Wayne, Drake & Many More Hip Hop Artists". HipHop DX. 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
14. "XXL Lists The Best Hip-Hop Songs And Albums Of The Last 40 Years - XXL Issue 152 - Page 4 of 4 - XXL". Xxlmag.com. 2014-01-09. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
15. "Grammy Nominations". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
16. "Track of the Year | Hip Hop Awards". BET. 2013-09-23. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
17. Walker, Jodi (2013-12-06). "Grammy nominations 2014: See the list of nominees | The Music Mix | EW.com". Music-mix.ew.com. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
18. Urban/UAC Future Releases | R&B, Hip Hop, Release Schedule and Street Dates |
19. "Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America.
20. "J. Cole 'Power Trip' Video To Be Shot Next Week In Fayetteville". J. Cole Nation. 2013-03-15. Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2013-03-15.
21. "J. Cole's "Born Sinner" Gets a Release Date". Complex. 2013-04-08. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
22. "J. Cole f. Miguel - "Power Trip" | Watch Hip Hop Music Videos & New Rap Videos". HipHop DX. 2013-04-09. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
23. "Blogs - Fayobserver.com - Watch: J. Cole - Power Trip (Video)". Blogs.fayobserver.com. Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
24. Alexis, Nadeska (2013-04-09). "J. Cole's Obsession Leads To 'Cole'-Blooded Murder In 'Power Trip' Video - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-22.
25. "J. Cole feat. Miguel – Power Trip" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
26. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 22, 2013.
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32. "J. Cole Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard.
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37. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
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External links

• Official Website

v t e J. Cole
Discography Production discography Awards and nominations
Studio albums	Cole World: The Sideline Story (2011) Born Sinner (2013) 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014) 4 Your Eyez Only (2016) KOD (2018) The Off-Season (2021)
Live albums	Forest Hills Drive: Live (2016)
Compilations	Revenge of the Dreamers (2014) Revenge of the Dreamers II (2015) Revenge of the Dreamers III (2019) D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape (2022)
Soundtrack albums	Creed III: The Soundtrack
EPs	Truly Yours (2013) Truly Yours 2 (2013) Lewis Street (2020)
Mixtapes	The Come Up (2007) The Warm Up (2009) Friday Night Lights (2010) Might Delete Later (2024)
Singles	"Lights Please" "Who Dat" "Work Out" "Can't Get Enough" "Nobody's Perfect" "Miss America" "Power Trip" "Crooked Smile" "Forbidden Fruit" "She Knows" "Apparently" "Wet Dreamz" "No Role Modelz" "Love Yourz" "Everybody Dies" "False Prophets" "Deja Vu" "High for Hours" "Neighbors" "KOD" "ATM" "Album of the Year (Freestyle)" "Tribe" "Off Deez" "Middle Child" "Shea Butter Baby" "Snow on tha Bluff" "The Climb Back" "Lion King on Ice" "Interlude" "My Life" "The Jackie" "Your Heart" "London" "On the Street" "The Secret Recipe" "H.Y.B." "Grippy" "Port Antonio"
Featured singles	"Just Begun" "All I Want Is You" "A Star Is Born" "Feel Love" "Trouble" "Only Wanna Give It to You" "Party (Remix)" "I'm On 2.0" "This Time" "Planez" "No Sleeep (Remix)" "A Lot" "The London" "Down Bad" "Poke It Out" "Johnny P's Caddy" "Scared Money" "All My Life" "There I Go" "First Person Shooter" "Ruby Rosary" "Blow for Blow"
Other songs	"In the Morning" "Let Nas Down" "A Tale of 2 Citiez" "Fire Squad" "G.O.M.D." "Immortal" "Change" "Photograph" "Motiv8" "Kevin's Heart" "1985" "Under the Sun" "Sacrifices" "95 South" "Amari" "Pride Is the Devil" "Stick" "Evil Ways" "Pricey" "Crocodile Tearz" "Ready '24" "Huntin' Wabbitz" "7 Minute Drill" "Red Leather"
Concert tours	4 Your Eyez Only World Tour The Off-Season Tour
Films	J. Cole: Road to Homecoming Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming Eyez J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only Dreamville Presents: Revenge Applying Pressure: The Off-Season Documentary
Related articles	Dreamville Records Dreamville Ventures Roc Nation
Category

• 2013 singles
• Roc Nation singles
• J. Cole songs
• Song recordings produced by J. Cole
• Songs written by J. Cole
• Miguel (singer) songs
• Music videos directed by Nabil Elderkin