Kanye West performed “Only One” on stage at this year’s Grammy Awards Ceremony. Despite being a rare, sparsely showcased performance, West showed off his talents as a singer and a stage presence, bringing the house down during his one-man show.
It has become a rare treat to see a bare bones style of performing at the Grammy Awards. Typically, performers will don elaborate costumes or produce wildly elaborate stage performances to give the attendees the show they were looking for. Kanye West elected to take a more conservative approach during his performance of “Only One” at the Grammys this year. West stood alone on a circular stage with one solitary light shining from the center, smoke lightly billowing out from the center grate as West worked the small stage to his advantage. Even the costuming was a little conservative by West standards as he donned a maroon tracksuit for the performance. In spite of the low-key presentation, West impressed as he delivered an amazing vocal performance for “Only One,” which was also co-written and co-produced by none other than Paul McCartney. The song was written in tribute to Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s daughter, North West.
“Only One” is one of a small handful of collaborative efforts by West that has yet to be released on a full record. Both West and McCartney have been working together on a series of tracks for what is sure to be a massive follow-up to his 2013 record, Yeezus. The duo also teamed up with Rhianna to record the song “FourFiveSeconds,” released earlier this month. The collaborations, in addition to a few single productions released last year, have put West on top yet again, and fans cannot wait to see if the collaborative tracks will be part of a larger recording project. For now, we only have the two tracks and West’s Grammy performance to soak up until that fateful release.