Round of Applause (Lecrae song)
| "Round of Applause" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Lecrae | ||||
| from the album Church Clothes, Vol. 2 | ||||
| Released | May 14, 2013 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:49 | |||
| Label | Reach Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | K.E. on the Track | |||
| Lecrae singles chronology | ||||
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| "Round of Applause (Remix)" | |
|---|---|
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| Remix by Lecrae featuring B.o.B | |
| from the album Church Clothes 2 | |
| Released | May 21, 2013 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:54 |
| Label | Reach Records |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | K.E. on the Track |
"Round of Applause" is a single by Christian hip hop artist Lecrae, released on May 14, 2013. The lead single from the commercial version of his mixtape Church Clothes 2, it was followed a week later by an extended, non-commercial version which featured B.o.B. Upon the release of the album's track-listing on November 2, which listed "Round of Applause" without B.o.B's feature, Reach Records producer Alex Medina tweeted that the commercial version of Church Clothes 2 does not contain the feature, while the free version hosted by Don Cannon does contain B.o.B's feature.[1]
Lyrics and style
[edit]Produced by K.E. on the Track, sonically the song features an "anthemic trap beat", a menacing synth line, and "street shaking, attention grabbing drums".[2][3] Lyrically, the song congratulates college graduates and those who succeed in life despite the odds against them.[3][4] Lecrae created a website page for the single, on which he expressed he was "Proud of all the graduates out there. Never overlook the unique opportunity you have in education. There are many paths you could have taken, obstacles to deter you, and things to distract you, but you beat the odds."[5]
Reception
[edit]The song for the most part met with a positive reception, with Danitha J of The Source calling the collaboration between Lecrae and B.o.B "epic" and praising Lecrae for his positive message.[6] Writing for Jesus Freak Hideout, Kevin Hoskins thought "Lecrae and B.O.B. spit honest words laid over nice beats throughout the entire listen".[7] Christian Music Zine considered the song a highlight from the album,[8] and HipHopDX praising "Round of Applause", alongside the tracks "Misconception pt. 2" and "Was it Worth it", for offering topical and conceptual depth.[9] On June 4, 2013, Lecrae performed the single live on BET's 106 & Park.[10] On June 21, 2013, Pepsi included the extended version of the song in its list "Three Songs You Need to Hear Right Now", along with Justin Timberlake's "Don't Hold the Wall" and will.i.am's "Bang Bang".[2][11] "Round of Applause" charted at No. 45 on the Christian Songs chart.[12]
In contrast to this reception, Aubrey McKay of Wade-O Radio leveled criticism at the song, in particular the collaboration with B.o.B. McKay stated that in his opinion Lecrae and B.o.B "didn't mesh well together", and that "B.o.B.'s verse was sub-par".[13]
References
[edit]- ^ Medina, Alex (November 2, 2013). "mrmedina: Church Clothes 2 iTunes version: ..." Twitter. Archived from the original on January 16, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ^ a b HipHopDX (June 21, 2013). "Three Songs You Need to Hear Right Now". Pepsi.com. PepsiCo. p. 2. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ a b James, Jesse (May 14, 2013). "Lecrae – Round Of Applause | New Music". StupidDope. Complex Media. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ "Lecrae - Round of Applause ft. B.o.B." Rapzilla. May 21, 2013. Archived from the original on June 8, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ DJ Wade-O (May 14, 2013). "New Music: Lecrae – "Round of Applause" [AUDIO]". Wade-O Radio Show. Archived from the original on June 14, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^ J, Danitha (May 21, 2013). "B.o.B Joins Lecrae on "Round Of Applause (Remix)"". The Source. L. Londell McMillan. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ^ Hoskins, Kevin (November 25, 2013). "Lecrae, "Church Clothes, Vol. 2" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. John DiBiase. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ Peronto, Anthony (November 11, 2013). "Lecrae – Church Clothes Vol. 2 (Review)". Christian Music Zine. Tyler Hess. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
- ^ Burgess, Omar (November 14, 2013). "Lecrae - Church Clothes 2 (Mixtape Review)". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Archived from the original on November 17, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
- ^ Horton, Chad (June 4, 2013). "Lecrae's 106 and Park Interview 6/4/13". Rapzilla. Archived from the original on August 8, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2025. Solis, Steven (June 5, 2013). "Lecrae's Performance on BET's 106 & Park". Rapzilla. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ^ Attia, Amir (June 21, 2013). "Justin Timberlake, Lecrae Crack Pepsi's "Songs You Need To Hear Right Now" List". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Archived from the original on June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
- ^ "Lecrae - Chart history - Christian Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ^ McKay, Aubrey (November 14, 2013). "Album Review: Lecrae – Church Clothes 2". Wade-O Radio. Archived from the original on November 14, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
