Talk:Street Lights (Kanye West song)

This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Street Lights (Kanye West song) article.
This is not a forum for general discussion of the article's subject.

Put new text under old text. Click here to start a new topic.
New to Wikipedia? Welcome! Learn to edit; get help.

Article policies

Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL

Street Lights (Kanye West song) has been listed as one of the Music good articles under the good article criteria. If you can improve it further, please do so. If it no longer meets these criteria, you can reassess it.

Street Lights (Kanye West song) is part of the 808s & Heartbreak series, a good topic. This is identified as among the best series of articles produced by the Wikipedia community. If you can update or improve it, please do so.

Article milestones
Date	Process	Result
November 17, 2019	Articles for deletion	Kept
May 2, 2021	Good article nominee	Listed
December 31, 2021	Good topic candidate	Promoted
A fact from this article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "Did you know?" column on June 18, 2021. The text of the entry was: Did you know ... that Kanye West performs a bare acoustic gospel rendition of "Street Lights" with the Sunday Service Choir in the film Jesus Is King?
Current status: Good article

Pop music Low‑importance

	Pop music portal This article is within the scope of WikiProject Pop music, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of articles related to pop music on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Pop musicWikipedia:WikiProject Pop musicTemplate:WikiProject Pop musicPop music articles
Low	This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale.

Songs

This article is within the scope of WikiProject Songs, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of songs on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.SongsWikipedia:WikiProject SongsTemplate:WikiProject Songssong articles

Hip hop Low‑importance

	This article is within the scope of WikiProject Hip hop, a collaborative effort to build a useful resource for and improve the coverage of hip hop on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion.Hip hopWikipedia:WikiProject Hip hopTemplate:WikiProject Hip hopHip hop articles
Low	This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale.

GA Review

This review is transcluded from Talk:Street Lights (Kanye West song)/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: Zmbro (talk · contribs) 23:10, 29 April 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I'd be happy to check this out this weekend. :-) – zmbro _(talk) 23:10, 29 April 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Infobox and lead

Has the song been stylized as one word enough to warrant it mentioned here? (i.e. "Foxey Lady" vs. "Foxy Lady") If yes, add quotes around it.

Done because it has been, even check and you will see numerous refs as well as the stylization in prose. --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Should Mr Hudson be included as a producer in the infobox?

Not done per Template:Infobox song --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe combine the the inspiration and lyric sentences into one? Seems repetitive to say "inspired by street lights" then "references street lights"

Comment: I don't think this is an issue, as the sentences are not consecutive plus it would disrupt the lead's order. --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Background

"West has often used the word "light" or the plural version of it in his song titles," ain't that the truth lol

Of course it is! --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Going along with the "lights" theme, it personally feels out of place to mention every song he's recorded with "light" in the title, since, save for "All of the Lights", most of them don't specifically relate to "Street Lights".

Not done this is needed for background, to make the theme's reoccurrences clear. --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Move the final sentence about the recording period up to the first para or the start of the second. Feels very out of place at the end.

Done --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Composition and lyrics

Bhasker is one of West's regular collaborators right? Maybe mention that?
Mention that West uses Auto-tune on the entire album here: "Like the rest of its parent album, Auto-Tune is heavily deployed..." (use an extra source if necessary)

Done for the above --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

"After the minute-and-a-half point of the song" → "After the minute-and-a-half point"

Not done has been too long since I wrote "the song" at this point. --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

"the vocalists deliver harmonies." isn't really a complete sentence
Done --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Release and reception

"Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone commented that the song features "a haze of distortion" floating over "tolling keyboard chords and a hammering beat"." I would move this to composition, as it doesn't give an opinion on whether it's good or bad compared to other reviews

This being moved would be useless, as I have already mentioned the distortion and keyboards in comp. Also, terms like "haze" and "hammering" to add to reception imo. --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah I guess you're right. Isn't going to make or break it. – zmbro _(talk) 19:00, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

The entire second para is from one reviewer; seems super excessive

This was a reviewer that heavily focused on the song though; there are no issues with overquoting so I don't think this should be a problem because otherwise it would be cherrypicking certain parts of the review. --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah I guess that makes sense. – zmbro _(talk) 19:00, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Both reviewers for Washington Post and IGN single out "Street Lights" as worthy of download, yet they're two paras apart. I would put a period after "digital shadow" then say something like: "Both Richards and Alfred H. Leonard, III of IGN listed the song among the ones on 808s & Heartbreak that are worthy of downloading." (flows easier and makes it seem less disjointed)

Not done I have organized the info by thematic element; IGN coming before PopMatters would not make sense due to the latter writing about the comp. --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Makes sense, understood. – zmbro _(talk) 19:00, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Add "The song did receive some negative reviews." before the Slant one

Comment: Is this really needed when I use negative identification to begin that sentence and then write "dismissive" around the start of the following one? --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

For me it would add a little more flow, since these negative ones are mentioned in the same para as positive ones. – zmbro _(talk) 19:00, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Done --K. Peake 20:33, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Music video and promotion

Can that image be brightened? So dark you can barely see him

Comment: This is of the orchestra rather than West himself, also is there a way to brighten existing images or do you need to re-upload? --K. Peake 07:00, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I'm sure you request someone over at Commons:Graphic Lab/Photography workshop to brighten it. That's typically where I go when I need collages made. – zmbro _(talk) 19:03, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

It says the page does not exist, plus you can see the orchestra which is who the image focuses on so this is acceptable. --K. Peake 20:33, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Oh that's weird. Try this; but yeah I guess you're right. – zmbro _(talk) 21:53, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

"During his show for VH1 in February 2009, West delivered a performance of the song." → "West performed the song during a show for VH1 in February 2009."

Partly done --K. Peake 07:00, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Why partly? – zmbro _(talk) 19:03, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I wrote "during his show" when implementing the rest of the suggestion. --K. Peake 20:33, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

"West's performance of "Street Lights" was" → "Instead, it was"
It being "the 20th number" isn't that important

Done for the above --K. Peake 07:00, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

"he performed the song as the eighth track of his set." again seems irrelevant; also kinda obvious since it is track 8 on the album

Not done It's not irrelevant when there is 12 tracks, plus I kept the placement so it's clear the album was performed in release order; see Talk: Welcome to Heartbreak/GA1

"This marked West's first performance of the song since November 2013;" ditch this here and move it prior to the 2015 shows

Not done This is giving background to how long it had been since West had performed it at the 2015 point. --K. Peake 07:00, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Appearances in media

Which season of Grey's (there are many)?

Comment: This is not specified by the source, although it was used for season 5; should I just keep this unspecified because adding would be WP:OR or do you want me to remove it altogether? --K. Peake 08:12, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah I guess that would be OR, although that brings the question why the source wouldn't specify in the first place. I would keep it, as I imagine a Grey's fan showing up later on and thinking "iT WaS iN tHE sHoW". – zmbro _(talk) 19:09, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Is having VHR in parens relevant here?

I believe so, as it gives info about the full video that the song soundtracks. --K. Peake 08:12, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I think it could do without it, as having "very-high resolution" seems sufficient enough. – zmbro _(talk) 19:09, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Done Yeah you are right actually, especially with VHR not appearing later on thus lowering the reason for abbrevation. --K. Peake 20:33, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

"soundtrack, being set" → "soundtrack set"
" stripped-down acoustic rendition of the song." → " stripped-down acoustic rendition of "Street Lights"."

Done for the above --K. Peake 08:12, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Cover versions

First and foremost, do any of these listed qualify for WP:SONGCOVER? None of these appear to have been released as singles, charted, or (based on the text) got much attention.

See the first criterion of the guideline to understand that the covers do qualify; the reliable sources clearly provide decent coverage. --K. Peake 08:12, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Now that you point that out that makes sense. Since these are all covered by RSs they do warrant inclusion. Whole section looks good, just wanted to clear that up first. – zmbro _(talk) 22:00, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Credits and personnel

Looks good

References

What happened to that copyvio detector that used to be here?

You can still access it being using the same URL, also the song is at 23.7% fyi. --K. Peake 08:12, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Awesome; wonder why it's not in that box like it used to be. – zmbro _(talk) 19:15, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Is No Ripcord an RS?

Yes, per Wikipedia itself. --K. Peake 08:12, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Cool just making sure – zmbro _(talk) 19:15, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Is having a location necessary on ref 20?

That is what the source itself specifies, so yes. --K. Peake 08:12, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

No author on ref 21?

One does not exist for this ref, hence me writing the staff of NME in prose. --K. Peake 08:12, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Is Earmilk an RS?

Comment: This is not a blog or internet forum, so shouldn't it be considered reliable? --K. Peake 08:12, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I've never heard of it before so I'm not sure either. Perhaps consider asking over at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Albums? – zmbro _(talk) 19:15, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

It's a music publication that has been around since the early 2000s and has writers across North America, so I do believe it is fully reliable and shouldn't need to be questioned at the talk page. --K. Peake 20:33, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Sounds good to me. – zmbro _(talk) 21:55, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

External links

What is "Streetcar" and why is it here?

It is one of the cover versions, which is an external link due to being on the official YT channel. --K. Peake 08:12, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think links to cover versions should be included in these sections. Do you mean by Kanye's official channel? – zmbro _(talk) 19:16, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

No it is by the artist's official channel; removed per your comment though. --K. Peake 20:33, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Final thoughts

Overall very good. Just a few things that need straightened out but this should be a GA in no time. – zmbro _(talk) 20:10, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Zmbro Thank you for opening this review; I am going to rest now since it's late here in the uk but I will go over the rest of your problems tomorrow. --K. Peake 20:46, 1 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Zmbro I have covered everything, is this fine now? --K. Peake 08:12, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Kyle Peake Would just like a few things clarified and it should be good to go. Remember there's no rush. – zmbro _(talk) 19:20, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Zmbro I have now gone over the remaining concerns after my initial response! --K. Peake 20:33, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Just did one final read-through and everything looks good. Happy to ✓ Pass – zmbro _(talk) 22:00, 2 May 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Did you know nomination

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by Desertarun (talk) 07:05, 13 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

(

Comment or view
Article history

)

... that Kanye West and the Sunday Service Choir perform a stripped-down acoustic gospel rendition of "Street Lights" in the film Jesus Is King? Source(s): 5 things the new Kanye West film Jesus is King does; Kanye West's 35-Minute 'Jesus Is King' Art Film Isn't for Everyone; Kanye West's IMAX Film 'Jesus Is King': Inside the Los Angeles Premiere
- ALT1:... that Kanye West and his gospel group the Sunday Service Choir perform a bare acoustic rendition of "Street Lights" in the film Jesus Is King?
- ALT2:... that Kanye West performs a bare acoustic gospel rendition of "Street Lights" with the Sunday Service Choir in the film Jesus Is King?
- ALT3:... that Kanye West and his gospel group the Sunday Service Choir perform a stripped-down acoustic rendition of "Street Lights" in the film Jesus Is King?
- ALT4:... that Kanye West's inspiration for "Street Lights" was watching lights pass by while driving a car? Source: Kanye West new album Yeezus inspired by Le Corbusier lamp: Kanye reveals the lamps that inspired previous albums

Reviewed: Harry J. Capehart

Improved to Good Article status by Kyle Peake (talk). Self-nominated at 07:52, 3 May 2021 (UTC).[reply]

General: Article is new enough and long enough
New enough: Long enough:

Policy: Article is sourced, neutral, and free of copyright problems
Adequate sourcing: Neutral: Free of copyright violations, plagiarism, and close paraphrasing:

Hook: Hook has been verified by provided inline citation
Cited: Interesting:

QPQ: Done.

Overall: The article is approved, but I don't find the hooks interesting, as it is not unusual for an artist to include their own songs in their films or to perform accoustic versions of their song. I have proposed some alternate hooks below; let me know what you think.

~~ALT4~~ALT5: ... that the lyrics of "Street Lights" allude to the death of Kanye West's mother?

ALT5: ... that Kanye West's inspiration for "Street Lights" was the movement of lights while driving a car? Z1720 (talk) 18:31, 6 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Z1720 I sympathise if you wish for me to change the hook; I will use the one about inspiration, which I have reworded above... how's that? --K. Peake 20:35, 6 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

I have struck out my ALT5 proposal, and renamed my ALT 4 as ALT 5. All ALTs are approved, with a preference for Kyle Peake's ALT4. I'll let the preppers decide which is best. Z1720 (talk) 20:48, 6 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Z1720 Shouldn't interesting be checked off then, plus isn't it up to you to pick which alt? --K. Peake 06:34, 7 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

@Kyle Peake: The green tick beside my last comment indicates that this ready for promotion to the hook set (but I changed the template anyways). Although I approve the hooks, the preppers decide which one is promoted to the hook set. I indicated my preference, so I hope the hook setters take that into consideration, but I like giving the preppers options so they can decide which one they think is best. Z1720 (talk) 14:54, 7 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah that makes sense; I just tweaked ALT5 for you to fix the grammar. --K. Peake 21:10, 7 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]