Street Lights (Kanye West song)

"Street Lights"
Song by Kanye West
from the album 808s and Heartbreak
ReleasedNovember 24, 2008 (2008-11-24)
Recorded2008
Studio
GenrePop
Length3:09
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Kanye West

"Street Lights" (also stylized as "Streetlights") is a song by American record producer and vocalist Kanye West from his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008). The song features background vocals from Esthero and Tony Williams. It was produced by West and co-produced by Mr Hudson. The producers co-wrote the song with Esthero and Williams. For the song, West was inspired by driving past street lights. A pop piano ballad with indie pop elements, it features shoegaze synths. Lyrically, West references street lights passing by like memories and time.

"Street Lights" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who often praised the composition. Some were complimentary towards West's vocals, while other critics noted the song's emotional appeal. Retrospectively, this song is often considered one of West's most emotional and underrated songs. An accompanying music video premiered on June 29, 2009. In the video, West drives around on the search for a destination that he fails to reach. West performed the song live during The Yeezus Tour in 2013. He and the Sunday Service Choir perform an acoustic rendition of it in his film Jesus Is King (2019). The song has been subject to cover versions by Ruby Amanfu, Daniel Caesar, and Stars.