Champions (GOOD Music song)

"Champions"
"Champions"
Single by Kanye West, Gucci Mane, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Yo Gotti, Quavo, and Desiigner
from the album Cruel Winter
Released	June 7, 2016
Recorded	2016
Genre	Hip hop; trap;
Length	5:34
Label	GOOD; Def Jam;
Songwriter(s)	Kanye West; Radric Davis; Sean Anderson; Tauheed Epps; Jacques Webster II; Mario Mims; Quavious Marshall; Sidney Selby III; Alain Macklovitch; Lexus Lewis; Michael Dean; Noah Goldstein; Derek Watkins;
Producer(s)	Kanye West; Mike Dean; Low Pros; Derek Watkins (co.); Charlie Heat (co.); Noah Goldstein (add.);
Kanye West singles chronology
Gucci Mane singles chronology
Big Sean singles chronology
2 Chainz singles chronology
Travis Scott singles chronology
Yo Gotti singles chronology
Quavo singles chronology
Desiigner singles chronology
GOOD Music singles chronology

"Champions" is a song by American rappers Kanye West, Gucci Mane, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Yo Gotti, Quavo, and Desiigner.^[1] It was originally intended to be released as the lead single from the scrapped GOOD Music compilation album Cruel Winter. The song was produced by West alongside Low Pros and Mike Dean, with co-production from Derek Watkins and Charlie Heat, and additional production from Noah Goldstein. A freestyle video was released by Teyana Taylor in September 2016.

Release

"Champions" was first aired on Big Boy's 92.3.^[2] Kanye West later released the song as the first single from Cruel Winter. The single was untitled at the time, with "Round and Round" and "Champions" being used as working titles.^[3]^[4] It was officially released to iTunes on June 12, 2016.^[5]

Critical reception

The song was placed at number 49 on Complex's list of 2016's best songs.^[6]

Chart performance

On the chart dated July 2, 2016, "Champions" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 71, powered by first-week digital download sales of 31,000 copies and it debuted at number 7 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart.^[7]^[8] On May 15, 2018, the song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over one million digital copies in the United States.^[9]

Freestyle video

Teyana Taylor released a video of her freestyling over the track on September 6, 2016.^[10] The video is a stop-motion clip that sees Taylor covered in smeared gold paint and dancing militaristically in front of a gray backdrop.^[10] It marked Taylor's first video since she starred in the music video for West's single "Fade".^[10]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.^[11]

Kanye West – vocals, production
Gucci Mane – vocals
Big Sean – vocals
2 Chainz – vocals
Travis Scott – vocals
Yo Gotti – vocals
Quavo – vocals, recording engineer
Desiigner – vocals
A-Trak – production
Lex Luger – production
Mike Dean – production, bass guitar, keyboards, drum programming, recording engineer, mixing
Fonzworth Bentley – co-production
Charlie Heat – co-production
Noah Goldstein – additional production, recording engineer
Finis "KY" White – recording engineer
Maximilian Jaeger – recording engineer
Gregg Rominiecki – recording engineer
Thomas Goff – recording engineer
William J. Sullivan – assistant recording engineer
Kez Khou – mix assistance

Charts

Chart performance for "Champions"
Chart (2016)	Peak position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)^[12]	73
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)^[13]	24
UK Singles (OCC)^[14]	128
US Billboard Hot 100^[7]	71
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[15]	22

Certifications

Certifications for "Champions"
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)^[16]	Gold	45,000^‡
United Kingdom (BPI)^[17]	Silver	200,000^‡
United States (RIAA)^[18]	Platinum	1,000,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ "Kanye West releases new single, Round and Round". DIY Mag. 3 June 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
^ "The Verses on Kanye West's New Song 'Champions,' Ranked". Inverse. 3 June 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
^ "Kanye West premieres new single with Gucci Mane, Travis Scott and more off Cruel Winter". XXL. 3 June 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
^ "Kanye West's Champions (Round and Round) feat. Desiigner, Travis Scott, Big Sean, Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz [New Song]". HotNewHipHop. 3 June 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
^ "Kanye West, Gucci Mane, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Yo Gotti, Quavo & Desiigner – Champions". iTunes. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
^ "Complex's Best Songs of 2016". Complex. June 16, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Kanye West Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
^ Mansell, Henry (June 25, 2016). "Hip Hop Single Sales: Drake, Desiigner & Beyoncé". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
^ "Gold & Platinum - Kanye West - Champions". RIAA. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c Blistein, Jon (September 6, 2016). "Watch Teyana Taylor Wearing Only Gold Paint in 'Champions'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
^ "Champions / Kanye West". Tidal. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
^ "Kanye West Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
^ Chart Log UK: "CLUK Update 18.06.2016 (wk24)". UK Singles Chart. Zobbel.de. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
^ "Kanye West Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
^ "Danish single certifications – Kanye West feat. Desiigner, Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Gucci Mane, Quavo, Yo Gotti – Champions". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
^ "British single certifications – West/Gucci Mane/Big Sean – Champions". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
^ "American single certifications – Kanye West – Champions". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

Lyrics of the song at Genius

[1] "Kanye West releases new single, Round and Round". DIY Mag. 3 June 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.

[2] "The Verses on Kanye West's New Song 'Champions,' Ranked". Inverse. 3 June 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2018.

[3] "Kanye West premieres new single with Gucci Mane, Travis Scott and more off Cruel Winter". XXL. 3 June 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.

[4] "Kanye West's Champions (Round and Round) feat. Desiigner, Travis Scott, Big Sean, Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz [New Song]". HotNewHipHop. 3 June 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.

[5] "Kanye West, Gucci Mane, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Yo Gotti, Quavo & Desiigner – Champions". iTunes. Retrieved June 12, 2016.

[6] "Complex's Best Songs of 2016". Complex. June 16, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2018.

[billboard-7] "Kanye West Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2016.

[8] Mansell, Henry (June 25, 2016). "Hip Hop Single Sales: Drake, Desiigner & Beyoncé". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 30, 2016.

[9] "Gold & Platinum - Kanye West - Champions". RIAA. Retrieved April 15, 2018.

[rs-10] Blistein, Jon (September 6, 2016). "Watch Teyana Taylor Wearing Only Gold Paint in 'Champions'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 14, 2019.

[11] "Champions / Kanye West". Tidal. Retrieved March 12, 2019.

[sc_Billboardcanadianhot100_Kanye_West-12] "Kanye West Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2016.

[sc_UKrandb_-13] "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 17, 2016.

[sc_UKZobbel_-14] Chart Log UK: "CLUK Update 18.06.2016 (wk24)". UK Singles Chart. Zobbel.de. Retrieved June 24, 2016.

[sc_Billboardrandbhiphop_Kanye_West-15] "Kanye West Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2016.

[DenmarkKanye_West_feat._Desiigner,_Travis_Scott,_2_Chainz,_Big_Sean,_Gucci_Mane,_Quavo,_Yo_GottiChampionssingleCertRef-16] "Danish single certifications – Kanye West feat. Desiigner, Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Gucci Mane, Quavo, Yo Gotti – Champions". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved October 8, 2022.

[United_KingdomWest/Gucci_Mane/Big_SeanChampionssingleCertRef-17] "British single certifications – West/Gucci Mane/Big Sean – Champions". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 16, 2022.

[United_StatesKanye_WestChampionssingleCertRef-18] "American single certifications – Kanye West – Champions". Recording Industry Association of America.

[1]

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Key people	Ye (Founder) Pusha T (President) Steven Victor (COO)
Compilations	Kanye West Presents GOOD Music: Cruel Summer
Singles	"Mercy" "Cold" "New God Flow" "Clique" "Champions"
Other songs	"Don't Like"
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Discography Awards and nominations
Studio albums	Finally Famous (2011) Hall of Fame (2013) Dark Sky Paradise (2015) I Decided. (2017) Double or Nothing (with Metro Boomin) (2017) Detroit 2 (2020) Better Me Than You (2024)
EPs	What You Expect (with Hit-Boy) (2021)
Mixtapes	Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big (2010) Detroit (2012)
Singles	"My Last" "Marvin & Chardonnay" "Dance (Ass)" "Mercy" "Clique" "Guap" "Switch Up" "Beware" "Fire" "I Don't Fuck with You" "Paradise" "Blessings" "One Man Can Change the World" "Play No Games" "Champions" "Bounce Back" "Moves" "Jump Out the Window" "Pull Up N Wreck" "So Good" "Single Again" "Bezerk" "Deep Reverence" "Wolves" "Hate Our Love" "Precision"
Featured singles	"Lay It on Me" "Till I Die" "Naked" "My Homies Still" "As Long as You Love Me" "Burn" "Show Out" "All That (Lady)" "Wild" "Right There" "Sorry" "All Me" "Detroit vs. Everybody" "Open Wide" "B Boy" "How Many Times" "Back Up" "Workin" "Holy Key" "I Think of You" "Feels" "Alone" "Big Bank" "None of Your Concern" "I Do It" "Way Out" "Easy Lover"
Promotional singles	"I Do It" "Oh My" "What Yo Name Iz?" "Control" "Best Mistake" "Miracles (Someone Special)"
Other songs	"See Me Now" "Paper, Scissors, Rock" "Don't Like.1" "Sanctified" "All Your Fault" "Research" "No Favors" "Sacrifices" "Go Legend"
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