Kanye West’s 2014 single featuring Paul McCartney is “Only One.”
Released on December 31, 2014, “Only One” was West’s first new song after his 2013 album “Yeezus.” Paul McCartney plays electric piano on the track, making the collaboration more understated and soulful than a conventional rap single. The recording was produced by West, McCartney, Mike Dean, and Noah Goldstein.
The song has a deeply personal premise. Its lyrics present a message to West from the perspective of his late mother, Donda West, and it is associated with his daughter North. West said he did not initially remember singing the words during the recording process, which contributed to the song’s unusual emotional backstory.
Listeners sometimes confuse “Only One” with “FourFiveSeconds,” another McCartney collaboration released soon afterward. “FourFiveSeconds” also features Rihanna, while “Only One” is billed as a Kanye West song featuring McCartney alone. The two artists later worked together again on “All Day.”