3. Kanye West - “Ultralight Beam”

Life has tendency to wear us down, and every now and then it comes along and just obliterates us, shattering our reality and forcing us to either crumble or rise to the task and rebuild, focusing on the future and something bigger than our little island of the self within the present. Regardless of what you believe, I think its safe to say that all of us believe in something bigger and greater than ourselves. Some call it god(s), others call it the universe and science, others call it progress, humanity, space, time, or reality, but no matter what you call it, there seems to be natural inclination for us as humans to look for something bigger than ourselves, as well as a corresponding desire to find our place within it. It’s why there are so many religions in the world. They’re all separate paths that various cultures have taken in an effort to seek out and discover the greater something that all of us can feel deep down within our souls.

This song speaks to that desire. It captures the expansiveness of the emotion, a sort of slow build, climbing out of uncertainty to attain a glorious and overwhelming bliss. It’s a beautiful track, full of perseverance and hope, almost like a call to arms for the soul to rise and tap into the very life-force of existence. It’s soulfood, stirring and giving life to even the most jaded of souls. You can’t help but feel something deep down within as the chilling voices of the choir rise and soar and as Chance and Kanye preach through the honey of their flows. It pushes the listener forward – inspiring progress, love, unity and redemption. It urges us to forge ahead despite the past and all of our shortcomings. To strive for something greater in an effort to bring about the best in humanity and leave our existence better than we found it.