Friends (Francis and the Lights song)

2016 single by Francis and the Lights featuring Bon Iver and Kanye West

"Friends"

Single by Francis and the Lights featuring Bon Iver and Kanye West
from the album  Farewell, Starlite!
Released| July 7, 2016
Length| 3:09
Label| KTTF Music
Songwriter(s)|

* Aaron Lammer
* Francis Farewell Starlite
* BJ Burton
* Rostam Batmanglij
* Justin Vernon

Producer(s)|

* BJ Burton
* Francis Farewell Starlite
* Justin Vernon
* Rostam Batmanglij
* Aaron Lammer
* Ariel Rechtshaid
* Benny Blanco
* Cashmere Cat
* Kanye West

Francis and the Lights singles chronology
| "Wonderful Everyday: Arthur"
(2014)  | "Friends"
(2016)  | "Summer Friends"
(2016)

|
|

Bon Iver singles chronology
| "Beth/Rest"
(2012)  | "Friends"
(2016)  | "22 (OVER S∞∞N)" / "10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄"
(2016)

|
|

Kanye West singles chronology
| "Champions"
(2016)  | "Friends"
(2016)  | "Fade"
(2016)

|
|

"Friends" is a song by American music project Francis and the Lights featuring Bon Iver and uncredited contributions from Kanye West. The song was released as a single on July 7, 2016, accompanied by a music video featuring Francis Farewell Starlite, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Kanye West.[1]

The song was sampled in Chance the Rapper's song "Summer Friends" from his 2016 mixtape Coloring Book.[2] "Friends" was sampled in "Summer Friends" before it was officially released independently as a single by Francis and the Lights.

Red Bull named it as the 15th best song of 2016.[3]

Francis and the Lights, Vernon and West collaborated again in 2019 on the song "Take Me to the Light."[4]

## Music video

[edit]

A music video for "Friends" was released on July 7, 2016.[5] The video was directed by Jake Schreier.[6] Knowing each other since childhood, Francis and Schreier have been making single-take, minimalist performance videos since 2008.[6] They wanted to do the next iteration of what they had been doing before.[6] In a 2016 interview, Schreier said, "We had never done a synchronized dance in a video or really had other protagonists in the video, so that's what we wanted to add to this one."[6]

Pitchfork named it as the 18th best music video of 2016.[7] NPR named it as one of the best music videos of 2016.[8]

## Track listing

[edit]

No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Friends"| 3:09

## Charts

[edit]

Chart  | Peak
position

|

UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[9] | 90
US Spotify Velocity (Billboard)[10] | 13
US Spotify Viral 50 (Billboard)[11] | 1

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Strauss, Matthew (2016-07-07). "Watch Kanye, Bon Iver, and Francis and the Lights Team Up for New Video "Friends"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
2. ^ Legaspi, Althea (2016-07-07). "Watch Kanye West, Bon Iver in Francis and the Lights' New 'Friends' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
3. ^ "50 Best Songs of 2016". Red Bull. 2016-12-06. Retrieved 2017-07-04.
4. ^ Rettig, James (September 3, 2019). "Francis And The Lights – "Take Me To The Light" (Feat. Bon Iver & Kanye West)". Stereogum. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
5. ^ Breihan, Tom (2016-07-07). "Francis And The Lights – "Friends" (Feat. Bon Iver And Kanye West) Video". Stereogum. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
6. ^ a b c d Hogan, Marc (2016-07-08). "Francis and the Lights' "Friends" Video Director Talks Kanye, Bon Iver, Dance Moves". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2017-07-04.
7. ^ "The Best Music Videos of 2016 (1/3)". Pitchfork. 2016-11-28. Retrieved 2017-07-04.
8. ^ "Best Music Videos of 2016". NPR. 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2017-07-04.
9. ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
10. ^ "Francis & the Lights - Chart history - Spotify Velocity". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-07-04.
11. ^ "Francis & the Lights - Chart history - Spotify Viral 50". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-07-04.

## External links

[edit]

* "Friends" on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Francis and the Lights

Studio albums|

* Farewell, Starlite!
* Just for Us

Soundtracks|

* Robot & Frank

Singles|

* "Friends"
* "Summer Friends"
* "Wild Love"
* "Look What You're Doing to Me"
* "Take Me to the Light"

Other songs|

* "All We Got"
* "Faith"
* "Dear Theodosia"
* "I Thought About Killing You"
* "All Mine"
* "Ghost Town"
* "Feel the Love"

Performances|

* Away from Home Tour
* Magnificent Coloring World Tour
* Eaux Claires

Related Articles|

* Jake Schreier
* Jake Lodwick
* Inc. No World
* Robot & Frank
* Surf

* v
* t
* e

Bon Iver

* Sean Carey
* Matthew McCaughan
* Michael Noyce
* Justin Vernon

Studio albums|

* For Emma, Forever Ago
* Bon Iver
* 22, A Million
* I, I
* Sable, Fable

EPs|

* Blood Bank
* Sable

Singles|

* "Skinny Love"
* "Fall Creek Boys Choir"
* "Holocene"
* "Beth/Rest"
* "Hey, Ma"

Featured singles|

* "Monster"
* "Friends"
* "Take Me to the Light"
* "Exile"

Other songs|

* "Dark Fantasy"
* "Lost in the World"
* "I Am a God"
* "Hold My Liquor"
* "I'm in It"
* "Yi" and "iMi"
* "Boys of Faith"

Related articles|

* Discography
* DeYarmond Edison
* Volcano Choir
* Gayngs
* All We Grow
* Jagjaguwar
* 4AD
* I, I Tour

* v
* t
* e

Kanye West songs

* Singles discography
* Songs

2000s singles|

* "Through the Wire"
* "Slow Jamz"
* "All Falls Down"
* "Jesus Walks"
* "The New Workout Plan"
* "Diamonds from Sierra Leone"
* "Gold Digger"
* "Heard 'Em Say"
* "Touch the Sky"
* "Drive Slow"
* "Can't Tell Me Nothing"
* "Stronger"
* "Good Life"
* "Flashing Lights"
* "Homecoming"
* "Love Lockdown"
* "Heartless"
* "Amazing"
* "Paranoid"

2010s singles|

* "Power"
* "Runaway"
* "Monster"
* "All of the Lights"
* "H•A•M"
* "Otis"
* "Lift Off"
* "Niggas in Paris"
* "Why I Love You"
* "Gotta Have It"
* "No Church in the Wild"
* "Mercy"
* "Cold"
* "New God Flow"
* "Clique"
* "Black Skinhead"
* "Bound 2"
* "Famous"
* "Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1"
* "Pt. 2"
* "Fade"
* "Yikes"
* "All Mine"
* "Follow God"
* "Closed on Sunday"

2020s singles|

* "Hurricane"
* "Life of the Party"
* "Believe What I Say"
* "Off the Grid"
* "Eazy"
* "City of Gods"
* "True Love"
* "Vultures"
* "Talking / Once Again"
* "Carnival"
* "Slide"
* "WW3"
* "Cousins"
* "Heil Hitler"
* "Beauty and the Beast"

Other singles|

* "Impossible"
* "Classic (Better Than I've Ever Been)"
* "Forever"
* "We Are the World 25 for Haiti"
* "Christmas in Harlem"
* "Only One"
* "FourFiveSeconds"
* "All Day"
* "Champions"
* "Lift Yourself"
* "Ye vs. the People"
* "XTCY"
* "I Love It"
* "Wash Us in the Blood"
* "Nah Nah Nah"
* "No Face"
* "Alive"

Featured singles|

* "Selfish"
* "Talk About Our Love"
* "This Way"
* "The Food"
* "I Changed My Mind"
* "Down and Out"
* "The Corner"
* "Go!"
* "Number One"
* "Extravaganza"
* "Brand New"
* "Grammy Family"
* "Number One"
* "Wouldn't Get Far"
* "I Still Love H.E.R."
* "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" (remix)
* "Pro Nails"
* "Finer Things"
* "American Boy"
* "Put On"
* "Stay Up! (Viagra)"
* "Swagga Like Us"
* "Go Hard"
* "Knock You Down"
* "Kinda Like a Big Deal"
* "Walkin' on the Moon"
* "Supernova"
* "Make Her Say"
* "Run This Town"
* "Whatever U Want"
* "Live Fast, Die Young"
* "Erase Me"
* "Deuces" (remix)
* "Start It Up"
* "Hurricane 2.0"
* "E.T."
* "Marvin & Chardonnay"
* "Pride N Joy"
* "I Wish You Would"
* "Birthday Song"
* "Thank You"
* "I Won"
* "Nobody"
* "Blessings"
* "U Mad"
* "One Man Can Change the World"
* "Pop Style"
* "Figure It Out"
* "That Part"
* "Friends"
* "Ballin"
* "Tiimmy Turner" (remix)
* "Castro"
* "Feel Me"
* "Love Yourself"
* "Glow"
* "Watch"
* "Cops Shot the Kid"
* "Take Me to the Light"
* "Ego Death"
* "Keep It Burnin"
* "Hot Shit"

Promotional singles|

* "See Me Now"
* "Power" (remix)
* "Devil in a New Dress"
* "So Appalled"
* "The Joy"
* "Flicker" (Kanye West rework)
* "Facts"
* "Real Friends"
* "No More Parties in LA"
* "30 Hours"
* "Tina"
* "Lonely Roads Still Go to Sunshine"

2000s songs|

* "I'll Fly Away"
* "Spaceship"
* "Never Let Me Down"
* "Two Words"
* "Family Business"
* "Jesus Walks" (remix)
* "It's Alright"
* "The New Workout Plan" (remix)
* "Two Words" (cinematic)
* "Never Let Me Down" (cinematic)
* "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" (remix)
* "Hey Mama"
* "Gone"
* "Drive Slow" (remix)
* "Good Morning"
* "Champion"
* "I Wonder"
* "Everything I Am"
* "Big Brother"
* "Say You Will"
* "Welcome to Heartbreak"
* "RoboCop"
* "Street Lights"
* "See You in My Nightmares"
* "Coldest Winter"

2010s songs|

* "Dark Fantasy"
* "Gorgeous"
* "Hell of a Life"
* "Blame Game"
* "Lost in the World"
* "Welcome to the Jungle"
* "Who Gon Stop Me"
* "Murder to Excellence"
* "Made in America"
* "To the World"
* "Don't Like.1"
* "On Sight"
* "I Am a God"
* "New Slaves"
* "Hold My Liquor"
* "I'm in It"
* "Blood on the Leaves"
* "Guilt Trip"
* "Send It Up"
* "Say You Will" (remix)
* "When I See It"
* "Ultralight Beam"
* "Feedback"
* "Low Lights"
* "Highlights"
* "Freestyle 4"
* "I Love Kanye"
* "Waves"
* "FML"
* "Wolves"
* "Frank's Track"
* "Facts (Charlie Heat Version)"
* "Saint Pablo"
* "I Thought About Killing You"
* "Wouldn't Leave"
* "No Mistakes"
* "Ghost Town"
* "Violent Crimes"
* "Feel the Love"
* "Fire"
* "4th Dimension"
* "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)"
* "Reborn"
* "Kids See Ghosts"
* "Cudi Montage"
* "Selah"
* "On God"
* "Everything We Need"
* "Water"
* "God Is"
* "Hands On"
* "Use This Gospel"
* "Jesus Is Lord"

2020s songs|

* "Donda Chant"
* "Jail"
* "Praise God"
* "Jonah"
* "Ok Ok"
* "Junya"
* "24"
* "Remote Control"
* "Moon"
* "New Again"
* "Tell the Vision"
* "Lord I Need You"
* "Pure Souls"
* "Come to Life"
* "No Child Left Behind"
* "Jail pt 2"
* "Ok Ok pt 2"
* "Junya pt 2"
* "Up from the Ashes"
* "Remote Control pt 2"
* "Use This Gospel" (remix)
* "Vultures" (Havoc version)
* "Stars"
* "Back to Me"
* "Hoodrat"
* "Paperwork"
* "Fuk Sumn"
* "Beg Forgiveness"
* "Good (Don't Die)"
* "Fried"
* "Promotion"
* "River"
* "Can U Be"

Featured songs|

* "The Bounce"
* "Champions"
* "Get By" (remix)
* "Excuse Me Miss" (remix)
* "Back Like That" (remix)
* "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" (remix)
* "Us Placers"
* "Beat Goes On"
* "Billie Jean 2008"
* "Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom)" (remix)
* "Therapy"
* "Ego" (remix)
* "Blazin'"
* "Welcome to the World"
* "Sanctified"
* "Drunk in Love" (remix)
* "All Your Fault"
* "Smuckers"
* "Jukebox Joints"
* "All We Got"
* "Pussy Print"
* "Mama"
* "One Minute"
* "Mixed Personalities"
* "Go2DaMoon"
* "Like That" (remix)

Unreleased songs|

* "I Feel Like That"
* "Brothers"
* "LA Monster"
* "New Body"

* Category

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