{"id":1781660,"date":"2026-02-20T13:27:57","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T10:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1781660"},"modified":"2026-02-20T13:27:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T10:27:57","slug":"the-rise-of-north-west-in-5-tracks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1781660","title":{"rendered":"The rise of North West in 5 tracks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1000\/0-78-1000-666\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438108.png&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/69697\/1\/rise-of-north-west-in-5-tracks-ye-fka-twigs-piercing-on-my-hand\" data-article-id=\"69697\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-square-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"square\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"square\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"60a9f3a1551cb084e4c60ff7f3ded66f.1000x1000x1\" class=\"img\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438108.png\" width=\"1000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">North West \u201cPiercing On My <span class=\"nowrap\">Hand\u201d artwork<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-20T13:27:57+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"20 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"20\">20,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lists\">Lists<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/lists\">Lists<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>The rise of North West in <span class=\"nowrap\">5 tracks<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>No one child should have all <span class=\"nowrap\">that power<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-20T13:27:57+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"20 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"20\">20,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-20T13:27:57+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"20 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"20\">20,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/solomonpacemccarrick\">Solomon Pace-McCarrick<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>We called it in 2024, we are now entering the era of the \u2018<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/63089\/1\/rapo-baby-babies-death-of-hip-hop-north-west-legend-glover\"><span>Rapo Baby<\/span><\/a><span>\u2019. Over the last couple of years, multiple children of established rappers have begun launching careers of their own: in 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/drake\">Drake<\/a>\u2019s then six-year-old son Adonis released <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S3ES0IQQdG8\">\u201cMy Man Freestyle\u201d<\/a>; in 2025, Ghostface Killa\u2019s son, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=d2ZHgDmP28I\"><span>Sweetface Killah<\/span><\/a><span>, rapped candidly about butting heads with his father over his sexuality; and Lil Wanye\u2019s 16-year-old son, Lil Novi, released his own <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/458qHFCyNWt3hHBzD8hBox?si=eej-RXTkTOWfihpI6pS8ig\"><span>full-length mixtape<\/span><\/a><span> last October.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Perhaps the rapo to rule all rapos, however, is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/kanye-west\">Kanye West <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/kim-kardashian\">Kim Kardashian<\/a>\u2019s 12-year-old daughter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/north-west\">North West<\/a>, who has today (February 20) announced a deal with Gamma, the same music company set to release Ye\u2019s upcoming album, <\/span><em><span>Bully<\/span><\/em><span>, next month. The news arrives hot on the heels of a string of releases from North, including an appearance on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fka-twigs\">FKA Twigs<\/a>\u2019 Grammy-winning 2025 album <\/span><em><span>Eusexua<\/span><\/em><span>, production for Lil Novi\u2019s recent rage-rap single \u201cjustswagup\u201d, and, most recently, guest production on hyperpop star skaiwater\u2019s new album, <\/span><em><span>wonderful<\/span><\/em><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While North West has likely had an army of musical assistants on hand throughout these recent releases, we have to give it to her: her music has just been getting better and better. Far from her decidedly infantile debut on Ye\u2019s 2024 single \u201cTalking\u201d, North West\u2019s recent releases are profoundly tapped into Gen Alpha rap trends: heady distortion a la Playboi Carti, writhing jersey club basslines and a bubbling obsession with Japan (okay, that one has been around for a while now).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Just take a look at some of the suggested artists on North West\u2019s Spotify profile \u2013 the likes of SOPHIE, Adela and fakemink. You might (rightfully) resent the numerous hateful comments made by her father over the last few years, but it\u2019s hard to deny that North West is drawing on her own unique palette of sonic influences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, in view of her new Gamma deal, we break down the rise of Rapo Baby queen North West in five tracks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cTALKING\/ONCE AGAIN FEAT. NORTH WEST\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"Tqlw87XV4kU \"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Tqlw87XV4kU%20\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>OK, this one is kind of icky for arriving at a particularly problematic era in Ye\u2019s career \u2013 we won\u2019t repeat any of the numerous controversies here \u2013 but, held in a vacuum, there is a beautifully delicate quality to North West\u2019s debut appearance on 2024 two-part single \u201cTalking\/Once Again\u201d. Set to a lo-fi jersey club beat in the track\u2019s first half, North West delivers a captivatingly childlike verse that oscillates between innocent rhyming couplets and tantrum-like screams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This is followed up by the Ty Dolla $ign-led second half, \u201cOnce Again\u201d, which closes with the lines \u201c<\/span><em><span>My motivation is just lookin&#8217; at my family tree \/ I&#8217;m tryna make sure I contribute for the legacy<\/span><\/em><span>.\u201d Ye\u2019s music has covered some pretty reprehensible themes in the last few years, but this song at least seems to express a genuine love for his children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cCHILDLIKE THINGS FEAT. NORTH WEST\u201d \u2013 FKA TWIGS\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"ax54oYnkjjc\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ax54oYnkjjc\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>One year after the release of \u201cTalking\u201d, North West resurfaced on FKA twigs\u2019 carnal techno album <\/span><em><span>Eusexua<\/span><\/em><span> \u2013 and she was rapping in\u2026 Japanese? Many questioned the decision to include an 11-year-old in an album which, among other things, deals with healing sexual trauma through raving, not to mention having an American deliver a rudimentary Japanese verse when there are countless <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/66023\/1\/5-japanese-rappers-yuki-china-litty-itachi-ozworld-lana-north-west-fka-twigs\">Japanese rappers<\/a> to choose from right now.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But, speaking on Instagram following the release, twigs explained that it was precisely North West\u2019s youth that led to her placement on the song. \u201cIt [needed] someone who has that [childlike] tenacity, who has that strong point of view that you have when you\u2019re 11,\u201d twigs told her followers. \u201cThen I saw an interview with North West, and she was so confident. It suddenly occurred to me that I would\u2019ve loved to have a friend like North who could speak up for themselves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The track, however, does introduce one theme that seems to have become a constant throughout North West\u2019s nascent career: Japan. And, while these first two releases focus primarily on her youth, behind the scenes, a freshly turned 12 North West was preparing to launch her own more mature musical identity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cJUSTSWAGUP (PROD. NORTH WEST)\u201d \u2013 MAGIC AND LIL NOVI<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"9ONL6EQeYGE\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9ONL6EQeYGE\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Despite their collective family wealth in the hundreds of millions, it is quite nice to see the children of Lil Wayne and Kanye West releasing a song through Distro Kid \u2013 the go-to distributor for every bedroom rapper under the sun, whose yearly subscription starts at just $24.99.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Released at the start of this year, the North West-produced track bears a strong Opium\/Playboi Carti influence in its distorted rage melodies and Lil Novi delivering hyper-compressed auto tune vocals about being \u201cbaby Wheezy\u201d and \u201cstunting like [his] daddy.\u201d These influences were cemented in two other production snippets that North West teased on Instagram in the same week that \u201cJustswagup\u201d dropped. While it might not have achieved the virality of her previous two releases, the message was clear: 2026 is the year that North West embarks on her own musical path.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cPIERCING ON MY HAND\u201d \u2013 NORTH WEST<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"hot0VF7p7ys\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hot0VF7p7ys\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Just one month after the release of \u201cJustswagup\u201d, North West launched her own solo career with the self-produced single \u201cPiercing On My Hand\u201d, which features kaleidoscopic plugg production and unique vocals from North herself. The track includes a number of similarities with the music of Kanye West, namely its opening with a soul vocal sample, and the Christ-like imagery of North having a piercing on her hand, continuing Kanye\u2019s own likening of himself to Jesus Christ in releases like 2004\u2019s \u201cJesus Walks\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Finally, \u201cPiercing On My Hand\u201d is also significant for introducing North\u2019s signature producer tag, featuring the <\/span><em><span>gairago<\/span><\/em><span> (Japanese-language) pronunciation of her name: \u201cNo-su-chan\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cBLINK TWICE (PROD. NORTH WEST)\u201d \u2013 SKAIWATER\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"mJ3XbmVDWbo\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mJ3XbmVDWbo\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Appearing on British rapper skaiwater\u2019s new album <\/span><em><span>wonderful<\/span><\/em><span>, North West-produced track \u201cBlink Twice\u201d bears all the hallmarks of North West\u2019s career so far. There\u2019s more Japanese references (this time in the form of a Hatsune Miku vocaloid sample), SoundCloud rap-like distortion, and another pulsing jersey club beat, offset by bed spring squeaks on the off-beat. Unlike the hyperactive \u201cPiercing On My Hand\u201d, however, \u201cBlink Twice\u201d also contains a slight hint of musical maturity in also pulling some of these layers back in the track\u2019s closing half to let skaiwater\u2019s softly-spoken melodies shine through. Despite whatever preconceptions you might have about North West and her family, the production here is <\/span><em><span>good<\/span><\/em><span>, and it certainly leaves us excited for what else the Rapo Baby queen has cooked up for this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69596\/1\/berlin-club-closures-is-the-party-over-techno-schwuz-cost-of-living-clubbing\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Rush-Troye-Sivan-2\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-99-1440-957\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436779.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Berlin: Is the party finally over?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69621\/1\/indie-pop-yearner-sarah-kinsley-fleeting-internet-obsessions\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sarah Kinsley\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-166-2447-1628\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437106.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Alt-pop yearner Sarah Kinsley shares her internet obsessions<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69643\/1\/listen-to-slushy-noobz-loverboy-playlist-youtube-valentines-day\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Slushy Noobz Loverboy\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/243-334-2515-1673\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/7\/1437343.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Listen to Slushy Noobz\u2019 loverboy playlist<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>We called it in 2024, we are now entering the era of the \u2018<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/63089\/1\/rapo-baby-babies-death-of-hip-hop-north-west-legend-glover\"><span>Rapo Baby<\/span><\/a><span>\u2019. Over the last couple of years, multiple children of established rappers have begun launching careers of their own: in 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/drake\">Drake<\/a>\u2019s then six-year-old son Adonis released <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=S3ES0IQQdG8\">\u201cMy Man Freestyle\u201d<\/a>; in 2025, Ghostface Killa\u2019s son, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=d2ZHgDmP28I\"><span>Sweetface Killah<\/span><\/a><span>, rapped candidly about butting heads with his father over his sexuality; and Lil Wanye\u2019s 16-year-old son, Lil Novi, released his own <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/458qHFCyNWt3hHBzD8hBox?si=eej-RXTkTOWfihpI6pS8ig\"><span>full-length mixtape<\/span><\/a><span> last October.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Perhaps the rapo to rule all rapos, however, is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/kanye-west\">Kanye West <\/a>and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/kim-kardashian\">Kim Kardashian<\/a>\u2019s 12-year-old daughter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/north-west\">North West<\/a>, who has today (February 20) announced a deal with Gamma, the same music company set to release Ye\u2019s upcoming album, <\/span><em><span>Bully<\/span><\/em><span>, next month. The news arrives hot on the heels of a string of releases from North, including an appearance on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/fka-twigs\">FKA Twigs<\/a>\u2019 Grammy-winning 2025 album <\/span><em><span>Eusexua<\/span><\/em><span>, production for Lil Novi\u2019s recent rage-rap single \u201cjustswagup\u201d, and, most recently, guest production on hyperpop star skaiwater\u2019s new album, <\/span><em><span>wonderful<\/span><\/em><span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While North West has likely had an army of musical assistants on hand throughout these recent releases, we have to give it to her: her music has just been getting better and better. Far from her decidedly infantile debut on Ye\u2019s 2024 single \u201cTalking\u201d, North West\u2019s recent releases are profoundly tapped into Gen Alpha rap trends: heady distortion a la Playboi Carti, writhing jersey club basslines and a bubbling obsession with Japan (okay, that one has been around for a while now).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Just take a look at some of the suggested artists on North West\u2019s Spotify profile \u2013 the likes of SOPHIE, Adela and fakemink. You might (rightfully) resent the numerous hateful comments made by her father over the last few years, but it\u2019s hard to deny that North West is drawing on her own unique palette of sonic influences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, in view of her new Gamma deal, we break down the rise of Rapo Baby queen North West in five tracks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cTALKING\/ONCE AGAIN FEAT. NORTH WEST\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"Tqlw87XV4kU \"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Tqlw87XV4kU%20\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>OK, this one is kind of icky for arriving at a particularly problematic era in Ye\u2019s career \u2013 we won\u2019t repeat any of the numerous controversies here \u2013 but, held in a vacuum, there is a beautifully delicate quality to North West\u2019s debut appearance on 2024 two-part single \u201cTalking\/Once Again\u201d. Set to a lo-fi jersey club beat in the track\u2019s first half, North West delivers a captivatingly childlike verse that oscillates between innocent rhyming couplets and tantrum-like screams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This is followed up by the Ty Dolla $ign-led second half, \u201cOnce Again\u201d, which closes with the lines \u201c<\/span><em><span>My motivation is just lookin&#8217; at my family tree \/ I&#8217;m tryna make sure I contribute for the legacy<\/span><\/em><span>.\u201d Ye\u2019s music has covered some pretty reprehensible themes in the last few years, but this song at least seems to express a genuine love for his children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cCHILDLIKE THINGS FEAT. NORTH WEST\u201d \u2013 FKA TWIGS\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"ax54oYnkjjc\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ax54oYnkjjc\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>One year after the release of \u201cTalking\u201d, North West resurfaced on FKA twigs\u2019 carnal techno album <\/span><em><span>Eusexua<\/span><\/em><span> \u2013 and she was rapping in\u2026 Japanese? Many questioned the decision to include an 11-year-old in an album which, among other things, deals with healing sexual trauma through raving, not to mention having an American deliver a rudimentary Japanese verse when there are countless <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/66023\/1\/5-japanese-rappers-yuki-china-litty-itachi-ozworld-lana-north-west-fka-twigs\">Japanese rappers<\/a> to choose from right now.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But, speaking on Instagram following the release, twigs explained that it was precisely North West\u2019s youth that led to her placement on the song. \u201cIt [needed] someone who has that [childlike] tenacity, who has that strong point of view that you have when you\u2019re 11,\u201d twigs told her followers. \u201cThen I saw an interview with North West, and she was so confident. It suddenly occurred to me that I would\u2019ve loved to have a friend like North who could speak up for themselves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The track, however, does introduce one theme that seems to have become a constant throughout North West\u2019s nascent career: Japan. And, while these first two releases focus primarily on her youth, behind the scenes, a freshly turned 12 North West was preparing to launch her own more mature musical identity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cJUSTSWAGUP (PROD. NORTH WEST)\u201d \u2013 MAGIC AND LIL NOVI<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"9ONL6EQeYGE\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9ONL6EQeYGE\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Despite their collective family wealth in the hundreds of millions, it is quite nice to see the children of Lil Wayne and Kanye West releasing a song through Distro Kid \u2013 the go-to distributor for every bedroom rapper under the sun, whose yearly subscription starts at just $24.99.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Released at the start of this year, the North West-produced track bears a strong Opium\/Playboi Carti influence in its distorted rage melodies and Lil Novi delivering hyper-compressed auto tune vocals about being \u201cbaby Wheezy\u201d and \u201cstunting like [his] daddy.\u201d These influences were cemented in two other production snippets that North West teased on Instagram in the same week that \u201cJustswagup\u201d dropped. While it might not have achieved the virality of her previous two releases, the message was clear: 2026 is the year that North West embarks on her own musical path.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cPIERCING ON MY HAND\u201d \u2013 NORTH WEST<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"hot0VF7p7ys\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hot0VF7p7ys\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Just one month after the release of \u201cJustswagup\u201d, North West launched her own solo career with the self-produced single \u201cPiercing On My Hand\u201d, which features kaleidoscopic plugg production and unique vocals from North herself. The track includes a number of similarities with the music of Kanye West, namely its opening with a soul vocal sample, and the Christ-like imagery of North having a piercing on her hand, continuing Kanye\u2019s own likening of himself to Jesus Christ in releases like 2004\u2019s \u201cJesus Walks\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Finally, \u201cPiercing On My Hand\u201d is also significant for introducing North\u2019s signature producer tag, featuring the <\/span><em><span>gairago<\/span><\/em><span> (Japanese-language) pronunciation of her name: \u201cNo-su-chan\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span>\u201cBLINK TWICE (PROD. NORTH WEST)\u201d \u2013 SKAIWATER\u00a0<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"mJ3XbmVDWbo\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mJ3XbmVDWbo\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Appearing on British rapper skaiwater\u2019s new album <\/span><em><span>wonderful<\/span><\/em><span>, North West-produced track \u201cBlink Twice\u201d bears all the hallmarks of North West\u2019s career so far. There\u2019s more Japanese references (this time in the form of a Hatsune Miku vocaloid sample), SoundCloud rap-like distortion, and another pulsing jersey club beat, offset by bed spring squeaks on the off-beat. Unlike the hyperactive \u201cPiercing On My Hand\u201d, however, \u201cBlink Twice\u201d also contains a slight hint of musical maturity in also pulling some of these layers back in the track\u2019s closing half to let skaiwater\u2019s softly-spoken melodies shine through. Despite whatever preconceptions you might have about North West and her family, the production here is <\/span><em><span>good<\/span><\/em><span>, and it certainly leaves us excited for what else the Rapo Baby queen has cooked up for this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69697\/1\/rise-of-north-west-in-5-tracks-ye-fka-twigs-piercing-on-my-hand&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1000\/0-78-1000-666\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/8\/1438108.png&#8221;] North West \u201cPiercing On My Hand\u201d artwork February\u00a0 20,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ Lists Music \/ Lists The rise of North West in 5 tracks No one child should have all that power February\u00a0 20,\u00a0 2026 February\u00a0 20,\u00a0 2026 TextSolomon Pace-McCarrick We called it in 2024, we are now entering the era of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1781660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1781660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1781660"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1781660\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1781660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1781660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1781660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}