They were sampled and reprogrammed into West's Roland TR-808 drum machine at the studio, which recording engineer Anthony Kilhoffer explained was responsible for the song's "unique sounds". Seeking out a minimalist direction sonically, West directed his team to bring unique drum machines to Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii. The song was recorded during the period of three weeks that West worked on 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. Though the majority of the album sees West at his most vulnerable, "Paranoid" is one of its most joyful songs. They went on to form a duo under the name of Kids See Ghosts, releasing their eponymous debut studio album on June 8, 2018. 808s & Heartbreak track "Welcome to Heartbreak" stood as the first ever collaboration between the two, though they later collaborated on numerous other tracks, including Kid Cudi's "Erase Me" and West's "Gorgeous".
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Kid Cudi has been believed to have directly influenced the album's creation, which West himself confirmed as being true. He subsequently co-wrote several songs on the album in Hawaii with West, including "Paranoid" and "Heartless". West and Kid Cudi first met each other at a Virgin Megastore in 2004, with the meeting including Cudi requesting West to sign him West respectfully declined the request, though the rapper told him, "I have the potential for greatness." After Plain Pat sent West Kid Cudi's debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi (2008), West arrived at the mixtape's listening party and took Cudi under his wing. The musician subsequently released his debut studio album Straight No Chaser under GOOD Music in October 2009, with West contributing vocals on the single "Supernova". After featuring Mr Hudson on the song, West signed him to his record label GOOD Music. The musician received a phone call from West while on vacation in Paris West was drawn in by his charm and subsequently recruited him for "Paranoid". Outside of his feature on the song, Mr Hudson helped write and produce fellow 808s & Heartbreak tracks "Say You Will" and "Street Lights". The producers co-wrote it with Consequence and rapper Kid Cudi. West produced "Paranoid", while the song was co-produced by American record producers Jeff Bhasker and Plain Pat. Since its release, the song has been covered by both the Suzan and Kali Uchis. A remix, featuring Mr Hudson and rapper Big Sean, was released in December 2008. It received a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Based around a fantasy from her paranoid mindstate, the video sees her going through a dream sequence. An accompanying music video, directed by Nabil Elderkin and starring Rihanna, was released on June 3, 2009.
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West and Mr Hudson have performed the song live together on numerous occasions, including at the 2009 iTunes Festival. That same year, the song reached number 18 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, and has since been certified gold in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
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It charted at numbers 14 and 90 on the Belgium Ultratip Wallonia chart and ARIA Singles Chart, respectively, in 2009. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with the majority of them being complimentary towards the production, while some critics compared "Paranoid" to the works of other artists. Its lyrical content is centered around West being pushed away by the mistrustful thinking of a woman that he is in love with. An upbeat new wave track, the song features electronic drum effects and pop synths. It was serviced to top 40 radio stations in the United States on March 23, 2009, as the fourth and final single from the album. The song was written by the producers alongside Consequence and Kid Cudi. West handled the production, with co-production from Bhasker and Plain Pat. The song features a guest appearance from English musician Mr Hudson and background vocals from Kid Cudi. " Paranoid" is a song by American record producer and vocalist Kanye West from his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008).