After spending the previous year touring the world with the band on their Vertigo Tour, he became inspired by witnessing lead singer Bono open stadium concerts each night to incredible ovations. Kanye West claimed that more than any other song from his third album, "I Wonder" was the most directly influenced by the Irish rock band U2. Its musical style demonstrates a distinctly European aesthetic, introducing diverse elements and influences from stadium rock, alternative music and various forms of electronic-music, all while maintaining its hip-hop essence. The experimental hip-hop production of "I Wonder" represents a musical progression from the sound of West's past work. Although the composition was originally intended to be the album's opening number. It was included as the fourth song on the track-listing of his third studio album, Graduation (2007).
"I Wonder" was written and produced by American hip-hop recording artist and record producer Kanye West. Kanye West set out to compose the hip-hop version of " City of Blinding Lights" by the Irish rock band U2 ( pictured) after touring with them. West performed the song on the set-list on his worldwide Glow in the Dark Tour (2008). The video clip for "I Wonder" features a montage of scenes that are taken from the 1982 science fiction film Tron. It was one of seven clips that were designed by West and edited by film editor Derrick Lee exclusively for the event. The video clip premiered during an album listening session West held for Graduation at the New World Stages in New York City. Although an accompanying music video was never produced for "I Wonder," a special video clip was made for the track. Nevertheless, "I Wonder" has since been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). At one point, he even contemplated releasing "I Wonder" as the albums' fourth single, but subsequently chose " Flashing Lights" in it's place. West himself actually cited "I Wonder" as one of his top three favorite songs from Graduation. Even though it did not enter charts, the album track has become a cult classic amongst fans and listeners. The song received general acclaim from contemporary music critics, who hailed it as an album highlight. Lyrically, "I Wonder" is an introspective number, containing a blend of melancholic yet inspirational lines that discuss finding one's dreams. His lyrical delivery features a fragmented, forceful flow where he raps minimalist verses in an intense staccato vocal style.
It's experimental musical composition is also notable for West's rapping technique.
The maximalist synths are further supplemented with a sweeping string section as well as winding keyboards.
The layered arrangement expresses ambitious orchestrations, with distorted electronic synthesizer that act as the driving melodic instrument. Afterwards, he sought out to compose a hip hop-oriented variation of " City of Blinding Lights," the band's 2005 single. A key development in the song's creation was West touring the world the year prior with Irish rock band U2 on their Vertigo Tour. It contains a sample from "My Song" by British singer-songwriter, musician, and poet Labi Siffre. The track was produced by West and retains influences from stadium rock, alternative music, and a variety of electronic-music subgenres. It was released as the fourth song on the track-listing of his third studio album Graduation (2007). " I Wonder" is a song by American hip-hop recording artist and record producer Kanye West.