Head image via Hypetrak

While 2012’s Cruel Summer album was one of Kanye West’s more inconsistent projects, there’s no doubt that it spawned a fair share of highlights: ‘Mercy’ held one of 2 Chainz’s most celebrated verses, while ‘Clique’ still sits on replay at clubs to this day.

As soon as Cruel Summer began to sink in, there was talk of a follow-up called Cruel Winter. Those longstanding rumours gained a heap of momentum earlier this month when Yeezus himself stepped into Los Angeles radio station Real 92.3, premiering the colossal cut titled ‘Champions’. Now, the official version of the track has just emerged online, acting as the first single from the Cruel Winter project. The song was produced by incoming Australian visitor A-Trak – who’ll be spearheading his huge co-headline tour with What So Not this June and July – as well as Charlie Heat, Mike Dean and Flockaveli architect Lex Luger.

Meanwhile, guest vocals arrive from Quavo, Big Sean, Desiigner, Travis Scott, Yo Gotti, 2 Chainz and the recently freed Gucci Mane. This is already getting a spin or two on club danceflooors, and it’s not hard to hear why – a sing-a-long hook, larger-than-life trap production and ignorant quotables define one of 2016’s biggest rap cuts. If this is a sign of what’s to come, we’re expecting Cruel Winter to be a time and a half. Listen to ‘Champions’ below and don’t expect the Kanye West hype to die down anytime soon: