I Hate U (SZA song)

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"I Hate U"
An iPhone screenshot of a text conversation with SZA, whose avatar is a greyscale portrait of her taking a selfie by the mirror. Sent at 8:06 a.m., the sole message, which comes from SZA, reads "I hate u."
Single by SZA
PublishedAugust 22, 2021 (SoundCloud)
ReleasedDecember 3, 2021
GenreElectro-R&B[1]
Length2:54
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Solána Rowe
  • Robert Bisel
  • Cody Fayne
  • Carter Lang
  • Dylan Patrice
Producer(s)
  • Robert Bisel
  • ThankGod4Cody
  • Carter Lang
  • Dylan Patrice
SZA singles chronology
"Kiss Me More"
(2021) 		"I Hate U"
(2021) 		"No Love"
(2022)
Audio video
"I Hate U" on YouTube
Lyric video
"I Hate U" on YouTube
Visualizer
"I Hate U" on YouTube

"I Hate U" is a song by the American singer SZA. It was originally released along with two other songs on SZA's SoundCloud account in August 2021, before receiving a release on major platforms on December 3, 2021, after garnering popularity on the video-sharing app, TikTok. A break-up song, it finds SZA detailing what went wrong in a past relationship, expressing resentment towards her ex, but acknowledging that she still misses them. "I Hate U" is an electronic R&B song with a "crunching", dark instrumental, containing a relaxed, "ethereal" chorus, and hip hop-influenced verses.

Upon its release it simultaneously debuted at number one on the United States Spotify and Apple Music streaming songs chart;[2] and broke the record for the most streamed R&B song by a female artist on Apple Music in its first week.[3] The song debuted at number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming SZA's second song, and first as the lead artist, to debut in the top ten, while also debuting at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart;[4] it also reached the top 40 in Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

Background[]

The song was originally released exclusively on SZA's (anonymous) SoundCloud on August 22, 2021, along with two other tracks, "Joni" and "Nightbird".[5] She revealed that her astrologist encouraged her to release the songs.[6] After "I Hate U" went viral on TikTok and received a warm response from fans, SZA decided to give it an official release, stating: "Honestly this started out as an exercise. I just wanted somewhere to dump my thoughts w out pressure..y'all made it a thing and I'm not mad lmao. ask and u shall receive".[7] However, after the song reached number one on US Apple Music, SZA revealed that the song is an official single, posting on social media: "One thing ab challll yall gon make it a single even if it aint !' I love you ! Thank you ![8][9] She also deemed the SoundCloud release an "experiment".[7]

Composition and reception[]

Vulture's Justin Curto labeled "I Hate U" a "groovy breakup song, anchored by SZA's lyrical directness",[10] while Hayden Daviss of Pilerats found it a "subtle and seemingly 90s-indebted take on SZA's sound, with a crunching production swaying amongst SZA's vocal".[11] HotNewHipHop's Alexander Cole gave the song a "Very Hottttt" rating, complimenting the "dark production that complements the singer's voice perfectly", and noted, "throughout the track, she sings about a recent breakup and how she wishes things had played out differently".[12] Ciaran Brennan of Hot Press said the song, along with "Joni" and "Nightbird", "showcases SZA's musical diversity", with the singer "switching up between passionate, emotional vocals and relaxed verses".[13] Okayplayer's Robyn Mowat noted how the song "is filled with reflections on love, heartache and her headspace regarding a love gone wrong".[14] NorthJersey.com's Jack McLoone deemed the track signature SZA, despite finding "her vocals on the chorus are more ethereal, while in the verses she skews closer to traditional R&B delivery with some clear hip hop influences.[15] Naledi Ushe of PopSugar called it "a banger for all the heartbroken (past and present) people of the world".[16] Comparing the song to Prince's "Eye Hate U" (1995), Jezebel writers said "a relaxed tempo and veritable yacht-rock keyboard underscore lovelorn 'fuck yous' and the overarching idea of hating someone because you love them so much". They noted however, that "despite the song's title, it is not a kiss-off but a call back, praising the "nimble" hook.[17] Billboard's Jason Lipshutz commended the song for showcasing "the vocal power that's made her such a captivating figure in mainstream pop and R&B".[18] Similarly, HipHopDX's David Aaron Blake said, over the "wailing" synth and "lush" instrumental, is SZA's "uncontainable and booming voice".[19]

Music video[]

A music video to accompany "I Hate U" was released on January 7, 2022. The visualizer, directed by Jack Begert, centers around a man (played by actor Lakeith Stanfield) in a heated argument on the phone. After the fiery phone call, he finds himself alone walking along the beach trying to light a cigarette and failing to do so. He then receives a text from SZA that reads "i hate u", prompting him to hurl his phone in the ocean. The video concludes with the words "Not The End", hinting at a possible follow-up.[20]

Credits and personnel[]

Credits adapted via YouTube.[21]

  • Solána Rowe – composer, lyricist
  • Robert Bisel – producer, composer, lyricist
  • Carter Lang – composer, lyricist, producer
  • Cody Fayne (ThankGod4Cody) – producer, composer, lyricist
  • Dylan Patrice – composer, lyricist, producer

Charts[]

Chart performance for "I Hate U"
Chart (2021–2022) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[22] 16
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[23] 14
Global 200 (Billboard)[24] 11
Greece (IFPI)[25] 44
Ireland (IRMA)[26] 27
Lithuania (AGATA)[27] 63
Netherlands (Single Tip)[28] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[29] 8
Portugal (AFP)[30] 49
South Africa (RISA)[31] 8
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[32] 2
UK Singles (OCC)[33] 38
US Billboard Hot 100[34] 7
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[35] 1
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[36] 33
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[37] 1

Certifications[]

Certifications and sales for "I Hate U"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[38] Gold 35,000double-dagger
United States (RIAA)[39] Gold 500,000double-dagger

double-dagger Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[]

Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various December 3, 2021
[40]
United States January 11, 2022 Urban contemporary radio RCA [41]
March 15, 2022 Urban adult contemporary radio [42]

References[]

  1. ^ Kaplan, Ilana (December 3, 2021). "SZA Officially Drops 'I Hate You' as New Single". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  2. ^ "SZA's "I Hate U" Tops Apple Music & Spotify Daily Charts". Rap Basement. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Singleton, Micah (December 15, 2021). "SZA's 'I Hate U' Breaks Apple Music R&B Streaming Record". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  4. ^ Trust, Gary (December 13, 2021). "Adele's 'Easy on Me' Adds 7th Week Atop Hot 100, SZA's 'I Hate U' Debuts at No. 7". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  5. ^ Hussey, Allison (December 3, 2021). "SZA Officially Releases New Single "I Hate U"". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  6. ^ D'Souza, Shaad (August 22, 2021). "SZA drops new songs "Nightbird", "I Hate You" and "Joni"". The Fader. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Cowen, Trace William (December 3, 2021). "SZA's "I Hate U" Gets an Official Release After Going Viral on TikTok". Complex. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  8. ^ "One thing ab challll yall gon make it a single even if it aint !' I love you ! Thank you !" ..." December 3, 2021. Archived from the original on December 25, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021 – via Instagram.
  9. ^ @SZA (December 3, 2021). "One thing ab y'all .y'all gon take a song that wasn't a single and make it a single !! THANK YOU !!!!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 4, 2021 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ Curto, Justin (December 3, 2021). "If You Wondered If SZA Was Going to Release 'I Hate U,' She Did". Vulture. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  11. ^ Davies, Hayden. "Listen to three surprise new songs from SZA: Nightbird, I Hate You and Joni". Pilerats. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  12. ^ Cole, Alexander (August 22, 2021). "SZA Unleashes Yet Another Song On SoundCloud In "I Hate You"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  13. ^ Brennan, Ciaran (August 23, 2021). "SZA releases 3 new songs from anonymous Soundcloud account". Hot Press. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  14. ^ Mowat, Robyn (December 3, 2021). "SZA Commences Sad Girl Season With New Single "I Hate U"". Okayplayer. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  15. ^ McLoone, Jack (December 3, 2021). "New SZA single 'I Hate U' released after TikTok success". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  16. ^ Ushe, Naledi (December 3, 2021). "SZA, I Love You For Officially Releasing "I Hate U"". PopSugar. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  17. ^ Juzwiak, Rich; Reese, Ashley (December 3, 2021). "SZA's Love Pours Out in "I Hate U"". Jezebel. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  18. ^ Lipshutz, Jason (December 3, 2021). "First Stream: New Music From Ariana Grande & Kid Cudi, Juice Wrld & Justin Bieber and More". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  19. ^ Blake, David Aaron (December 3, 2021). "New Music Friday - New Singles From Brent Faiyaz, SZA, Blxst, Mary J. Blige + More". HipHopDX. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  20. ^ Watch the video for SZA's 'I Hate U', starring Lakeith Stanfield - NME (accessed January 23, 2022)
  21. ^ "SZA - I Hate U (Audio) - YouTube". December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021 – via YouTube.
  22. ^ "SZA – I Hate U.". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  23. ^ "SZA Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  24. ^ "SZA Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  25. ^ "IFPI Charts". ifpi.gr. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  26. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  27. ^ "2021 50-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  28. ^ "Single Tip". Dutch Charts. December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  29. ^ "SZA – I Hate U.". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  30. ^ "SZA – I Hate U.". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  31. ^ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100: Week 49". The Official South African Charts. Recording Industry of South Africa. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  32. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 49". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  33. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  34. ^ "SZA Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  35. ^ "SZA Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  36. ^ "SZA Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  37. ^ "SZA Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  38. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  39. ^ "American single certifications – SZA – I Hate U". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  40. ^ "‎I Hate U - Single by SZA on Apple Music". December 3, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2022 – via Apple Music.
  41. ^ "Urban/R&B Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  42. ^ "Urban/R&B Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
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