Trollz (song)
| "Trollz" | ||||
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| Single by 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj | ||||
| from the album TattleTales | ||||
| Released | June 12, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | April–May 2020 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 3:22 | |||
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| 6ix9ine singles chronology | ||||
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| Nicki Minaj singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Trollz" on YouTube | ||||
"Trollz" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American rapper 6ix9ine and Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released as the second single from 6ix9ine's second studio album, TattleTales (2020). It was postponed twice before being released on June 12, 2020, as the follow-up to "Gooba", released four weeks earlier. It was written by the artists, along with its producers Sadpony and Jahnei Clarke, the latter having also produced "Gooba". The song marked the third collaboration between the artists, following "Fefe" and "Mama", both released in 2018. Lyrically, the song takes aim at internet trolls. On June 16, 2020, a new version of the song was released, featuring a different verse from Minaj and an altered beat. It became the first song to top the Hot 100 charts from an indie label since XXXTentacion's Sad! in 2018.[1] "Trollz" set the record for the largest drop down the chart from number one in Hot 100 history at the time, becoming the first single to fall over 34 positions in its second week after a number one debut. The record was subsequently broken in December 2020 by Taylor Swift's "Willow".[2]
Background and release[]
After having been released from prison early, in April 2020, Hernandez released his first single after his prison sentence on May 8, 2020, titled "Gooba".[3] Following his controversial accusations towards Billboard of rigging and chart manipulation, and towards pop singers Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber's management of buying "30,000 copies with six credit cards" for their song "Stuck with U", 6ix9ine posted a photo of himself holding up six credit cards, writing in the caption, "Don't worry we going #1 next time @billboard."[4] On May 17, 2020, he announced that he would take a short hiatus from social media and release a video the following Friday.[5] He also promised a new song set to be released on May 22 if "Gooba" got 10,000 downloads.[6] However, the scheduled release was subsequently postponed to May 29. On May 23, he asked his fans to come up with the song title of his upcoming single, which turned out to be "Trollz".[7][8] Shortly thereafter, Hernandez posted a video of himself confirming the title.[9][10] The rapper further revealed that the song features another artist.[11] On June 3, 6ix9ine announced the song was again delayed to June 12, stating it is "out of respect for" the ongoing George Floyd protests.[12]
Minaj reportedly visited 6ix9ine to film the music video in May 2020.[13] On June 10, 2020, it was confirmed that Minaj was the previously announced guest artist via the official merchandise bundled with the song on her website.[14]
Composition and lyrics[]
The song is driven by an electronic drum backing track and contains a laconic beat.[15][16] On the song, 6ix9ine employs his "usual" braggadocious delivery,[17] with Minaj's lyrics containing sex euphemisms.[18] Minaj explained that she recorded eleven different versions before the song was released in its final form.[19]
Alex Zidel of HotNewHipHop noted that Minaj's verse contains a possible dig at singer Usher, when she raps: "Somebody usher this nigga into a clinic/My flow's still sick, I ain't talkin' a pandemic". Shortly before the song's release, Usher had said Minaj "got her 'blueprint' from Lil Kim", and he previously faced herpes accusations.[20]
An alternate version of the song was also released, which opens with Minaj's original verse, as she raps in English with Spanish words ("He tryna put it in my culo, real fat gato / When he eat it, I tell him to squeeze it like a taco"). Prior to the song's release, Minaj tweeted the taco emoji, hinting at the song's lyrics.[21]
Critical reception[]
Jason Lipshutz of Billboard included the song among the most essential releases of the week, noting that 6ix9ine "punctuates his verse with a throat-clearing assault", while Minaj "radiates slick confidence through sex euphemisms and nods to her longevity".[18] However, "Trollz" was included on a list of the worst songs of 2020 published by Variety.[22]
Commercial performance[]
The song debuted at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming 6ix9ine's first number-one single in the country, and Minaj's second and her first as lead artist. She also became the second female rapper to debut atop the Hot 100, following Lauryn Hill in 1998.[23] The following week the song dropped to number 34, becoming the first song to fall over 30 positions after a number one debut, and breaking the record for largest drop down the chart from number one in Hot 100 history at the time.[24][25][a] It spent a total of 4 weeks on the charts, marking the first time in Hot 100 history that a song that peaked at number one charted for only 4 weeks.
The song topped the Billboard Digital Songs chart selling 116,000 downloads, becoming 6ix9ine's first chart-topper and Minaj's sixth, as well. It also marks the largest song sales week since Taylor Swift's "Me!" featuring Brendon Urie (2019) opened with 193,000 downloads sold;[26]. However, Cardi B's "WAP" surpassed it with 125,000 downloads, which was later surpassed in September 2020 by BTS's "Dynamite", which generated 265,000 sales, surpassing the total record for largest song sales week in 2020.[27]
Music video[]
The accompanying music video was released alongside the official single release on June 12, 2020.[28] It was shot in May 2020 and Minaj revealed that the video was shot in 6ix9ine's guest bedroom while the latter was still under home confinement.[29] After both artists claimed that the video broke the record for most views for a hip hop song in the first 24 hours,[30] YouTube denied this, stating that the video only received 32.5 million views, 6.4 million less than "Gooba".[31] A representative for the company said "paid advertising views on YouTube will no longer be considered when looking at a 24-hour record debut".[32] As of July 2021, the music video on YouTube has over 356 million views and 6.4 million likes.
Synopsis[]
Similar to the "Gooba" video, "Trollz" has a colorful, rainbow-themed visual. The video starts off with the rappers eating cotton candy. This is followed by a transition where Minaj is seen with multicolored hair, twerking in a red Jacuzzi. She is seen topless with star pasties covering her breasts, wearing blonde and pastel-colored hair, and dressed in a fur bikini and a red, sheer bodysuit. 6ix9ine performs his verse and the hook in red, then blonde and rainbow cornrows. The video also cuts to him holding over $200,000 in cash and, as in the "Gooba" video, shows off his GPS ankle monitor.[17]
Personnel[]
Credits adapted from Tidal, BMI and YouTube.[33][34][35]
- 6ix9ine – lead artist, songwriting
- Nicki Minaj – lead artist, songwriting
- Jeremiah Raisen – arrangement, songwriting, production
- Jahnei Clarke – arrangement, additional production,[36] mixing
- Aaron Clarke – songwriting
- Wizard Lee - mixing, mastering
- Big Juice - mixing
- Alex Solis - art direction, design
Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
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Year-end charts[]
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Certifications[]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[63] | Platinum | 1,000,000
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Release history[]
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | June 12, 2020 |
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[64] |
Footnotes[]
- ^ The record was subsequently broken in December 2020 by Taylor Swift's "Willow".[2]
References[]
- ^ Curto, Justin (2020-06-22). "Tekashi 6ix9ine and Nicki Minaj Troll the Charts With a No. 1 Debut". Vulture. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Mariah Carey's 'Christmas' Back Atop Hot 100, As Dean Martin, Wham! & Chuck Berry Hit Top 10". Billboard.
- ^ Bloom, Madison (May 8, 2020). "Tekashi 6ix9ine Shares "GOOBA," First New Song Since Prison Release". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- ^ "Rapper 6ix9ine Cries Foul on Ariana Grande, Singer Claps Back as Chart Drama Escalates". Variety. Archived from the original on 2020-06-12. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
- ^ S, Lynn (May 17, 2020). "6ix9ine Announces Release Date For New Music Video Before Taking IG Hiatus". . Archived from the original on June 6, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- ^ Coleman II, C. Vernon (May 23, 2020). "6ix9ine Dropping New Music Video This Week". XXL. Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- ^ S, Lynn (May 23, 2020). "6ix9ine Letting Fans Determine Name Of New Song". . Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- ^ Walters, Mike (May 23, 2020). "Tekashi 6ix9ine Naming His New Song After His Ongoing Beef With Snoop Dogg?!". The Blast. Archived from the original on June 1, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
- ^ "THIS FRIDAY ⭐️TROLLZ