"Amari" | |
---|---|
Song by J. Cole | |
from the album The Off-Season | |
Genre | |
Length | 2:28 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) | |
Music video | |
"Amari" on YouTube |
"Amari" (stylized as "a m a r i") is a song by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on May 14, 2021 on Cole's sixth studio album, The Off-Season. [2]
The song title, "Amari", is named after Dreamville president and manager Ibrahim Hamad's son, also the nephew of Dreamville rapper Bas. [3]
J. Cole revealed how the song was created on Timbaland's BeatClub YouTube channel. The song was produced during a Twitch live stream by Timbaland. When Cole heard it, he contemplated reaching out, but wrote to the beat through a rip on the internet. He said "I looped up the YouTube lil' rip, made a whole song on this shit. I spent the next two days writing and recording the song, and right when I was 90% through writin' it, I was like, I should probably call him now and get the real file." [4] After asking for the file and playing the song, Timbaland said he didn't save the beat and had to remake it. [5]
On May 17, 2021, Cole released the official music video for "Amari" directed by fellow North Carolina rapper Mez, who also directed the " Middle Child" video. [6] Scenes in the video features Cole rapping in front of a Dreamville helicopter and in a dorm-room with the wall lined with platinum plaques. A message saying "hold on to your inner child," reads at the end. [7]
Writing for HipHopDX, Clark Trent said "The Timbaland-assisted "Amari" proves the magic ultimately falls on the beatpicker as T-Minus, Sucuki and Cole all combine for a relatively limp staccato blitz of guitar loops." [8] Clash said Cole reflects "on his success and how he made it out even through trials and tribulations." [9] Rolling Stone said the song was a standout on the album "as he alternates between agile rapping and serious singing." [10]
Upon its first week of release, "Amari" debuted at number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming his third top five song on the chart. [11]
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia ( ARIA) [12] | 14 |
Canada ( Canadian Hot 100) [13] | 7 |
Lithuania ( AGATA) [14] | 40 |
New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ) [15] | 12 |
Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan) [16] | 58 |
UK Singles ( OCC) [17] | 16 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [18] | 5 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard) [19] | 3 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States ( RIAA) [20] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
An album that touches astronomical heights...
"Amari" | |
---|---|
Song by J. Cole | |
from the album The Off-Season | |
Genre | |
Length | 2:28 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) | |
Producer(s) | |
Music video | |
"Amari" on YouTube |
"Amari" (stylized as "a m a r i") is a song by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on May 14, 2021 on Cole's sixth studio album, The Off-Season. [2]
The song title, "Amari", is named after Dreamville president and manager Ibrahim Hamad's son, also the nephew of Dreamville rapper Bas. [3]
J. Cole revealed how the song was created on Timbaland's BeatClub YouTube channel. The song was produced during a Twitch live stream by Timbaland. When Cole heard it, he contemplated reaching out, but wrote to the beat through a rip on the internet. He said "I looped up the YouTube lil' rip, made a whole song on this shit. I spent the next two days writing and recording the song, and right when I was 90% through writin' it, I was like, I should probably call him now and get the real file." [4] After asking for the file and playing the song, Timbaland said he didn't save the beat and had to remake it. [5]
On May 17, 2021, Cole released the official music video for "Amari" directed by fellow North Carolina rapper Mez, who also directed the " Middle Child" video. [6] Scenes in the video features Cole rapping in front of a Dreamville helicopter and in a dorm-room with the wall lined with platinum plaques. A message saying "hold on to your inner child," reads at the end. [7]
Writing for HipHopDX, Clark Trent said "The Timbaland-assisted "Amari" proves the magic ultimately falls on the beatpicker as T-Minus, Sucuki and Cole all combine for a relatively limp staccato blitz of guitar loops." [8] Clash said Cole reflects "on his success and how he made it out even through trials and tribulations." [9] Rolling Stone said the song was a standout on the album "as he alternates between agile rapping and serious singing." [10]
Upon its first week of release, "Amari" debuted at number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming his third top five song on the chart. [11]
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia ( ARIA) [12] | 14 |
Canada ( Canadian Hot 100) [13] | 7 |
Lithuania ( AGATA) [14] | 40 |
New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ) [15] | 12 |
Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan) [16] | 58 |
UK Singles ( OCC) [17] | 16 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [18] | 5 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard) [19] | 3 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States ( RIAA) [20] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
An album that touches astronomical heights...