Dark Thoughts

"Dark Thoughts"
Single by Lil Tecca
from the album Dopamine
Released	March 14, 2025 (2025-03-14)
Length	2:16
Label	Republic
Songwriter(s)	Tyler-Justin Sharpe Lucas Scharff
Producer(s)	Lucas Scharff
Lil Tecca singles chronology
"Bad Time" (2024) "Dark Thoughts" (2025) "Owa Owa" (2025)
Audio video
"Dark Thoughts" on YouTube

"Dark Thoughts" is a song by American rapper Lil Tecca. It was released on March 14, 2025, through Republic Records, as the lead single of his fifth studio album Dopamine . ^[1] The song was written by Tecca and was produced by the Danish producer Lucas Scharff.

Composition

"Dark Thoughts" features an "upbeat and bouncy melody" in the style of Pharrell Williams's work with the Neptunes, drawing particular comparisons to "Frontin'" and "Beautiful". ^[2] In the song, Tecca talks to his girlfriend and assures her that he will always lend her an ear. ^[3]

Critical reception

Michael Saponara at Billboard saw the song as an example of Tecca "getting in his pop bag" as he delivers a "soundtrack to a night out on the rooftop bars" and ups "his artistry to new heights" in the process. ^[4] Devin Morton of HotNewHipHop elaborated that the song showcases Tecca's growth as an artist into a "more capable" songmaker and called "Dark Thoughts" a contender for "the best track of his career" even though it is not a new "stylistic choice". Morton thought the chorus was the climax of the song, calling his vocal delivery "infectious". ^[1]

Charts

Chart performance for "Dark Thoughts"

Chart (2025)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA) [5]	22
Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA) [6]	4
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [7]	58
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [8]	22
Denmark (Tracklisten) [9]	34
Germany (GfK) [10]	99
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [11]	34
Greece International (IFPI) [12]	61
Iceland (Tónlistinn) [13]	16
Ireland (IRMA) [14]	34
Latvia Streaming (LaIPA) [15]	11
Lithuania (AGATA) [16]	28
Lithuania Airplay (TopHit) [17]	40
Malta Airplay (Radiomonitor) [18]	17
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [19]	51
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [20]	11
Norway (VG-lista) [21]	27
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [22]	82
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [23]	39
UK Singles (OCC) [24]	20
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [25]	3
US Billboard Hot 100 [26]	28
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [27]	9
US Pop Airplay ( Billboard ) [28]	35
US Rhythmic ( Billboard ) [29]	2

Certifications

Certifications for "Dark Thoughts"

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ) [30]	Gold	15,000‡
United States (RIAA) [31]	Gold	500,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Morton, Devin (March 14, 2025). "Lil Tecca Delivers Catchy, Pharrell-Sampling Single "Dark Thoughts"". HotNewHipHop . Retrieved March 22, 2025.
2. "Lil Tecca's Bouncy 'Dark Thoughts' Video Warns His Romantic Rival". UPROXX. March 28, 2025. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
3. Ki, Adelle (March 18, 2025). "Lil Tecca Explores "Dark Thoughts" in New Single". Hypebeast . Retrieved March 22, 2025.
4. Saponara, Michael (March 17, 2025). "R&B/Hip-Hop Fresh Picks of the Week: Rexx Life Raj, Lil Nas X, Jazlyn Martin, 4Batz, Zyah Belle & More". Billboard . Retrieved March 22, 2025.
5. "Lil Tecca – Dark Thoughts". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
6. "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. March 31, 2025. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
7. "Lil Tecca – Dark Thoughts" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
8. "Lil Tecca Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
9. "Lil Tecca – Dark Thoughts". Tracklisten. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
10. "Lil Tecca – Dark Thoughts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
11. "Lil Tecca Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
12. "Official IFPI Charts − Digital Singles Chart (International) − Εβδομάδα: 13/2025" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on April 2, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
13. "Tónlistinn – Lög: Streymi, spilun og sala viku 13. Birt 29. mars 2025 – Næst uppfært 5. apríl 2025" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on March 30, 2025. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
14. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
15. "Latvijas dziesmu topā viļņojas aktuālie hiti" [Current hits are making waves in the Latvian song chart] (in Latvian). TV Net  [ lv ]. April 1, 2025. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
16. "2025 13-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. March 28, 2025. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
17. "Top Radio Hits Lithuania Weekly Chart: Aug 28, 2025". TopHit. August 29, 2025. Retrieved August 30, 2025.
18. "Malta – Radio Airplay Chart | Settimana 20.2025 – dal 09/05/2025 al 15/05/2025" [Malta – Radio Airplay Chart | Week 20.2025 – from 09/05/2025 to 15/05/2025] (in Italian). Radiomonitor. May 16, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
19. "Lil Tecca – Dark Thoughts" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
20. "Lil Tecca – Dark Thoughts". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
21. "Lil Tecca – Dark Thoughts". VG-lista. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
22. "Lil Tecca – Dark Thoughts". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
23. "Lil Tecca – Dark Thoughts". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
24. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
25. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
26. "Lil Tecca Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
27. "Lil Tecca Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
28. "Lil Tecca Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
29. "Lil Tecca Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
30. "New Zealand single certifications – Lil Tecca – Dark Thoughts". Radioscope. Retrieved August 8, 2025.Type Dark Thoughts in the "Search:" field.
31. "American single certifications – Lil Tecca – Dark Thoughts". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved May 20, 2025.