Destined 2 Win | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 2, 2021 | |||
Recorded | December 2020–2021 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 64:01 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer |
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Lil Tjay chronology | ||||
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Singles from Destined 2 Win | ||||
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Destined 2 Win is the second studio album by American rapper Lil Tjay. It was released on April 2, 2021, through Columbia Records. This serves as the follow-up to his 2019 debut album "True 2 Myself". The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Smash David, CashMoneyAP, 808Melo, Cubeatz and OG Parker among others. The album also features guest appearances from 6lack, Polo G, Fivio Foreign, Saweetie, Tyga, Toosii, Offset, and Moneybagg Yo.
Destined 2 Win was supported by six singles: "Losses", "Move On", "None of Your Love", "Calling My Phone", "Headshot" and "Born 2 Be Great". The album received generally positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. It debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 62,000 album-equivalent units, in its first week. [1] On January 12, 2023, the album was certified platinum. [2]
Merritt began teasing his second studio album in 2020. The album's title describes the reflections on his highlights and accomplishments.[ citation needed ]
Merritt began recording the album in May 2020 in Los Angeles. The album was eventually wrapped up in early 2021. Destined 2 Win is a hip hop album, incorporating elements of R&B, trap, emo rap and drill. [3]
Prior to the album's release, Merritt premiered the first part of the album's documentary that was directed by Sam Balaban on his YouTube channel. The documentary gives a behind-the-scenes look at the album's creation. [4]
The music video for "Run It Up" featuring Offset and Moneybagg Yo was released on April 3, 2021. [5]
The music video for "Oh Well" was released on April 4, 2021. [6]
The music video for "Love Hurts" featuring Toosii was released on April 7, 2021. [7]
Lil Tjay and 6lack performed their song "Calling My Phone" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on April 5, 2021. [8]
The album's lead single "Losses" was released on October 30, 2020. It was accompanied by a music video on the same day. [9]
The second single "Move On" was released on November 20, 2020. [10] The song was announced on Tjay's Twitter, 3 days prior to the single's release revealing the song's covert art, title, and release date. [11] It was accompanied by a music video directed by David Karp and Courtney Loo, the following day. [12]
The third single "None of Your Love" was released on December 4, 2020. The song contains interpolates from Justin Bieber, and Ludacris' 2010 song "Baby". It was previously released on Merritt's YouTube channel but due to the sample, Bieber requested to remove the song and Merritt was unable to clear the sample. However, on December 1, 2020, Bieber eventually allowed Merritt to release the song to streaming services. [13]
The fourth single "Calling My Phone" was released on February 12, 2021, featuring American singer 6lack and was accompanied by a music video that premiered on the same day. The song was previously teased on Merritt's social media. [14] [15] A teaser for the song was released on February 5 revealing its title and release date and that an unknown feature will appear on the song. Speculations on the feature for the song began to spread and was eventually confirmed on February 8 on a Twitter post that the feature would be 6lack. [16]
The fifth single "Headshot" was released on March 19, 2021, with frequent collaborator Polo G, and American rapper Fivio Foreign. The song was announced via an Instagram live stream on March 15, 4 days before its initial release. It was accompanied by a music video that was released on March 23. In an interview with Zane Lowe and Apple Music of how the song came together, Merritt said the collaborators meshed immediately. He further elaborated saying
"It was just magic, on-site. It was no, no copy and paste. It was magic," Merritt said. "I mean, it was just like, it was high energy. You know, everybody wants to come poke their chest out on the record. Everybody wants to perform, you know what I’m saying? So I felt like, in my opinion, I feel like the song just sound like three stars." [17]
The sixth and final single "Born 2 Be Great" was released on March 31, 2021. [18] The song reminisces Merritt's troubled childhood in which he and his friends went through trouble to get where he is today.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [19] |
Clash Music | 7/10 [20] |
HotNewHipHop | (positive) [21] |
Robin Murray of Clash Music praises Lil Tjay progression, calling the album a "A deft step outside of hood braggadocio". Murray also said the album truly thrives when Lil Tjay leaves his feelings and his creativity exposed. Overall, Murray gave the album a rating of 7 out of 10. [20] Rose Lilah of HotNewHipHop also praised Tjay's progression with this album, stating that "While Destined 2 Win may keep certain themes intact from Tjay’s debut album, True 2 Myself, and his early success in general, the growth on this album is still evident, and it’s part of what makes Tjay such an exciting artist to follow." Lilah also said that "As a fan, we are able to clearly witness an evolution in real time." Lilah also spoke highly about the progression of Tjay's sophomore effort saying that "It also leaves the listener wanting more: whether that be through a quick replay or through the next song, it reels you in to Tjay’s personal journey, from juvenile detention to worldwide fame." Overall, Lilah believes Lil Tjay is manifesting his destiny, stating that "On Destined 2 Win, the young artist makes it known that this is a role he not only takes seriously, but one he plans to succeed in, no matter what." [21]
Destined 2 Win debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 62,000 album-equivalent units, (including 3,000 copies in pure album sales) in its first week. [1] This became Lil Tjay's second US top ten debut on the chart, matching True 2 Myself which also peaked at number five. [1] The album also accumulated a total of 86.14 million on-demand streams from the album’s songs. [1] In its second week, the album dropped to number eight on the chart, earning an additional 38,000 units. [22] On July 12, 2021, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units in the United States. [2] As of September 2021, the album has earned 570,000 album-equivalent units in the United States. [23] On January 12, 2023, the album was certified platinum. [2]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Destined 2 Win" |
| Othello | 1:03 |
2. | "Born 2 Be Great" |
|
| 2:50 |
3. | "Calling My Phone" (with 6lack) |
|
| 3:25 |
4. | "What You Wanna Do" |
|
| 4:05 |
5. | "Hood Rich" |
| Jay Bunkin | 3:09 |
6. | "Oh Well" |
| Bunkin | 3:13 |
7. | "Headshot" (with Polo G and Fivio Foreign) |
|
| 2:24 |
8. | "Gang Gang" |
| Lbeats | 3:50 |
9. | "Go Crazy" | 3:48 | ||
10. | "Irregular Love" |
|
| 2:18 |
11. | "Move" (with Tyga featuring Saweetie) |
|
| 3:34 |
12. | "Slow Down" |
| Cassius Jay | 2:51 |
13. | "Love Hurts" (featuring Toosii) |
| Kiwi | 3:42 |
14. | "Run It Up" (featuring Offset and Moneybagg Yo) |
| Petruccio | 3:04 |
15. | "Part of the Plan" |
| ACG Burna | 4:20 |
16. | "No Cap" |
| Glazer | 3:01 |
17. | "Life Changed" |
|
| 3:00 |
18. | "Nuf Said" |
| Sweet | 1:39 |
19. | "Losses" (bonus track) |
| Woodpecker | 3:15 |
20. | "Move On" (bonus track) |
|
| 2:57 |
21. | "None of Your Love" (bonus track) | CashMoneyAP | 2:33 | |
Total length: | 64:01 |
Sample credits
Credits adapted from Tidal. [24]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [47] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [48] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [49] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [2] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Headshot" is a song by American rappers Lil Tjay, Polo G, and Fivio Foreign. It was released through Columbia and Sony as the fifth single from the former's second studio album, Destined 2 Win, on March 19, 2021. The artists wrote the song alongside producers TNTXD, Tahj Money, Dmac, 101Slide, Bordeaux, and Non Native.
Ricardo Valdez Valentine Jr., known professionally as 6lack, is an American R&B singer, rapper, and songwriter. Born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he gained recognition following the release of his 2016 single "Prblms", which marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. He signed with Love Renaissance, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Free 6lack (2016), which was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Tione Jayden Merritt, known professionally as Lil Tjay, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence with his 2017 single "Resume", and signed with Columbia Records following the success of his 2018 single "Brothers", which received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His guest appearance on Polo G's 2019 single, "Pop Out" marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100—peaking at number 11—while his own single, "F.N" became his first to do so as a lead artist. Each preceded the release of his debut studio album, True 2 Myself (2019), which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200.
"Pop Out" is a song by American rapper Polo G featuring fellow American rapper Lil Tjay. The single was released on February 1, 2019 by Columbia Records as the third single the former's debut album, Die a Legend (2019). The music video for the song was released prior on January 13. The song reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
American rapper Lil Tjay has released three studio albums, three extended plays and 54 singles.
"Slide" is a song by American rapper French Montana featuring American rappers Blueface and Lil Tjay. It was released on April 16, 2019, through Epic Records. The music video was also released 2 days later The song debuted at number 90 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at number 89 in the UK. A remix featuring American rapper Wiz Khalifa was released on June 7, 2019, with Blueface and Lil Tjay still in the song.
"Run It Up" is a song by American rapper Lil Tjay featuring fellow American rappers Offset and Moneybagg Yo. Written alongside producer Josh Petruccio, it was released on April 2, 2021 as a track from the former's second studio album Destined 2 Win, along with an accompanying music video.
"F.N" is a song by American rapper Lil Tjay, from his second EP of the same name and his debut studio album True 2 Myself (2019). The song was written by Lil Tjay, Artem Romanov, and its producer Vznare. It peaked at number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100, being Lil Tjay's highest charting song as a solo artist until 2021, when he got his top 3 hit with Atlanta R&B 6LACK, “Calling My Phone”.
"War" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke, featuring rapper Lil Tjay. The song was written by Pop Smoke, alongside Lil Tjay, alongside production from 808Melo and Swirv. It was released by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records as a standalone single on October 4, 2019. The song was later included as a bonus track on Pop Smoke's second mixtape, Meet the Woo 2 (2020).
Maxie Lee Ryles III, known by his stage name Fivio Foreign, is an American rapper from New York. He first saw mainstream recognition for his 2019 single "Big Drip", which received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned a remix featuring Lil Baby and Quavo. That same year, he signed with fellow New York rapper Mase's RichFish Records, in a joint venture with Columbia Records.
The discography American rapper Fivio Foreign consists of one studio album, three extended plays, one collaborative extended play and 30 singles.
"Mood Swings" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke featuring fellow American rapper Lil Tjay, from the former's posthumous debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon (2020). The song was written by the artists alongside producers Beat Menace and Dizzy Banko with additional production from Kiwi. The song was released as the third single from the album on August 21, 2020, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records. A remix that features Summer Walker was released as a single and an extended play (EP) was released for the song.
American drill rapper Pop Smoke has released two studio albums, two mixtapes, three extended plays, nineteen music videos, twenty-eight singles, and three promotional singles. Pop Smoke began his music career in 2018 when visiting a Brooklyn recording studio with fellow rapper Jay Gwuapo. After Gwuapo got inebriated on drugs and fell asleep, Pop Smoke went into a booth to try rapping for the first time. He used a beat he got from English producer 808Melo and used American rapper Sheff G's song "Panic Part 3". He recorded his debut single titled "MPR ". Pop Smoke rose to fame with the release of his breakout single "Welcome to the Party" in April 2019. Two remixes of the song were later recorded, with one featuring Nicki Minaj and the other featuring Skepta.
The Voice is the sixth studio album by American rapper Lil Durk. It was released on December 24, 2020, by Only the Family, Alamo Records and Geffen Records. The album contains guest appearances from late rapper King Von, 6lack, Young Thug, YNW Melly, and Booka600. A deluxe edition was released on January 29, 2021, with twelve additional tracks. It features additional guest appearances from Lil Baby, Pooh Shiesty, and Sydny August.
"Losses" is a song by American Lil Tjay, released on October 30, 2020. It is the lead single and a bonus track from his second studio album Destined 2 Win (2020). The song was produced by Woodpecker. An accompanying music video of the song was directed by Shomi Patwary.
"Move On" is a song by American rapper Lil Tjay, released on November 20, 2020 with an accompanying music video. It is the second single and a bonus track from his second studio album Destined 2 Win (2020). The song was produced by Avery on the Beat.
"None of Your Love" is a song by American rapper Lil Tjay. It was first released on July 29, 2018 before being released to streaming services on December 4, 2020 as the third single and a bonus track from his second studio album Destined 2 Win (2021). Produced by CashMoneyAP, the song samples and interpolates "Baby" by Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris.
"Calling My Phone" is a song by American rapper and singer Lil Tjay featuring fellow American singer 6lack. It was released on February 10, 2021 through Columbia and Sony as the fourth single the former's second studio Destined 2 Win (2021).
"Zoo York" is a song by American rapper Lil Tjay, released on May 8, 2020 from his third EP State of Emergency. It features American rappers Fivio Foreign and Pop Smoke, and was produced by Non Native and Bordeaux.
222 is the third studio album by American rapper Lil Tjay. It was released on July 14, 2023, through Columbia Records. This serves as the follow-up to his 2021 album Destined 2 Win. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Ari PenSmith, Jahaan Sweet, OG Parker, P2J, and Smash David among others. The album also features guest appearances from Coco Jones, Fivio Foreign, Jadakiss, the Kid Laroi, Polo G, Summer Walker, and YoungBoy Never Broke Again.