IFHY

Last updated

"IFHY"
Song by Tyler, the Creator featuring Pharrell Williams
from the album Wolf
ReleasedApril 2, 2013 (2013-04-02)
Recorded2011–2013
Genre Alternative hip hop
Length
  • 5:19
Label Odd Future
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Tyler, the Creator
Music video
"Tyler, the Creator - IFHY" on YouTube

"IFHY" (an acronym for I Fucking Hate You) is a song by the American rapper Tyler, the Creator featuring fellow American rapper Pharrell Williams from the former's second studio album, Wolf , released on April 2, 2013. [1] The song was written by Tyler and Williams, with Tyler producing the song. The music video for "IFHY" was released on March 29, 2013.

Contents

Background

"IFHY" is the first collaboration between Tyler, the Creator and Pharrell Williams. Tyler has recounted many times about how Pharrell inspired him to take music more seriously; "I didn’t have a father. I didn't have a big brother, I didn’t have a cousin. So as a kid, since ten or eleven, Pharrell is who I looked at." [2] The two would later collaborate on the video for another Wolf song, "Answer", [3] and many other times throughout the decade, most recently on Pharrell's song Cash In, Cash Out.

In March 2013, Tyler stated that Kanye West wanted to be on "IFHY" as well as another Wolf cut, "48", but was turned down. [4] When asked why he refused, Tyler stated, "cause it was mine. he wanted to be on IFHY too! but i was like, nah hahaha. ye is soo awesome, i talk to him almost everyday it seems like. its cool to have someone you can level with about art and everything else" (sic). [5] [6] In July of that year, he would further comment:

"...I played him the album before it was finished and it was a song that he really, really liked on there and he really liked it a lot and he wanted to be on it or whatever. And the way I do features I specifically pick people for what they're featured on. And that song, it was nowhere where creative-wise where I thought he would fit on there. Kanye is one of the only few people in this industry that I consider a friend. I'll probably talk to him once a week and we just — we both have a love for art and we hate a lot of the same stuff. So, I don't want people to think that's a diss or like a side hit when I said I denied him." [7]

Composition and lyrics

"IFHY" features Tyler under his alter-ego Sam struggling through a love-hate relationship after finding out his girlfriend, Salem, has cheated on him with Wolf (one of Tyler's other alter-egos). [8] The entire story of the Wolf album is centered around the three characters, who all attend "Camp Flog Gnaw", a camp for troubled teens. [9]

Craig Jenkins of Pitchfork described "IFHY" as "a bit of Neptunes worship so adroit that its plinking synths and jazzy chord changes give way to a falsettoed coda from Pharrell himself". [10] The instrumental of the song has been described as "jazzy" but also intense by multiple critics. [10] [11]

Music video

Development

The video was directed by Tyler under the alias "Wolf Haley", which has been a recurring theme in his videos. [12] The filming of the video was a long and complicated process, as revealed in an interview with the video's producer Tara Razavi.

...We started talking about it towards the end of last year while Tyler was recording his album, and we just couldn’t get to it. The first time we had to push it, we hadn’t found the perfect girl. The second time, he had an allergic reaction to a dog... He had a very specific girl in mind; I was reaching out to every single modeling agency in the world, [and] of our top 10 girls, eight of them were on jobs out of the country. Brandy (the final actress) was actually at the top of our list too, but she was out of town. We’ve done a lot with Tyler, and I’ve never spent so much time looking for a person who was perfect. [13]

Synopsis

The music video for "IFHY" shows Tyler as his character Wolf appearing in a dollhouse, sporting makeup to make him appear coated in plastic; his love interest is also doll-like. [14] [15] Wolf follows the female doll around the house, prompting her to lock herself in the bathroom. Wolf kicks down the door, before being picked up by a human hand and having his face burnt. [16] The figure is then brought outside and ran over by a car driven by Hodgy and Sam, (an alter-ego of Tyler) as another track from Wolf, "Jamba" plays. [17] the rest of the video features them speeding around joyriding in a neighborhood, which Respect described as a "spoof of a stereotypical rap video." [18] Although not present in the video, Pharrell's vocals still appear in the visual. [14]

Reception

The video has been described as unsettling, creepy, and terrifying due to the uncanny nature of the visual effects, although this was a point of praise. [14] [19] [20] It has also been described as an "emo" version of Barbie. [21]

Commercial performance

Although not released as a single, "IFHY" became one of Wolf's more popular songs, appearing on multiple US charts, most notably at number 24 on the US Heatseekers Songs, on the chart dated April 27, 2013. [22]

On July 25, 2023, it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling a total of one million units in the United States. [23]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the Wolf CD liner notes, [24] and the official music video. [25]

Musicians

Video

Technical

Charts

Chart (2013)Peak
position
US Heatseekers Songs ( Billboard ) [26] 24
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [27] 47
US Rap Digital Songs ( Billboard ) [28] 41

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [29] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. ↑ Renshaw, David (March 27, 2013). "Tyler, The Creator's 'Wolf' album tracklist confirmed". NME.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  2. ↑ Kyles, Yohance (February 8, 2023). "Tyler, The Creator Recalls Pharrell Inspiring Him To Take Making Music More Seriously". AllHipHop.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  3. ↑ Moskovitch, Greg (October 8, 2013). "Tyler, The Creator Unveils 'Tamale' Music Video". MusicFeeds.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  4. ↑ Brooks, Richard (May 28, 2013). "Tyler, the Creator Turned Down Kanye West Feature on "IFHY"". HypeBeast.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  5. ↑ Tardio, Andres (May 27, 2013). "KANYE WEST WANTED TO BE ON TYLER, THE CREATOR'S "IFHY"". HipHopDX.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  6. ↑ Nostro, Lauren (May 28, 2013). "Tyler, the Creator Turned Down a Kanye West Feature". Complex . Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  7. ↑ Smith, Trevor (July 29, 2013). "Tyler, The Creator Explains Why He Turned Down A Kanye West Feature For "IFHY"". HotNewHipHop . Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Tyler, the Creator featuring Pharrell – IFHY Video". HypeBeast.com. March 29, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  9. ↑ Bassil, Ryan (April 2, 2013). "The Conspiracy Theorist's Guide to Tyler, the Creator's 'WOLF' Trilogy". Vice.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  10. 1 2 Jenkins, Craig (April 1, 2013). "Tyler, the Creator: Wolf Album Review". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on April 3, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  11. ↑ Grosinger, Matt (March 29, 2013). "MUSIC GEEK TRACK OF THE WEEK: TYLER, THE CREATOR – "IFHY"". Nerdist.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  12. ↑ Devin (March 29, 2013). "Video: Tyler, the Creator f/ Pharrell - 'IFHY'". Rap-Up,com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 "Tara Razavi Talks Producing Tyler, The Creator's 'IFHY' Video, Finding His Leading Lady". Vibe.com. April 3, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 Breihan, Tom (March 29, 2013). "Tyler, The Creator – "IFHY" Video". Stereogum.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  15. ↑ Hughes, Josiah (March 29, 2013). "Tyler, the Creator "IFHY" (video)". Exclaim! . Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  16. ↑ Graham, Nadine (March 29, 2013). "Tyler the Creator Dolls It Up in 'IFHY' Video". TheDrop.fm. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  17. ↑ Depland, Michael (March 29, 2013). "New Video: Tyler, The Creator, 'IFHY' (NSFW)". MTV.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  18. ↑ "New Video: Tyler, The Creator – "IFHY / Jamba"". Respect-Mag.com. March 29, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  19. ↑ Weiss, Sam (March 29, 2013). "Video: Tyler, the Creator f/ Pharrell "IFHY"". Complex.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  20. ↑ Banning, Tristan (March 30, 2013). "TYLER, THE CREATOR "IFHY" MUSIC VIDEO". SidewalkHustle.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  21. ↑ Hogan, Marc (March 29, 2013). "Tyler, the Creator Builds an Emo Barbie World in Two-Part 'IFHY/Jamba' Video". Spin. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Tyler, the Creator – Chart history". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  23. ↑ "GOLD & PLATINUM - Tyler, The Creator". RIAA.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  24. ↑ Wolf (CD liner notes). Tyler, the Creator. Odd Future Records. 2013. 88765 45384 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ↑ OFWGKTA (March 29, 2013). "Tyler, The Creator - IFHY". YouTube.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Tyler, the Creator – Chart History: Heatseekers Songs". Billboard . Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Tyler the Creator Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Tyler, The Creator Chart History (Rap Digital Song Sales)". Billboard . Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  29. ↑ "American single certifications – Tyler, the Creator – IFHY". Recording Industry Association of America.
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