The Climb Back

Last updated
"The Climb Back"
J Cole The Climb Back.png
Single by J. Cole
from the album The Off-Season and the EP Lewis Street
ReleasedJuly 22, 2020
Length5:04
Label
Songwriter(s) Jermaine Cole
Producer(s) J. Cole
J. Cole singles chronology
"Snow on tha Bluff"
(2020)		"The Climb Back" / "Lion King on Ice"
(2020)		"My Life"
(2021)
Audio video
"The Climb Back" on YouTube

"The Climb Back" (stylized as "t h e . c l i m b . b a c k") is a song by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on July 22, 2020, together with another song, "Lion King on Ice", under the title Lewis Street . "The Climb Back", which was written and produced solely by J. Cole, [1] sees him rapping about various topics, including life-changing moments, the effects of those moments, and his rediscovered love of rap music. The song received universal acclaim from critics.

Contents

The songs follow J. Cole's previous, political single, "Snow on tha Bluff", which was his first release of 2020. "The Climb Back" was later included on Cole's sixth studio album The Off-Season (2021).

Background

J. Cole announced the release of the songs via social media on July 21, 2020, along with its cover art, stating that they are the first two songs from The Fall Off. Cole also revealed that he was still "finishing" the album. In November 2019, Cole hinted that the album would be released in 2020. He also previously teased a project called The Off Season. [2]

Composition

The song begins with a skit about how people are more focused on achieving fame than growth. [3] It then sees J. Cole further introspecting on a variety of topics, over a soulful, dreamy, "bass knocking" instrumental, [4] [5] [3] and a "sparkly" piano melody. [6] Cole reflects on past incidents and disputes, [7] with "violent thoughts", [4] and addresses "the cyclical nature of working to get ahead, both in the rap game and in life", as noted by Rolling Stone 's Althea Legaspi. [8] Cole labels himself "The Chosen One", [4] while rhyming about his newfound love for rap, [9] and touches on traumatic moments in his life, including how gun violence ended the lives of his friends, coping with these deaths and, as a result, how he struggles to sleep because of it. [5] He also takes aim at his competitors, issuing a warning to any "trash rappers, ass backwards, tryna go toe-to-toe". [10] The chorus finds Cole talking about karma and how "everything comes full circle". [5]

Critical reception

Deeming it the better of the pair of the songs, The New York Times ' Jon Caramanica praised J. Cole's lyricism: "'The Climb Back' is thick with clever metaphors not heard since the 1990s over a self-produced beat that's both agitated and exasperated. Cole is a charmingly patient rapper, imagistic, nimble — and very keen to display all of those skills. His metrics are internal, his references are outmoded, his approach is deliberate [...]" [11] Erika Marie of HotNewHipHop said Cole asserts "lyrical dominance" on "The Climb Back", which Marie found to be a "smoother approach" than "Lion King on Ice". [12] Billboard 's Jason Lipshutz named the songs as one of the most essential releases of the week, opining that Cole "demonstrates the technical skill and unyielding personality that have made him a star" with the dual releases. [4] Complex 's Jessica McKinney noted how J. Cole "taps back into his mixtape days", and said the track suggests that Cole has a lot more to say when the album comes around. [13] Brian Polson of Meaww called "The Climb Back", along with its counterpart "Lion King on Ice", "spectacular". [9] Zac Geddies, writing for NYS Music said Cole delivers "bar after bar", switching his flow multiple times. Geddies concluded that although the song is missing a strong chorus, "the understated vocals Cole croons out serve towards the emotional potency of the track". [6] Okayplayer's Torry Threadcraft simply stated Cole is "rapping, rapping". [14]

Charts

Chart performance for "The Climb Back"
Chart (2020–2021)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [15] 39
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [16] 32
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [17] 26
Ireland (IRMA) [18] 50
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [19] 8
Portugal (AFP) [20] 46
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) [21] 17
UK Singles (OCC) [22] 77
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [23] 15
US Billboard Hot 100 [24] 25
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [25] 15
US Rolling Stone Top 100 [26] 26

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [27] Gold35,000‡
United States (RIAA) [28] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Cole</span> American rapper (born 1985)

Jermaine Lamarr Cole is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained attention as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a musical career, he signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation in 2009 and released two additional mixtapes: The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010) to further critical acclaim as he garnered a wider following.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyga discography</span>

The discography of American rapper Tyga consists of seven studio albums, three compilation albums, twenty mixtapes, sixty-seven singles and forty-six music videos. In 2008, Tyga released his first studio album, No Introduction, on the record label Decaydance Records. The album was led by the single "Coconut Juice", which peaked at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and marked Tyga's first song to enter on the chart. In 2010, Tyga and Virginia singer Chris Brown released the collaborative mixtape Fan of a Fan (2010), which included their hit single "Deuces", which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Tyga's first song to chart on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it peaked atop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Cole discography</span>

American rapper and record producer J. Cole has released six studio albums, one live album, four compilation albums, three extended plays, four mixtapes, 59 singles, two promotional singles and twenty one music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bas (rapper)</span> Sudanese-American rapper from New York

Abbas Hamad, known professionally as Bas, is a French-born Sudanese-American rapper. He signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Last Winter (2014). It was met with positive critical reception and entered the Billboard 200, along with his second and third albums, Too High to Riot (2016) and Milky Way (2018). His fourth album, We Only Talk About Real Shit When We're Fucked Up (2023) was met with continued praise despite failing to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lil Durk</span> American rapper (born 1992)

Durk Devontay Banks, known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper. Regarded as a pioneering artist in the Chicago-based hip hop subgenre drill music, he has been noted as one of the subgenre's most commercially successful rappers. He initially garnered local success with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), which led to him to sign with Def Jam Recordings. The label released his debut studio album, Remember My Name (2015), and its follow-up, Lil Durk 2X (2016), to moderate commercial reception before parting ways with the rapper in 2018.

"Motiv8" is a song by American rapper J. Cole, released on April 20, 2018 from his fifth studio album, KOD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordae</span> American rapper (born 1997)

Cordae Amari Brooks, known mononymously as Cordae, is an American rapper. He began his career as a member of the hip hop collective YBN.

<i>Revenge of the Dreamers III</i> 2019 compilation album by Dreamville

Revenge of the Dreamers III is the third compilation album by American record label Dreamville, released on July 5, 2019, by Dreamville and Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blueface</span> American rapper (born 1997)

Johnathan Jamall Porter, known professionally as Blueface, is an American rapper. In October 2018, after releasing the music video for his song "Respect My Cryppin'", he became a viral meme due to his offbeat style of rapping. The following month, he was signed to Cash Money West, the West Coast branch of Birdman's Cash Money Records label.

"A Lot" is a song by British-American rapper 21 Savage. The audio of the song was released on December 20, 2018, a day ahead of the album's official release, via the rapper's YouTube account. It was sent to rhythmic and urban contemporary radio on January 8, 2019, as the lead single from his second studio album I Am > I Was.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JID discography</span>

American rapper JID has released three studio albums, three compilation albums, two extended plays (EP), four mixtapes and fifteen singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lil Tecca</span> American rapper from the Bronx (born 2002)

Tyler-Justin Anthony Sharpe, known professionally as Lil Tecca, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to mainstream fame with the release of his 2019 single "Ransom", which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The song preceded the release of his debut mixtape We Love You Tecca (2019), which peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and contained the follow-up singles "Love Me" and "Did It Again". His debut studio album, Virgo World (2020) peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200, while his second and third albums, We Love You Tecca 2 (2021) and Tec (2023) reached similar positions on the chart. The latter two spawned the singles "Never Left" and "500lbs", respectively, both of which received platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His fourth studio album Plan A was released in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cole Bennett</span> American artist; founder of Lyrical Lemonade (born 1996)

Cole Bennett is an American music video director and record executive. He is also the founder of Lyrical Lemonade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">42 Dugg</span> American rapper (born 1994)

Dion Marquise Hayes, known professionally as 42 Dugg, is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He signed with Yo Gotti and Lil Baby's respective labels, Collective Music Group (CMG) and Glass Window Entertainment, through a joint venture with Interscope Records in 2019. He is best known for his collaborations with the latter, with whom he has released the hit songs "We Paid" and "Grace"; the former peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and received quintuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His second mixtape, Young & Turnt 2 (2020) was met with critical acclaim and marked his debut on the Billboard 200. His 2021 singles, "4 Da Gang" and "Maybach" both received gold certifications and preceded his fourth mixtape Free Dem Boyz (2021), which peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200.

"Lion King on Ice" is a song by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on July 22, 2020, together with another song, "The Climb Back", under the title Lewis Street. Produced by J. Cole, T-Minus and JetsonMade, the song finds Cole rapping about himself growing up and difficulties he faced to achieve fame, as well as his position in the rap game.

<i>Lewis Street</i> 2020 EP by J. Cole

Lewis Street is the third extended play by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on July 22, 2020, by Dreamville Records and Roc Nation. It contains the dual singles "The Climb Back" and "Lion King on Ice". The two singles were to serve as the first two tracks from one of Cole's upcoming album The Fall Off. However, "The Climb Back" was later included on Cole's sixth studio album, The Off-Season.

<i>The Off-Season</i> 2021 studio album by J. Cole

The Off-Season is the sixth studio album by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on May 14, 2021, by Dreamville Records, Roc Nation and Interscope Records. The album was executive produced by Cole, Ibrahim Hamad, and T-Minus. It also features guest vocals from Morray, 21 Savage, Lil Baby, Bas, and 6lack. It became Cole's first album since 2013's Born Sinner to contain guest features. Production was handled by multiple producers, including Cole himself, T-Minus, Timbaland, Boi-1da, Frank Dukes, DJ Dahi, Tae Beast, and Jake One, among others.

"Amari" is a song by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on May 14, 2021 on Cole's sixth studio album, The Off-Season.

"Pride Is the Devil" is a song written and performed by American rappers J. Cole and Lil Baby. Produced by T-Minus, it was released on May 14, 2021, as part of the former's sixth studio album, The Off-Season.

"My Life" is a song by American rapper J. Cole, British-American rapper 21 Savage and fellow American rapper Morray. It is the third track from Cole's sixth studio album, The Off-Season, released on May 14, 2021. The song features the hook of "The Life" (2002) by American rapper Styles P, as interpolated by Morray. The song was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States on May 25, 2021, as the album's first single. The single debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Cole's highest charting single in the country as a lead artist, surpassing the number four peak of "Middle Child". It is also Morray’s highest-charting song, surpassing his single "Quicksand" which peaked at number 65 and 21 Savage's highest-charting song as a lead artist, overall behind his features on Post Malone's number-one hit "Rockstar" and Drake's number-one hit "Jimmy Cooks".

References

  1. ↑ "J. Cole's "The Climb Back" Watch Now!". Billboard . July 28, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  2. ↑ Mench, Chris (Genius News editor) (July 22, 2020). "J. Cole Announces A Pair Of New Singles From 'The Fall Off' Dropping This Week". Genius . Retrieved August 3, 2020.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  3. 1 2 Elliot Montanez, Elliot (July 22, 2020). "The Climb Back & Lion King On Ice – [J. Cole]". Lyrical Lemonade . Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Jason, Lipshutz (July 24, 2020). "First Stream: New Music From Taylor Swift, Logic, Maroon 5 and More". Billboard . Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 Gibbs, Sam (July 28, 2020). "J.Cole Teases New Album with "The Climb Back", "Lion King on Ice"". Soundigest. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Geddies, Zac (July 25, 2020). "J. Cole Drops Two New Singles And Announces New Album". NYS Music. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  7. ↑ Johnson, Zoe (July 22, 2020). "J. Cole Drops Two New Songs "The Climb Back", "Lion King on Ice"". XXL . Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  8. ↑ Legaspi, Althea (July 22, 2020). "J. Cole Previews Upcoming 'The Fall Off' LP With Singles 'The Climb Back', 'Lion King on Ice'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  9. 1 2 Polson, Brian (July 22, 2020). "J Cole drops 'The Climb Back' and 'Lion King On Ice', fans declare the tracks his 'best rapping to date'". Meaww. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  10. ↑ "J. Cole Returns with 'The Climb Back' and 'Lion King on Ice'". Rap-Up . July 22, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  11. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (July 24, 2020). "Taylor Swift's Heartbreak Dreamscape, and 9 More New Songs". New York Times . Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  12. ↑ Marie, Erika (July 22, 2020). "J. Cole Asserts Lyrical Dominance On "The Climb Back"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  13. ↑ McKinney, Jessica (July 24, 2020). "Best New Music This Week: J. Cole, Gunna, Ski Mask the Slump God, and More". Complex . Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  14. ↑ Threadcraft, Torry (July 23, 2020). "Listen to J. Cole Rap His Ass Off on "The Climb Back" & "Lion King on Ice"". Okayplayer . Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  15. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  16. ↑ "J. Cole Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  17. ↑ "J. Cole Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  19. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 3, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  20. ↑ "J. Cole – The Climb Back". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 20". Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  24. ↑ "J. Cole Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  25. ↑ "J. Cole Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Top 100 Songs, July 24, 2020 – July 30, 2020". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  27. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  28. ↑ "American single certifications – J. Cole – The Climb Back". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved April 11, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.