"Thot Shit" | ||||
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Single by Megan Thee Stallion | ||||
from the album Something for Thee Hotties | ||||
Released | June 11, 2021 | |||
Genre | Dirty rap | |||
Length | 3:04 | |||
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Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Megan Thee Stallion singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Thot Shit" on YouTube |
"Thot Shit" (known as "Thot Ish" in the radio edit) is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. The first solo release following her debut studio album Good News (2020) and the lead single from her compilation album Something for Thee Hotties (2021), [1] the song was produced by LilJuMadeDaBeat and OG Parker and was released on June 11, 2021, through 1501 Certified Entertainment and 300 Entertainment. An uptempo song with heavy bass, it began as a freestyle by Megan Thee Stallion, and was inspired by her desire to reclaim the term "thot" from men who used it in a sexist manner. The song is performed from the perspective of her "raw and aggressive" alter ego, Tina Snow.
"Thot Shit" was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards and peaked in the top 20 in the United States. The Aube Perrie-directed music video for "Thot Shit" was released on the same day as the song. It was inspired by conservative backlash against her and Cardi B's 2020 song "WAP", and horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and The Shining (1980). In it, Megan Thee Stallion and several other women follow around a hypocritical conservative politician and twerk wherever he goes to exact revenge on him for posting a sexist comment underneath Megan Thee Stallion's "Body" video on YouTube.
Over a month before the release of "Thot Shit", several sci-fi-themed posts on Megan Thee Stallion's social media showed her in a "regeneration tank" and announced that she would be "recharging". A week before "Thot Shit" was released, she posted a CGI animation of herself announcing her return as her alter ego, Tina Snow. Megan Thee Stallion later posted a link to pre-save the song, and revealed the release date, title, and cover of "Thot Shit", which shows a shirtless man collapsed on a checkered tile floor next to a plate of food, a magazine featuring an image of Megan Thee Stallion, and a box of "Tina O's" cereal, with three women in white patent leather platform heels standing over him. [2] [3] [4]
According to Megan Thee Stallion, "Thot Shit" began as a freestyle. [5] After Shawn "Source" Jarrett, the song's engineer, asked for beats from producer OG Parker, he and producer Lil Ju met up at Parker's house in Atlanta to produce "about seven beats" together before sending them to Jarrett. Megan Thee Stallion chose to use one of them for "Thot Shit". [6] The song was released at midnight on June 11, 2021. [7] It was her first solo single of 2021 and her first solo release following the release of her debut studio album, Good News . [5] It was also included on her 2021 mixtape Something for Thee Hotties as its lead single. [8]
After the song's release, black TikTok creators went on "strike" and refused to choreograph a dance to the song. [9] The strike was organized in response to black creators previously having not been credited or compensated for creating trending dances on the app which white TikTok users profited off of, and was intended to show that black users were essential to the success of the app. [10] Dances created by white TikTok users to the song were heavily mocked online. [11] [12]
"Thot Shit" is an uptempo [13] song with a "booming" bassline [14] performed by Megan Thee Stallion as her "raw and aggressive" alter ego, Tina Snow, who first appeared on her 2018 EP of the same name and was inspired American rapper Pimp C's alter ego Tony Snow. [15] [16] The song was inspired by Megan Thee Stallion's desire to reclaim pejoratives used by men against women, such as "thot" and "hoe". [17] The song's lyrics are described as "confidently risque" [18] "self-confident", "sexually liberating", [13] and "hit[ting] hard while also being playful". [19] The chorus gives "twerk instructions". [13] In the song, she references her three wins at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Song with the line "I'm the shit per the Recording Academy". She also references her scheduled graduation from Texas Southern University in 2021 and the 1940 film Pinocchio , and quotes the 1998 miniseries The Temptations with the line, "Ain't nobody come to see you, Otis". [20] [13]
This song received critical acclaim from critics. Rolling Stone 's Mankaprr Conteh called "Thot Shit" "a sonic and visual explosion of sexuality, pride, and ideas" filled with "sharp zingers", adding that her "tone and candor" on the song combined her "hard-hitting raps" with "the strong sense of purpose she's developed as a woman that has been attacked and vilified for her boldness and honesty". [16] Jezebel 's Shannon Melero referred to the song as "an absolute banger that is all the good things about Vax/Hot Girl Summer". [21] Pitchfork named the song "Best New Track", with Cat Zhang writing, "'Thot Shit' follows the classic Megan recipe: unapologetic sex positivity, brash and delicious boasts, sharp-tongued goofiness." [22] The A.V. Club 's Gabrielle Sanchez described "Thot Shit" as "charged and fast-paced, carrying the intensity last year's Good News too often lacked" with an "infectious" energy. [20] Revolt 's Jon Powell wrote that the song had "some of her most hard-hitting bars to date", while Clash 's Robin Murray called the song "a swaggering piece of no-take-shit empowerment, one that finds Megan at her most open". [23] Robyn Mowatt of Okayplayer described the song "biting, energetic, and ideal for the looming summer". [24]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
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Pitchfork | The 100 Best Songs of 2021 | 18 | [25] |
Year | Organization | Award | Result | Ref(s) |
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2021 | MTV Video Music Awards | Song of Summer | Nominated | [26] |
2021 | UK Music Video Awards | Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Video – International | Won | [27] |
Best Color Grading in a Video | Nominated | |||
Best Editing in a Video | Nominated | |||
2022 | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Performance | Nominated | [28] |
2022 | Webby Awards | Video, General Video - Music Video | Won | [29] |
People's Voice | Won |
The music video for "Thot Shit", directed by Aube Perrie and executive produced by Boris Labourguigne, was released on the same day as the single. After seeing the music video for L'Impératrice's song "Peur des filles", also directed by Perrie and produced by Labourguigne, Megan Thee Stallion's team reached out to the pair to make the video for "Thot Shit". It was filmed over the course of two 18-hour day shoots in April and choreographed by JaQuel Knight.
Several different camera rigs were built to film twerking shots, and the filming was partially inspired by the cinéma vérité style of documentary filmmaking. [30] Prosthetic makeup was also used for the video's final shot. [31] Parts of the video were filmed at the 101 Coffee Shop, a defunct diner in Los Angeles. [7] Skip Pipo stars in the video as an older conservative senator meant to represent James P. Bradley, a Republican congressional candidate for California who, after listening to American rapper Cardi B's song "WAP" featuring Megan Thee Stallion, posted on social media that the two artists "are what happens when children are raised without God and without a strong father figure" and claimed that he came across the song accidentally. [30] [15] [31] [32] A day before its release, Megan Thee Stallion teased the video by posting DJ Khaled's shocked reaction to it on her Instagram. [17] The video's release was preceded by a livestream hosted on YouTube by Megan Thee Stallion. [33]
The horror-themed [5] video begins with the senator sitting in his office, eating Cheetos and leaving a YouTube comment underneath Megan Thee Stallion's music video for "Body", calling it "stupid" and "regressive" before unzipping his pants to masturbate to it. [34] [35] [36] Megan Thee Stallion, who appears as her alter ego, Tina Snow, then anonymously calls the man to tell him not to "fuck with" the women who make up every part of his life in a monologue inspired by the 1999 film Fight Club . [30] The senator, however, ignores the phone call after being hung up on and then proceeds to continue masturbating to the video. The next shot shows Megan’s alter ego and several other working-class women (the "Hotties") then hit the man with a garbage truck, and spend their time exacting revenge on him by following him around as he does mundane tasks and twerking wherever he goes, including at a diner, in his office, in his bathtub, at the supermarket, and at a construction site. [22] [37] [38] The video also references the 1984 slasher film A Nightmare on Elm Street with a scene in which Megan Thee Stallion's hand comes out of the man's bathtub and gives him the middle finger, and references the 1980 psychological horror film The Shining with a room key with the number 237 on it. [30] The video ends with Megan Thee Stallion and the other girls grafting a labia onto his face in place of his mouth. [39]
Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan called the video "very badass, especially following the right wing reactions to 'WAP'". [40] Conteh of Rolling Stone described the video as "stylish" and "outrageous", and wrote that it was the best music video to be released this year so far. [16] Esquire 's Matt Miller wrote that the video "brilliantly skewers slut-shaming conservatives" and was "a hilarious visualization", also comparing conservative political commentators Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson, who commented negatively on "WAP", to the senator in the video. [35] Gabrielle Sanchez of The A.V. Club wrote that Megan Thee Stallion addresses "the hypocrisy of sexist, derogatory comments made by men in power" about sexually empowered women "with confidence and plenty of laughs, letting the opinions of men roll off her back with ease". [20] Erica Gonzales of Harper's Bazaar commented on the video's "absurd, dark humor" and described the visuals as "surreal". Revolt's Jon Powell wrote that the video "successfully mixes Megan's sex appeal with her aggressiveness on the microphone" and "require[s] more than a few replays". [23] For Popsugar , Navi Ahluwalia called the video "a powerful commentary on the world of online hate", while USA Today 's Elise Brisco described it as "iconic" and "empowering". [13] Time Out 's Andy Kryza called it "pure MTS, an amped up celebration of sex and expression as only the woman behind 'WAP' can muster". [36] [41] Allison Hussey of Pitchfork wrote that the video had a "sexy surreality" and praised the "commanding athleticism" of the other women in the video. [30] TechCrunch 's Taylor Hatmaker called the video a "a playful but important paean to essential workers" and "a biting commentary on the wealthy white establishment that exploits their labor". [42]
In June 2021, Complex named the video for "Thot Shit" the second-best music video released that year until then, with Eric Skelton calling it "wildly entertaining, powerful, and funny" and stating that the video's ending was "the most memorable scene of the year so far". [43] Pitchfork 's Eric Torres listed the video as the best video released in June 2021, describing it as "the new crown jewel in Megan Thee Stallion’s run of astounding music videos". [44]
Megan Thee Stallion performed "Thot Shit" at the BET Awards in June 2021, [45] at Rolling Loud Miami in July 2021, at Lollapalooza in August 2021, and at ACL (Austin City Limits) Music Festival in Austin, Texas in October 2021. [46] [47]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [66] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [67] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [68] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
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Various | June 11, 2021 |
| [48] | |
United States | June 15, 2021 | Rhythmic contemporary | [69] |
"B.I.T.C.H." is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released as the lead single from her third EP Suga, on January 24, 2020. The song was met with positive reviews and it charted at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. Megan performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote it.
Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Originally from Houston, Texas, she first garnered attention when videos of her freestyling became popular on social media platforms such as Instagram. She signed with 1501 Certified Entertainment in 2018, and saw her mainstream breakthrough the following year with the release of her singles "Hot Girl Summer" and "Cash Shit" ; the former peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 while the latter received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "Cash Shit" was also included on her commercial mixtape Fever (2019), which was followed by her extended play Suga (2020)—both of which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200.
American rapper Megan Thee Stallion has released three studio albums, one reissue, one compilation album, three mixtapes, three extended plays, 59 singles, and six promotional singles. In her early career, Megan Thee Stallion released the non-commercial, SoundCloud-exclusive mixtapes Rich Ratchet (2016) and Megan Mix (2017). She made her official solo debut by commercially releasing her first professional EP, Make It Hot, on September 18, 2017, which was followed by her second EP Tina Snow on June 8, 2018.
Fever is the third and debut commercial mixtape by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion, released on May 17, 2019, via 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified. Primarily produced by LilJuMadeDaBeat and written by the rapper herself, it also features guest appearances from rappers DaBaby and Juicy J. Fever is a hip hop record driven by minimal bass-heavy trap production. It is widely considered by music critics as Megan Thee Stallion's mainstream breakthrough.
"Cash Shit" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion, featuring vocals from American rapper DaBaby. It was released on May 17, 2019, as the third single off of Megan Thee Stallion's first commercial mixtape, Fever. The track would later peak at number one on Urban radio in the United States, as well as number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was later featured in the fictional iFruit Radio in Grand Theft Auto V.
"Big Booty" is a song by American rapper Gucci Mane, released on October 4, 2019 as the second single from his fourteenth studio album Woptober II (2019). It features American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. Produced by J. White Did It, the song contains a sample of "Hoochie Mama" by 2 Live Crew.
Suga is the third extended play by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on March 6, 2020, by 1501 Certified Entertainment and 300 Entertainment. It features guest appearances from Kehlani and Gunna. The project's release was preceded by legal troubles between the rapper and the label, following a contract renegotiation attempt, which led to the filing of a temporary restraining order towards the label. Megan had initially intended for it to be her debut studio album, but instead released it as an EP as a result.
"Savage" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on March 6, 2020, as part of her EP Suga and later sent to US contemporary hit radio on April 7, 2020, by 1501 Certified Entertainment and 300 Entertainment as the third single from the EP. The song was written by the artist with Bobby Sessions, Akeasha Boodie, and producer J. White Did It. It went viral on video-sharing app TikTok, with people performing the "Savage" dance challenge during the song's chorus.
"Captain Hook" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion from her third EP Suga (2020). It was released as the second single from the EP on March 10, 2020, alongside a music video. Following its release, a TikTok dance choreographed by TikTok star Skaibeauty quickly went viral.
"Girls in the Hood" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion from her debut studio album, Good News (2020). It was released on June 26, 2020, through 1501 Certified Entertainment and 300 Entertainment, as the album's lead single. Built around a sample of "Boyz-n-the-Hood" by Eazy-E and featuring electric guitar and 808 drums, it is a hip hop song with braggadocious lyrics.
Julian Martrel Mason, better known under the pseudonym LilJuMadeDaBeat, is an American record producer and songwriter, most known for his work with 2 Chainz, Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion. Mason has co-written and/or produced hits "Big Ole Freak", "Cash Shit", "Captain Hook", "Body", "Megan's Piano", and "Thot Shit" among others.
"WAP" is a song by American rapper Cardi B, featuring fellow American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on August 7, 2020, through Atlantic as the lead single from Cardi B's upcoming second studio album. Musically, it is a hip hop song driven by heavy bass, drum beats, and a sample of Frank Ski's single "Whores in This House" (1993). With sexually explicit lyrics which made it gain popularity, the song reached the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Good News is the debut studio album by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on November 20, 2020, by 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified. The album features guest appearances from DaBaby, City Girls, Lil Durk, SZA, Popcaan, Mustard, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Young Thug, and Beyoncé. The music was written and produced with a host of musicians, including D.A Got That Dope, LilJuMadeDaBeat, Juicy J, J. White Did It, and Scott Storch.
"Cry Baby" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion, featuring fellow American rapper DaBaby. Their third collaboration, it was released on November 20, 2020, as the third track from Megan's debut studio album, Good News, and was sent to urban contemporary radio as the fourth single from the album on February 3, 2021. A bass-heavy, raunchy track, it finds the rappers talking about their busy sex lives. The song received mostly positive reviews from critics, with Megan singled out, and some comparing it to one of their previous collaborations, Megan's 2019 song, "Cash Shit". It also spawned a TikTok dance challenge.
"Body" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion, who wrote the song during the COVID-19 quarantine and was inspired by her own figure during the creative process, with additional concentration on sizes of waist and breasts. It was released on November 20, 2020, by 1501 Certified Entertainment and 300 Entertainment as the third single from her debut studio album Good News (2020). It coincided with the release of the album and was supported by a music video featuring cameo appearances from Taraji P. Henson, Blac Chyna, and Jordyn Woods, among others.
Something for Thee Hotties is a compilation album by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on October 29, 2021, by 300 Entertainment and 1501 Certified as a "thank you" gift to Megan's fanbase. The compilation serves as a collection of some of her previously-released YouTube freestyles, as well as previously unreleased archival songs; with the only guest appearances Juicy J, VickeeLo and Dino BTW contributing skits. It also includes "Thot Shit", which was released as a single in June that year. The compilation was produced primarily by LilJuMadeDaBeat, with external contributions from a variety of producers including Juicy J, Murda Beatz, and J.R. Rotem, among others.
"Megan's Piano" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion, released on October 29, 2021, as track six from her compilation album Something for Thee Hotties. It was written by Megan, alongside frequent producer LilJuMadeDaBeat, with Megan earning her first producer credit for playing and composing the song's piano riff. The song was noted for Megan's vintage, "hard-hitting" bars and the "stabbing" piano riff. It impacted rhythmic and urban radio on November 30, 2021, as the second single from Something for Thee Hotties.
"Lick" is a song by Jamaican dancehall singer Shenseea with American rapper Megan Thee Stallion. It was released on January 21, 2022, as the lead single on Shenseea's first studio album, Alpha.
"Think U the Shit (Fart)" is a song by the American rapper Ice Spice. It was released on January 26, 2024, through 10K Projects and Capitol Records, as the lead single from her debut studio album, Y2K!. The song was produced and co-written by RiotUSA, Synthetic, and Venny.
"Mamushi" is a song by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion featuring Japanese rapper Yuki Chiba from the former's third studio album Megan (2024). After going viral on the video-sharing platform TikTok, the song was released to urban radio by Hot Girl Productions and Warner Music Group as the album's fourth single on July 30, 2024. Produced by Koshy, the bilingual track sees Megan and Chiba rapping in English and Japanese. A remix featuring South Korean girl group Twice instead of Chiba was released as a part of Megan: Act II (2024), the reissue of Megan.