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Okra (song)

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"Okra"
Single by Tyler, the Creator
ReleasedMarch 29, 2018
GenreAlternative hip hop
Length2:31
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Tyler, the Creator
Tyler, the Creator singles chronology
"After the Storm"
(2018) 		"Okra"
(2018) 		"435"
(2018)
Music video
"Okra" on YouTube

"Okra" (stylized as "OKRA") is a song by American hip hop artist Tyler, the Creator, released as a digital single on March 29, 2018. It was written and produced by Tyler, the Creator. Described by Tyler as a "throwaway song", the single garnered media attention for its abrupt release and a lyrical reference to American actor Timothée Chalamet. "Okra" has been described as a rap song with bass, drums, snare, piano, and strings in its instrumentation, with its production complementing Tyler's vocal performance, which was shifted up one semitone.[1] In the lyrics, Tyler makes references to several pop culture figures in addition to Chalamet, and also alludes to the separation of hip hop collective Odd Future, which Tyler co-founded.

The song was praised for Tyler's production, lyricism, and rapping. The song debuted at number 89 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 6.2 million streams, marking Tyler's third appearance on the chart and his second as a solo artist, following 2017's "Who Dat Boy".[2] The song also debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 at number 70. A music video, directed by Tyler under the pseudonym Wolf Haley, was released simultaneously with the single.

Background and release

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"Okra" was released with no prior announcement on March 29, 2018, following a series of Twitter posts from Tyler, the Creator explaining that the song had been recorded in January 2018 before a tour with Vince Staples,[3] and that he decided to "just put it out for fun and move on with [his] life".[4] The release was considered by several news outlets to be a surprise.[3][5][6][7] Tyler referred to the track a "throwaway song" and posted that he would "promote this song for the next 5 days, then continue to live a normal life". He shared the lyrics to the song later that day.[5] The song is the second in a string of solo tracks released following his fourth studio album Flower Boy, preceded by the August 2017 release of "Ziploc", a freestyle rap over the instrumental of "4:44" by Jay-Z.[6]

Composition and lyrical interpretation

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Tyler, the Creator is the lone songwriter, producer, and performer on "Okra"

"Okra" lasts for a duration of 2:31 (two minutes and thirty-one seconds),[8] and was written and produced by Tyler, the Creator. Neal Pogue, Mike Bozzi, and Vic Wainstein contributed mix, master, and record engineering, respectively.[9] The track has a "minimalist"[10] and "trippy"[11] beat, described as "mostly bass and snare with flashes of piano and strings" by Pitchfork's Sheldon Pearce[10] and "a relentless bass drone, an eerie piano hook and strings" by Jon Blistein of Rolling Stone.[6] Charles Holmes of MTV commented on the "bass-rattling production",[12] Billboard's Rania Aniftos referred to the track as a "bass-heavy tune",[5] and Phil Witmer of Noisey noted "Tyler's signature piano flourishes sprinkled throughout".[13]

Tyler opens the song saying that he recorded it in one take.[11][12] His vocal flow has been compared to Valee's verse on the Z-Money song "Two-16's",[10][12] The lyrics make reference to several topics and individuals, including his nomination for Best Rap Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards,[4][6] actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen,[14] films Taxi Driver[14] and Django Unchained,[10] television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,[6][10] hip hop group G-Unit,[12] basketball player Metta World Peace,[6] and the divorce of actor Nick Cannon and singer Mariah Carey.[11] The song also alludes to the dissolution of hip hop collective Odd Future, which was co-founded by Tyler. Luke Morgan Britton of NME specifically refers to the chorus lyrics "Man, now they go / I cut off some friends, where they go" as an allusion to the group's separation,[15] while Holmes drew attention to the lyric "Golf be the set, no more OF".[12] Pearce described the lyrical content as being "part Grammy celebration, part Odd Future send-off, part shameless ego-booster, and all impulse-driven".[10]

Several media outlets, including Pitchfork,[4][10] Billboard,[5] XXL,[11] MTV,[12] Noisey,[13] The Fader,[14] NME,[15] and Spin noted the lyric "Tell Tim Chalamet to come get at me" in the third verse,[16] with Zack Sharf of Indiewire saying that the reference to the American actor "instantly set the internet abuzz".[17] Chalamet acknowledged the reference days after the song's release, reposting an Internet meme relating to the lyric.[15]

Commercial and critical reception

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"Okra" is Tyler, the Creator's second solo single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, following "Who Dat Boy". The single debuted at number 89 (6.2 million streams) in the issue dated April 14, 2018.[18] In addition to the Hot 100, "Okra" charted on Billboard's Digital Songs at number 48[19] and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at number 42.[20] The song also charted on the Canadian Hot 100, debuting at number 70 in the issue dated April 14, 2018.[21]

Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork described "Okra" as a "punchline-heavy slapper", saying that "Tyler raps like he's doing donuts through his own imagination" and praising the lyrics as "his most formidable raps in some time".[10] Phil Witmer of Noisey called the song as "a simple, straightforward banger" and praised the "instantly quotable" lyrics.[13]

Music video

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The music video for "Okra" was directed by Tyler, the Creator under the pseudonym Wolf Haley,[6] and was produced by Happy Place.[22] Edited using split screen imagery,[14] the clip begins with close-ups of Tyler's face paired with "a shot of the rapper in an idyllic field",[6] and shows him "both outside and inside a mysterious venue".[11] Further imagery shows Tyler "rapping in a park, riding bikes and hanging out in a living room, all shot in hyper-color blacklight tints"[16] before the video concludes in "a blinding, strob-lit [sic] sequence"[6] with Tyler dressed in yellow reflective workwear and "lustrous chains, which hold colorful diamond smiley face, cat, and flower pendants".[23] The clip features a prominent close-up of a pair of silver Converse x Golf le Fleur, Tyler's signature model of the Converse One Star. As of April 2018, a silver version of these shoes are not available for purchase.[24]

Credits and personnel

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Credits adapted from Tidal.[9]

Charts

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Chart (2018) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[21] 70
New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ)[25] 5
US Billboard Hot 100[26] 89
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[20] 42

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[27] Gold 40,000‡
United States (RIAA)[28] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Region Date Format Label
United States[8] March 29, 2018 Digital download Columbia
Australia[29] March 30, 2018
Belgium[30]
Canada[31]
Finland[32]
Germany[33]
New Zealand[34]
Portugal[35]
Spain[36]
Switzerland[37]
United Kingdom[38]

References

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  1. ^ "Listen to Tyler, The Creator Rap Over Trouble and Drake's "Bring It Back"". Noisey. April 12, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  2. ^ "Tyler, the Creator". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  3. ^ a b Moore, Sam (March 29, 2018). "Listen to Tyler, the Creator shout-out Timothée Chalamet on vibrant new track 'Okra'". NME. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Strauss, Matthew (March 29, 2018). "Tyler, the Creator Drops New Song "OKRA": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d Aniftos, Rania (March 29, 2018). "Tyler, The Creator Shouts Out Timothee Chalamet on New Song 'OKRA'". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Blistein, Jon (March 29, 2018). "Hear Tyler, the Creator's Surprise New Song 'Okra'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  7. ^ Vallejo-Lopez, Abdiel (March 29, 2018). "Listen to Tyler, The Creator's New Banger, "OKRA"". Paste. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "OKRA - Single by Tyler, The Creator". United States: iTunes Store. 30 March 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  9. ^ a b "OKRA / Tyler, The Creator". Tidal. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h Pearce, Sheldon (March 29, 2018). ""OKRA" by Tyler, the Creator Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d e India, Lindsey (March 29, 2018). "Tyler, the Creator Drops New Song and Trippy Video for "Okra"". XXL. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Holmes, Charles (March 29, 2018). "Tyler, the Creator Tells Timothée Chalamet to 'Come Get at Me' on 'OKRA'". MTV. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  13. ^ a b c Witmer, Phil (March 29, 2018). "Tyler, the Creator Just Dropped a Loosie Called "OKRA" and It Knocks". Noisey. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  14. ^ a b c d Puckett, Lily (March 29, 2018). "Tyler, The Creator shares "Okra"". The Fader. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  15. ^ a b c Britton, Luke Morgan (April 2, 2018). "Timothée Chalamet responds to Tyler, The Creator's 'Okra' shout-out". NME. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  16. ^ a b Daramola, Israel (March 29, 2018). "Tyler, the Creator – "OKRA"". Spin. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  17. ^ Sharf, Zack (March 30, 2018). "Tyler, The Creator's New Song 'OKRA' Includes A Shout Out to Timothée Chalamet — Watch". Indiewire. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  18. ^ Zellner, Xander; Trust, Gary (April 11, 2018). "Hot 100 Chart Moves: Cardi B's 'Be Careful' Debuts at No. 16". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  19. ^ "Tyler the Creator Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  20. ^ a b "Tyler the Creator Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  21. ^ a b "Tyler the Creator Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  22. ^ Cowen, Trace William (March 29, 2018). "Tyler, the Creator Drops New Song and Video "OKRA"". Complex. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  23. ^ Hahn, Rachel (March 29, 2018). "Tyler, the Creator Shouts Out Timothée Chalamet—And Rocks Reflective Workwear—In His New Video". Vogue. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  24. ^ Woolf, Jake (March 29, 2018). "Tyler, the Creator's "Okra" Video Features New Golf Le Fleur Converse Sneakers". GQ. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  25. ^ "NZ Heatseeker Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 9, 2018.
  26. ^ "Tyler the Creator Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  27. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Tyler, the Creator – Okra". Music Canada. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  28. ^ "American single certifications – Tyler, the Creator – Okra". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  29. ^ "OKRA – Single by Tyler, the Creator". Australia: iTunes Store. 30 March 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  30. ^ "OKRA – Single by Tyler, the Creator" (in French). Belgium: iTunes Store. 30 March 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  31. ^ "OKRA - Single by Tyler, The Creator". Canada: iTunes Store. 30 March 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  32. ^ "OKRA - Single by Tyler, The Creator" (in Finnish). Finland: iTunes Store. 30 March 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  33. ^ "OKRA - Single by Tyler, The Creator" (in German). Germany: iTunes Store. 30 March 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  34. ^ "OKRA - Single by Tyler, The Creator". New Zealand: iTunes Store. 30 March 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  35. ^ "OKRA - Single by Tyler, The Creator" (in Portuguese). Portugal: iTunes Store. 30 March 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  36. ^ "OKRA - Single by Tyler, The Creator" (in Spanish). Spain: iTunes Store. 30 March 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  37. ^ "OKRA - Single by Tyler, The Creator" (in German). Switzerland: iTunes Store. 30 March 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  38. ^ "OKRA - Single by Tyler, The Creator". United Kingdom: iTunes Store. 30 March 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
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