Chicago Freestyle
2020 song by Drake and Giveon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Chicago Freestyle" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake and American singer-songwriter Giveon. It was released as the third track from Drake's commercial mixtape Dark Lane Demo Tapes, on May 1, 2020. Drake interpolates Eminem's flow from his 2002 single "Superman" on the pre-chorus.[1] When it was unofficially released on February 29, 2020, it was released concurrently with another song, "When to Say When".
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| "Chicago Freestyle" | |
|---|---|
| |
| Single by Drake and Giveon | |
| from the album Dark Lane Demo Tapes | |
| Released | March 1, 2020 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:40 |
| Label | Republic |
| Songwriters | |
| Producer |
|
| Music video | |
| "When To Say When" & "Chicago Freestyle" on YouTube | |
Background
On February 29, 2020, Drake released "When To Say When" and "Chicago Freestyle" on SoundCloud. He also released a music video for both songs.[2] The video stars Drake walking around New York City with scenes filmed in Marcy Projects in Brooklyn.[3] The song is set to a "romantic" piano and a "hushed" chorus performed by Giveon.[4] Lyrically, Drake "unpacks the run-of-the-mill anxieties and flexes" associated with his nightlife, while portraying "an underrated antagonist", as described by a Pitchfork article.[5]
Critical reception
Grant Rindner of Complex felt that the lyrics reflected "Drake's first time being hurt in a long time", acknowledging "his heartbreak makes for great songs."[6] Kevin Montes of Medium deemed the song "one of the original standouts with its subtle melancholy vibe to Drake's reflection of celebrity life in his verses."[7] In a mixed review of both "Chicago Freestyle" and "When To Say When", Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork felt Drake "doesn't play the heel nearly as well as '02 Em used to."[5] NME's Luke Morgan Britton found the song "cheesy."[8]
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9] | 60 |
| Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[10] | 13 |
| France (SNEP)[11] | 62 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[12] | 146 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[13] | 9 |
| Italy (FIMI)[14] | 75 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[15] | 54 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] | 75 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] | 31 |
| Portugal (AFP)[18] | 38 |
| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[19] | 3 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20] | 34 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[21] | 10 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[22] | 14 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[23] | 11 |
| US Rolling Stone Top 100[24] | 6 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2020) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[25] | 65 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[26] | 3× Platinum | 210,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[27] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[28] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| France (SNEP)[29] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI)[30] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[31] | 3× Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| Portugal (AFP)[32] | Platinum | 10,000‡ |
| Spain (Promusicae)[33] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[34] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[35] | 5× Platinum | 5,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||