"Backdoor" is a song by American rapper Lil Durk, from his sixth studio album, The Voice . It was released as the third single, on December 21, 2020, three days before the album. The song is a tribute to Durk's labelmate and friend, King Von, who was shot and killed outside an Atlanta nightclub in November 2020. The video sees Durk wearing Von's signature O'Block chain, which Von approved of before his death.
| "Backdoor" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lil Durk wearing King Von's signature O'Block chain | ||||
| Single by Lil Durk | ||||
| from the album The Voice | ||||
| Released | December 21, 2020 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 3:20 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Lil Durk singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Backdoor" on YouTube | ||||
Background
editLil Durk and King Von were frequent collaborators, starting with 2019's "Crazy Story" remix and "Twin Nem", and 2020's "All These Niggas", "Baguette's" and "Down Me".[1] Both artists hail from Chicago's O'Block section. Von garnered notoriety through his affiliation with Durk.[2] "Backdoor" honors Von who died in November 2020 at the age of 26 after being shot outside the Monaco Hookah Lounge in Atlanta following a reported argument.[3] The shootout resulted in the deaths of Von, along with two other men.[1] "Backdoor" was released following Durk's one-month social media hiatus.[4] He promoted the song with the hashtag #DoIt4Von.[2]
Composition
editApart from the song being a tribute to King Von, it also sees Durk touch on his own personal struggles and cautioning on the dangers of running the streets.[4] Over the piano-led instrumental, Durk references his success, fake love,[5] and promises to make Von proud in the years to come.[6]
Critical reception
editBillboard's Rania Aniftos deemed it a "stirring" song.[1] The Fader's Jordan Darville noted the video for being "an appropriately melancholy sight for a song with disappointment and betrayal simmering beneath the flexing".[7]
Music video
editThe song's video accompanied its release. Directed by Jerry Production,[3] it features a "subtle but touching" tribute to King Von. In the visual, Durk wears Von's signature O'Block chain, flaunting it in front of the camera.[1] Prior to the song's release, Durk revealed in an Instagram Stories a text message conversation he and Von had, in which Durk informed Von that he would be filming the music video with the chain on that day, and Von replying that he will get it cleaned for him.[1] Durk also sports the chain on the song's cover art.[4] Furthermore in the video, he is also seen flaunting his riches,[5] and pays tribute to his late cousin, OTF Nunu.[8]
Charts
edit| Chart (2020–2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Global 200 (Billboard)[9] | 148 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 62 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] | 18 |
| US Rolling Stone Top 100[12] | 43 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[13] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Aniftos, Rania (December 21, 2020). "Lil Durk Honors the Late King Von in New 'Backdoor' Video". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ a b FNR Tigg (December 21, 2020). "Lil Durk Honors King Von by Wearing O Block Chain in His Memory in "Backdoor" Video". Complex. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ a b Caraan, Sophie (December 22, 2020). "Lil Durk Pays Homage to King Von in "Backdoor" Visual". Hypebeast. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ a b c Zidel, Alex (December 21, 2020). "Lil Durk Pays Tribute To King Von In Surprise Single "Backdoor"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ a b Wynter, Courtney (December 21, 2020). "Lil Durk Gifts Us With Visuals For Latest Track "Backdoor"". GRM Daily. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ Shepard, Ryan (December 21, 2020). "Music Video: Lil' Durk – Backdoor". Def Pen. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ Darville, Jordan (December 21, 2020). "Watch Lil Durk's video for "Backdoor"". The Fader. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ Powell, Jon (December 21, 2020). "Lil Durk drops new visual for "Backdoor"". Revolt. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "Lil Durk Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "Lil Durk Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "Lil Durk Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "Top 100 Songs: December 25, 2020-December 31, 2020". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ "American single certifications – Lil Durk – Backdoor". Recording Industry Association of America.