Under the Sun (Dreamville, J. Cole and Lute song)
"Under the Sun" is a song released by record label Dreamville Records, performed by American rappers J. Cole and Lute featuring fellow American rapper DaBaby. It also has extra vocals from fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar, who performs the short two-lined chorus of the song. The song was released as the first track on the label's album, Revenge of the Dreamers III.[2] DaBaby received praise for his guest verse, with Billboard, Complex, and HotNewHipHop all ranking it as his best feature of 2019.[3][4][5]
| "Under the Sun" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Dreamville, J. Cole and Lute featuring DaBaby | |
| from the album Revenge of the Dreamers III | |
| Released | July 5, 2019 |
| Recorded | January 2019 |
| Studio | Tree Sound Studios, Atlanta, Georgia[1] |
| Length | 3:21 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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Background
editIn February, Dreamville gave a live preview of the song after the NBA All-Star game – which J. Cole was the halftime show performer, during the free concert in Charlotte. On Twitter, Hamad explained that Kendrick Lamar originally did not intend to appear on the track, and was at first just supposed to come and listen.[6]
Recording and production
editThe song was produced by Christo, Pluss and Nice Rec, and contains an uncredited sample from "I'll Be Waiting For You" by Argo Singers.[7] Christo spoke about the composition of the song with Billboard, saying:
I didn't see DaBaby at the studio. If he was there, I didn't see it. The integral part of the song is the sample that repeats. I heard that in a room with [co-producer] Pluss, and I knew he could put some dope Southern drums on and make it a good song. Out of nowhere, we got Cole and Lute, and then DaBaby hopped on. I heard the finished version when things were being mixed. With me being on tour with J.I.D, I wasn't really [actively] listening to tracks.[8]
Chart performance
editThe song debuted at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on the Rolling Stone Top 100, becoming the label's highest charting song on both charts.[9] On May 14, 2020, the song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over a million digital units in the United States.[10]
Music video
editThe music video for the song was released on September 16, 2019, on the official Dreamville YouTube channel and has over 70 million views as of November 2024. It was directed by Scott Lazer, Aisultan Seitov, David Peters, and Chad Tennies, and produced by Tripp Kramer. [11]
Charts
edit| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[12] | 72 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[13] | 44 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[14] | 11 |
| US Rolling Stone Top 100[15] | 10 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[16] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Hundred, Juan (January 19, 2019). "The Creator's POV of the Dreamville 'ROTD3' Camp". istandardproducers. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
- ^ "Dreamville's "Under The Sun" Links J. Cole With Kendrick Lamar, DaBaby & Lute". HotNewHipHop.
- ^ "DaBaby's Best Guest Verses of 2019, Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
- ^ "DaBaby's Best Guest Verses, Ranked". Complex. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
- ^ "DaBaby's Top 10 Best Features Of 2019". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
- ^ "Dreamville President Ibrahim Hamad Explains Kendrick Lamar's Surprise Appearance On "Under The Sun"". Genius. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ ohchristo [@ohchristo] (July 7, 2019). "Under the sun sample - How I Love To Call His Name by Argo Singers" (Tweet). Retrieved July 8, 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ Saponara, Michael. "Christo Breaks Down Each Track He Produced on Dreamville's 'Revenge of the Dreamers III' Album". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "J. Cole Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ "Under The Sun". RIAA. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ Dreamville - Under The Sun ft. J. Cole, DaBaby & Lute (Official Music Video), retrieved September 17, 2019 – via YouTube
- ^ "J Cole Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "J Cole Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ "J Cole Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. July 11, 2019. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
- ^ "American single certifications – Dreamville – Under The Sun". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 25, 2024.