Hotline Bling

"Hotline Bling"
Single by Drake
from the album Views
Released July 31, 2015 (2015-07-31)
Format Digital download
Recorded 2015
Genre
Length 4:27
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Nineteen85
Drake singles chronology
"Back to Back"
(2015)
"Hotline Bling"
(2015)
"Right Hand"
(2015)
Music video
"Hotline Bling" on YouTube

"Hotline Bling" is a song by Canadian singer and rapper Drake, which serves as the lead single from his fourth studio album Views. While the song itself is only credited as a bonus track, it is present on all editions of the album.[1][2]

Music critics were complimentary about the presentation of Drake's emotional side, as well as its production, but criticized its lyrical content. A Director X–directed music video for the song was also released. It subsequently gained popularity on YouTube and spawned several parodies of it. It has been included on several year-end critics' polls. "Hotline Bling" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Drake's highest-charting single at the time in the United States (tying with "Best I Ever Had" in 2009). "Hotline Bling" also reached number three in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Composition

"Hotline Bling" is a R&B song[3][4] written by Drake and Nineteen85, the latter of whom also produced the song. The song was composed in D minor with a tempo of 135 beats per minute in common time with a chord progression of Bbmaj7  Am7.[5] The song's instrumental heavily samples R&B singer Timmy Thomas' 1972 song "Why Can't We Live Together".[6]

Music video

On October 4, 2015, Drake announced a music video for the track via his Instagram account.[7] The video was financed by Apple Inc., and released on October 19, 2015 via Apple Music under a timed exclusivity agreement.[8] The Director X-directed video was inspired by the work of American artist James Turrell.[9] X has stated that he hopes that the video inspires men to dance more.[10][11] The video features Dominican model Damaris Lopez who appears at the beginning of the video.[12][13]

This was the sixth video directed by Director X featuring Drake.

Rap-Up wrote that Drake "shows just how suave he can be with his moves" in this video.[10] Evan Minsker of Pitchfork called it a "pretty minimal clip".[14] The site also named "Hotline Bling" the seventh best music video of 2015.[15]

The video, which has inspired many memes and parodies,[11][16] including a commercial from T-Mobile during Super Bowl 50 featuring Drake himself,[17] helped the song rise in chart position according to NME.[16] The song was parodied in the Saturday Night Live episode "Donald Trump/Sia", including where Trump himself starred in the parody.[18]

As of December 2016, the music video has received over 1.04 billion views on YouTube,[19] and is the site's 33rd most-watched video.[20]

Critical response

Leor Galil of the Chicago Reader praised Drake's performance in "Hotline Bling," stating that he "sounds hurt, neglected, and confused even while he's admonishing his ex," and that "it's hard to imagine anyone else pulling off this kind of song with the same verve."[21] Jayson Greene of Pitchfork selected "Hotline Bling" as the "Best New Track" of the day, praising its "muted and intimate" beat and declaring it a "halting, aching song" about a man "a little too concerned" for a woman that could be a "rewrite" of "Roxanne" by the The Police.[22] Brad Wete of NPR hailed the song as both "remarkably catchy and damp with boo-hoo reflection," writing that "musically, it twinkles with bright organ riffs and boasts a bass line fit to thump in clubs" while its lyrics feature Drake "deeply wondering aloud, channeling the jealous ex in all of us."[23] Rhian Daly of NME described the track's "simple and minimal" production as "secondary to Drake’s emotions."[24] Rolling Stone ranked "Hotline Bling" at number 3 on its year-end list to find the 50 best songs of 2015.[25] Billboard ranked "Hotline Bling" at number 2 on its year-end critics' poll for 2015: "In a trio of freebies Drake plopped on SoundCloud in July, "Hotline Bling" was the only non-diss track. Backed by a tropical, groovy melody, "Hotline Bling" finds Aubrey Graham [Drake's birth name] giving a rap a hard pass and singing his heart out for some late-night loving through the phone. The record caught some drama, initially being referred to as a remix to Virginia rapper D.R.A.M.'s "Cha Cha." Still, the Toronto MVP got his dance on for the uber-viral video parodied by everyone from presidential candidate Donald Trump to Toronto Councillor Norm Kelly."[26] Pitchfork Media named "Hotline Bling" the second best song of 2015, after Kendrick Lamar's "Alright".[27] Time named "Hotline Bling" the eighth-best song of 2015.[28] The Village Voice named "Hotline Bling" the best single released in 2015 on their annual year-end critics' poll, Pazz & Jop.[29]

"Hotline Bling" also received criticism for the perceived sexist and controlling attitude expressed by the male narrator toward his female ex in its lyrics. Carol H. Hood of The Frisky described the song as "an incredibly salty and self-centered rant about an ex having the courage to move on."[30] Allyson Shiffman of Bullett took issue with the "super sexist lyrics," explaining that "while [the song is] packaged as a good old fashioned 'Why doesn't bae like me anymore?' Drake tune," what it is "really saying is, 'You used to wanna bone me all the time and now that I've left the 6, you've gotten a life of your own and I'm not okay with that.'"[31] Tahirah Hairston of Fusion wrote that, in the song, "Drake is distraught that his ex has moved on," but because he "opts for condescendingly slut-shaming her" and "dictating where she does and doesn't belong," it "comes off so petty that you forget his feelings are hurt."[32]

Covers and usage in media

New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne released his own version of the song from his mixtape No Ceilings 2.[33] Singer Erykah Badu released a rewrite of the song on her 2015 mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone titled "Cel U Lar Device".

W Magazine uploaded a video with 13 celebrities reading the lyrics of the song in December 2015.[34]

The song was featured on the She Gets Revenge episode of American Horror Story: Hotel.[35]

The song alongside its accompanying music video was parodied in a T-Mobile commercial for the Super Bowl 50 (starring Drake himself).[36]

French football player Antoine Griezmann celebrated his goals with a spoof on the video.[37]

The song is also featured in an episode of Loosely Exactly Nicole.

Charts and certifications

Commercial performance

"Hotline Bling" entered the US Billboard Hot 100 chart dated August 22, 2015 at number 66.[38] Its chart debut was fueled primarily by digital download sales, with 41,000 copies sold in its first week.[39] The song soon became Drake's first top 10 in two years when the song reached number nine. It has since peaked at number two on the chart dated October 24, 2015, tying as his second highest-charting single as a lead act with "Best I Ever Had" which reached number two in 2009. The song has peaked at number two for five non-consecutive weeks, behind both "The Hills" by The Weeknd and "Hello" by Adele. As of February 2016, the song has sold over 2 million copies in the United States.[40] "Hotline Bling" remained in the top ten of this chart for nineteen weeks before dropping out on February 13, 2016.

In the United Kingdom, "Hotline Bling" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Drake's highest-charting song there (at the time) as a lead artist. The song also peaked at the top of the UK R&B Chart. On November 27, 2015, "Hotline Bling" received gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry.

Weekly charts

Chart (2015–16) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[41] 2
Australian Urban (ARIA)[42] 2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[43] 19
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[44] 8
Belgium Urban (Ultratop Flanders)[45] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[46] 5
Brazil (Billboard Brasil Hot 100)[47] 59
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[48] 3
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[49] 69
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[50] 11
Denmark (Tracklisten)[51] 5
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[52] 14
France (SNEP)[53] 9
Germany (Official German Charts)[54] 18
Hungary (Single Top 40)[55] 8
Ireland (IRMA)[56] 8
Israel (Media Forest)[57] 3
Italy (FIMI)[58] 9
Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20)[59] 8
Mexico Streaming (AMPROFON)[60] 4
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[61] 9
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[62] 6
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[63] 14
Norway (VG-lista)[64] 11
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[65] 82
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[66] 12
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[67] 81
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[68] 5
South Africa (EMA)[69] 3
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[70] 12
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[71] 12
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[72] 13
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[73] 3
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[74] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[75] 2
US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)[76] 6
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[77] 1
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[78] 2
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[79] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2015) Position
Australia (ARIA)[80] 43
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[81] 43
Italy (FIMI)[82] 84
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[83] 40
US Billboard Hot 100[84] 30
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[85] 8

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[86] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Belgium (BEA)[87] Gold 15,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[88] Platinum 80,000^
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[89] Platinum 60,000^
Italy (FIMI)[90] 3× Platinum 150,000double-dagger
New Zealand (RMNZ)[91] Gold 7,500*
Poland (ZPAV)[92] Platinum 20,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[93] Platinum 694,000[94]
United States (RIAA)[95] 5× Platinumdagger 2,091,839[96]

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales+streaming figures based on certification alone

dagger Since May 2013 RIAA certifications for digital singles include on-demand audio and/or video song streams in addition to downloads.[97]

Release history

Country Date Format Label
United States[98] July 31, 2015 Digital download

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External links

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