| "Real Spill" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Lil Baby | |
| from the album It's Only Me | |
| Released | October 14, 2022 |
| Length | 3:18 |
| Label |
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| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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"Real Spill" is a song by American rapper Lil Baby and the opening track of his third studio album It's Only Me (2022). Produced by G1 and Kaigoinkrazy, it samples "The Big Unknown" by English band Sade. The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Content
The song revolves around how Lil Baby's life is different from what it had been in the past, as well as his pressures of being a role model[1] and the results of him being in a higher social position.[2]
Critical reception
Marcus Shorter of Consequence gave a positive review, writing that It's Only Me "starts promising enough" with the song.[1] Brandon Yu of Variety praised the sampling in the song, writing that it "briefly seems to promise something newly earnest or ambitious", but then wrote, "The moment is short-lived, as a nameless set of hi-hats and lifeless 808s take the wheel, and the typical Baby sound washes over. Despite the story that could have been told about the dizzying turn that the last couple years undoubtedly have been, Baby has nothing compelling to say about his life here. On the opening track, the most vivid he gets comes down to clunky bars about his newfound A-list status: 'Got my name from the ghetto / But I'm bigger now / I can go to dinner with Corey Gamble and Miss Jenner now.'"[2] Shanté Collier-McDermott of Clash wrote favorably the use of the sample, describing it as "Sombre sounding but expertly setting the tone."[3] Like Shorter, Niall Smith of NME also wrote that the album "starts strong" with the track, which he called "a street-cured motivational anthem populated with cautionary tales and status-affirming quotables".[4]
Charts
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[5] | 32 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[6] | 21 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[7] | 67 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[8] | 12 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[9] | 36 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 10 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] | 5 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[12] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ a b Shorter, Marcus (October 14, 2022). "Lil Baby's It's Only Me Is Mired in Mediocrity". Consequence. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ a b Yu, Brandon (October 14, 2022). "Lil Baby Has a One-Trap Mind With Bloated, Unambitious 'It's Only Me': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ Collier-McDermott, Shanté (October 16, 2022). "Lil Baby – It's Only Me". Clash. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Niall (October 17, 2022). "Lil Baby – 'It's Only Me' review: a few notches shy of greatness". NME. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography {{{artist}}}". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 24, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "American single certifications – Lil Baby – Real Spill". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 13, 2023.