music.wikisort.org - Composition

"Amari" (stylized as "a m a r i") is a song by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on May 14, 2021 on Cole's sixth studio album, The Off-Season.[2]

"Amari"
Song by J. Cole
from the album The Off-Season
Genre	Hip hop trap[1]
Length	2:28
Label	Dreamville Roc Nation Interscope
Songwriter(s)	Jermaine Cole
Producer(s)	Timbaland Sucuki J. Cole T-Minus
Music video
"Amari" on YouTube

Background

The song title, "Amari", is named after Dreamville president and manager Ibrahim Hamad's son, also the nephew of Dreamville rapper Bas.[3]

Production and composition

J. Cole revealed how the song was created on Timbaland's BeatClub YouTube channel. The song was produced during a Twitch live stream by Timbaland. When Cole heard it, he contemplated reaching out, but wrote to the beat through a rip on the internet. He said "I looped up the YouTube lil' rip, made a whole song on this shit. I spent the next two days writing and recording the song, and right when I was 90% through writin' it, I was like, I should probably call him now and get the real file."[4] After asking for the file and playing the song, Timbaland said he didn't save the beat and had to remake it.[5]

Music video

On May 17, 2021, Cole released the official music video for "Amari" directed by fellow North Carolina rapper Mez, who also directed the "Middle Child" video.[6] Scenes in the video features Cole rapping in front of a Dreamville helicopter and in a dorm-room with the wall lined with platinum plaques. A message saying "hold on to your inner child," reads at the end.[7]

Critical reception

Writing for HipHopDX, Clark Trent said "The Timbaland-assisted "Amari" proves the magic ultimately falls on the beatpicker as T-Minus, Sucuki and Cole all combine for a relatively limp staccato blitz of guitar loops."[8] Clash said Cole reflects "on his success and how he made it out even through trials and tribulations."[9] Rolling Stone said the song was a standout on the album "as he alternates between agile rapping and serious singing."[10]

Commercial performance

Upon its first week of release, "Amari" debuted at number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming his third top five song on the chart.[11]

Charts

Chart performance for "Amari"

Chart (2021)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[12]	14
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[13]	7
Lithuania (AGATA)[14]	40
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15]	12
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16]	58
UK Singles (OCC)[17]	16
US Billboard Hot 100[18]	5
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[19]	3

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[20]	Gold	500,000
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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