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Ball w/o You

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"Ball w/o You"
Song by 21 Savage
from the album I Am Greater than I Was
ReleasedDecember 21, 2018
Length3:15
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)TM88
Music video
"Ball w/o You" on YouTube

"Ball w/o You" (pronounced "ball without you") is a song by British-American rapper 21 Savage from his second studio album I Am Greater than I Was (2018). It was produced by TM88.

Background and composition

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"Ball w/o You" finds 21 Savage expressing his heartbreak from relationships,[1] stating he prefers loyalty over love;[2] in the first verse, he says, "I'd rather have loyalty than love / 'Cause love really don't mean jack / See love is just a feeling / You can love somebody and still stab them in the back".[3] He raps in a falsetto voice on the song.[4]

The song was speculated to be referencing model Amber Rose, the ex-girlfriend of 21 Savage, but Savage confirmed in an interview with The Breakfast Club that it was not about her.[5]

Critical reception

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A.D. Amorosi of Variety regarded the song to be "soulfully inventive" and a moment in which I Am > I Was is "at its best and most dynamic."[6] Tom Breihan of Stereogum described 21 Savage's vocals as "a gloriously unlistenable sound even when it's smothered in Auto-Tune."[4] Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReviews wrote, "It would need to be cleaned up for the radio a bit but TM88's work on 'Ball w/o You' is a sure fire hit."[7]

Music video

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An official music video was released on April 29, 2019. Directed by Walu, it opens at a nightclub where 21 Savage's fictional ex-girlfriend drinking and taking selfies with her friends,[8][9][10][11][12] before drunkenly stumbling into the bathroom, where she passes out in a stall while trying to take pictures of herself and is kicking and screaming as security drags her out.[8][9][10] Meanwhile, 21 Savage sits from the balcony of his lavish home with a new girlfriend by his side as he gazes into the skyline of Los Angeles.[8][9][10][11][12][13] His ex is next seen taking photos of herself in front of a large, lavish home and clear sky. The camera zooms out to show her on the curb with her packed bags.[8][9]

Charts

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Chart (2019) Peak
position
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[14] 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[15] 41

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[16] Platinum 40,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[17] Gold 25,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[19] 4× Platinum 4,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Suarez, Gary. "21 Savage – 'I Am > I Was' review". Crack Magazine. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  2. ^ Diep, Eric (December 23, 2018). "21 Savage I Am > I Was Album Review". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  3. ^ Pementel, Michael (December 25, 2018). "21 Savage – I Am > I Was". Consequence. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (January 2, 2019). "21 Savage Somehow Made A Good Album". Stereogum. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  5. ^ "21 Savage On Evolving Through Loyalty, Loss, Fatherhood + New Music". YouTube. December 21, 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  6. ^ Amorosi, A. D. (December 21, 2018). "Album Review: 21 Savage's 'i am > i was'". Variety. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  7. ^ Juon, Steve "Flash" (January 15, 2019). "21 Savage :: I Am > I Was". RapReviews. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d Alston, Trey (April 29, 2019). "21 Savage's Heartbreaking 'Ball W/O You' Video Shows The Cost Of Image Vs. Reality". MTV News. Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d "Video: 21 Savage - 'ball w/o you'". Rap-Up. April 29, 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Reed, Ryan (April 29, 2019). "21 Savage Moves on After Breakup in 'Ball w/o You' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  11. ^ a b Lamarre, Carl (April 29, 2019). "21 Savage Seeks Loyalty in 'Ball W/O You' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  12. ^ a b Williams, Aaron (April 29, 2019). "21 Savage's Melacholy 'Ball W/o You' Video Thrashes Instagram Fakes". Uproxx. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  13. ^ Hussein, Wandera (April 29, 2019). "Watch 21 Savage's "ball w/o you" music video". The Fader. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  14. ^ "21 Savage Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  15. ^ "21 Savage Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  16. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – 21 Savage – Ball w/o You" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  17. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 28, 2024. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Ball w/o You in the search box.
  18. ^ "British single certifications – 21 Savage – Ball W/O You". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  19. ^ "American single certifications – 21 Savage – Ball w/o You". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
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