Rodeo (Lil Nas X and Cardi B song)
"Rodeo" is a song by American rappers Lil Nas X and Cardi B from the former's second EP, 7 (2019). The song was written by the artists alongside Pardison Fontaine and producers Take a Daytrip, Roy Lenzo, and Russ Chell. Due to the song's interpolation of Heart's 1977 song "Barracuda," band members Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Michael Derosier, and Roger Fisher are also credited as songwriters. Musically, the song is a country trap track with a surf trumpet and reverberated staccato guitar riff. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised Cardi B's verse.
"Rodeo"
June 21, 2019
2:39
- Montero Hill
- Belcalis Almánzar
- David Biral
- Denzel Baptiste
- Pardison Fontaine
- Roy Lenzo
- Russ Chell
- Ann Wilson
- Michael Derosier
- Nancy Wilson
- Roger Fisher
- Take a Daytrip
- Chell
- Lenzo
"Rodeo" debuted at number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and reached charts in numerous other territories. Lil Nas X and Cardi B, among others, were sued by Don Lee and Glen Keith DeMeritt III, with the two of them claiming that "Rodeo" plagiarized a track they produced called "Broad Day" (2017). A remix of the former with Lil Nas X and American rapper Nas was released for digital download and streaming as a single on January 27, 2020, after a live performance by Lil Nas X and Nas of the remix during the 2020 Grammy Awards the previous day. It was supported by a music video and caused the song to re-enter the Billboard Hot 100 at number 74, with the magazine billing the artist as "Lil Nas X featuring Cardi B or Nas".
Background and composition[edit]
According to Take a Daytrip, the duo of David Biral and Denzel Baptiste, the guitar lick for "Rodeo" was introduced during Lil Nas X's first studio session ever. The song's chorus was the first part the three of them completed, which was posted to Lil Nas X's Instagram before the rest of the song was finished, and had received around three million views within two days. A solo version of it was completed one month and a half later in New York City. Cardi B's verse was a late addition to "Rodeo", which Lil Nas X texted to the producers when they "were in the studio working on something else" a few days prior.[1] The song was written by Lil Nas X and Cardi B, alongside Pardison Fontaine, Roy Lenzo, Russ Chell, Biral, and Baptiste, while the latter four produced the song.[2]
Lil Nas X revealed the song's name as part of the tracklist for 7. Cardi B's appearance on it was not announced until the EP's release on June 21, 2019.[3] A hip hop song,[4] "Rodeo" retains Lil Nas X's "country trap style with twanging guitars" according to Spin's Nina Braca.[5] The song samples a guitar riff, described by Uproxx's Aaron Williams as "a harder rock-oriented loop" similar to Heart's "Barracuda" (1977), featuring Lil Nas X's country trap vocals, which Williams thought were "to censure a romantic flame for her dependence on his largesse".[6] It includes a reverbed staccato guitar riff and surf trumpet.[7] With "twisted, brooding Mariachi tones", "Rodeo" has a hint of guitar-and-drum driven heaviness.[8]
Commercial performance[edit]
"Rodeo" debuted at number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the issue date of July 6, 2019, following the release of 7.[14] The track was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of a million certified units on February 19, 2020.[15] In Canada, it peaked at number 44 on the Canadian Hot 100 and attained a double platinum certification from Music Canada (MC).[16][17] The track charted at number 55 on the UK Singles Chart, number 35 on the Irish Singles Chart and number 13 on Latvia's Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops chart.[18][19][20] The song peaked at number 72 on the ARIA Singles chart and number six on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart, an extension to the New Zealand Top 40 Singles chart.[21][22]
"Rodeo (Remix)"
January 27, 2020
2:25
- Montero Hill
- Nasir Jones
- David Biral
- Denzel Baptiste
- Roy Lenzo
- Russ Chell
- Take a Daytrip
- Chell
- Lenzo