Thrift Shop
"Thrift Shop" is a song written and performed by American hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring vocals from American singer Wanz, released in 2012, as the fourth single from the former's debut studio album, The Heist (2012). The lyrics tell of Macklemore's esteem for going to thrift shops and saving money, rather than flaunting expensive items like many rappers. The song was met with universal acclaim, with various music reviewers praising its humorous lyrics and social critique.
This article is about the song. For the type of store the song is about, see charity shop."Thrift Shop"
"Ten Thousand Hours"
August 27, 2012
2011
3:55
- Macklemore LLC
Lewis
Despite being released on Macklemore's independent record label with distribution by the Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA), a Warner Music Group company, the single was a sleeper hit. It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has since sold over 6 million copies in the US alone.[3] The song also reached number one in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, France, Denmark, Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. The song would go on to become the number one song of 2013 by Billboard and in 2019, it was named by Billboard as the number one song of the 2010s on both the Hot Rap Songs and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
A music video was released simultaneously with the song on August 27, 2012, and has more than 1.8 billion views on YouTube as of November 2023. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014, the single won for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.[4]
Background and composition[edit]
The song illustrates Macklemore's interest in buying cheap clothing from thrift shops, disdaining designer labels and trends. He claims to enjoy donning "your granddad's clothes" and impulsively buying a sharp-looking but strong-smelling fur stole just because "it was 99 cents". Macklemore spoke to MTV News about the meaning of the song. "Rappers talk about, oh I buy this and I buy that, and I spend this much money and I make it rain, and this type of champagne and painting the club, and this is the kind of record that's the exact opposite," he explained. "It's the polar opposite of it. It's kind of standing for like let's save some money, let's keep some money away, let's spend as little as possible and look as fresh as possible at the same time."[5]
Asked why he thought the track was so successful, Macklemore replied, "I think hip-hop goes in waves, and it's something that's different. It's a concept. It's obviously against the status quo of what people normally rap about. This is a song that goes against all of that. How much can you save? How fresh can you look by not looking like anybody else? And on top of that, you have an infectious beat and a hook that gets stuck in people's heads."[6]
Macklemore stated that the message he was trying to send with that song was: "Don't be a fuckboy and think that a logo is going to make you cool. There are finds out there. There are treasures. There are amazing ways that you can freak fashion and be an individual, and we don't need to get caught up spending all this money. Save it. Go to the thrift shop."[7]
"Thrift Shop" is written in the key of G♯ minor and has a tempo of 95 beats per minute.[8] The song is prominently underpinned by a looping saxophone melody.[9]
Music video[edit]
The accompanying music video was co-directed by Jon Jon Augustavo, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.[29] It was released on Lewis' YouTube channel on August 29, 2012.[29] Filming took place at several thrift shops in Seattle, including Goodwill Outlet, Value Village in Capitol Hill, Red Light Vintage and Fremont Vintage Mall, as well as at Seattle locations like the Unicorn/Narwhal Arcade Bar and the Northwest African American Museum.[30] Macklemore attempted to persuade a fellow Seattle rapper, Sir Mix-a-Lot, to appear in the video but he did not return the calls.[31] Some local Seattle musicians like Thomas Grey of Champagne Champagne appear in the music video, and a DeLorean is shown as well. The video was nominated at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year.[32]