"Love & War" is a song by American rapper Kodak Black, released on December 15, 2021, as the lead single from his fourth studio album Back for Everything (2022). It was produced by Pompano Puff and J Gramm.
| "Love & War" | ||||
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| Single by Kodak Black | ||||
| from the album Back for Everything | ||||
| Released | December 15, 2021 | |||
| Length | 3:59 | |||
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| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Kodak Black singles chronology | ||||
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Background and composition
editThe cover art of the song shows Kodak Black holding hands with his girlfriend as a heart of smoke explodes in the sky, with soldiers at war behind them.[1]
The chorus of the song previously leaked in 2019, following which it went viral on the video-sharing app TikTok[2] and was also used for Black's feature on the song "On the Low" by Shoreline Mafia in 2020. Lyrically, the song finds Kodak expressing his feelings toward a girl, saying she wants "love" but he wants "war".[1][2] The production of the song contains xylophone.[3]
Critical reception
editPreezy Brown of Vibe regarded the song as among the "standouts" that "help close out Back For Everything on a high note".[4] On the other hand, Jayson Buford of HipHopDX wrote, "'Love & War,' the last record, is abominable. With his xylophone production, it's a SoundCloud snippet that should've stayed there."[3]
Charts
edit| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[5] | 8 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[6] | 48 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[7] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ a b Zidel, Alex (December 15, 2021). "Kodak Black Tells A Complicated Love Story On "Love & War"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Powell, Jon (December 16, 2023). "Kodak Black delivers emotionally charged "Love & War" single". Revolt. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Buford, Jayson (May 18, 2022). "Kodak Black 'Back For Everything' Lacks the Complexity and Depth of its Creator". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ Brown, Preezy (February 25, 2022). "Kodak Black's 'Back For Everything' Album Raised The Bar This New Music Friday". Vibe. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ "Kodak Black Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ "Kodak Black Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Kodak Black – Love & War". Radioscope. Retrieved December 25, 2024. Type Love & War in the "Search:" field.