"TV Off" is a song written and recorded by American rapper Kendrick Lamar for his sixth studio album, GNX (2024). It was released on November 22, 2024, and features guest vocals by rapper Lefty Gunplay. It was produced by Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, Mustard, Kamasi Washington and Sean Momberger.
| "TV Off" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Kendrick Lamar featuring Lefty Gunplay | |
| from the album GNX | |
| Released | November 22, 2024 |
| Recorded | May 2024 |
| Genre | West Coast hip hop |
| Length | 3:40 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | Kendrick Duckworth |
| Producer(s) | |
| Audio video | |
| "TV Off" on YouTube | |
Background
editUpon release, "TV Off" emerged as one of the standout tracks on the album, mainly due to its sonic resemblance to the Mustard-produced "Not Like Us", released earlier in 2024. According to Mustard, the similarities were "definitely intentional" and revealed that it was recorded around the same time as "Not Like Us" in May 2024 but at two different times, thus the beat switches. The song was especially noted for Lamar screaming Mustard's name as a transition between the two parts,[1][2] subsequently popularized as a meme.[3]
Composition and content
edit"TV Off" is a West Coast hip hop song[4] split into two distinct parts that are connected through a beat switch around the two-minute mark. The song contains samples from “MacArthur Park” by Monk Higgins,[5] along with a snippet of horns from “The Black Hole - Overture” composed by John Barry for the soundtrack to the film The Black Hole (1979).[6] As the production of the first part fades out, Mustard's signature tag emerges again as a "booming" percussion kicks in and is followed by Lamar's "animated" scream.[7]
Critical reception
editZachary Horvath of HotNewHipHop viewed the song as a "pseudo-sequel" to "Watch the Party Die", released exclusively on Lamar's social media in September 2024, as it furthers the idea of resetting the culture in rap music. Despite the superficial similarities to "Not Like Us", distinctions mainly stand out on the lyrical front. Lamar offers his critical stance in regards to social media and the associated distortion of perception.[8] Writing for Pitchfork, in a mixed review, Alphonse Pierre said of the song: "Mustard’s backside of 'tv off' is drowned out by these cheesy blaring horns that feel made to go dumb in Nike commercials."[9]
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[10] | 12 |
| Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA)[11] | 3 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[12] | 5 |
| Italy (FIMI)[13] | 69 |
| Lithuania (AGATA)[14] | 8 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] | 17 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] | 5 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[17] | 29 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] | 27 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[19] | 6 |
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[20] | 3 |
| US Rhythmic (Billboard)[21] | 40 |
References
edit- ^ Havens, Lyndsey (November 22, 2024). "Mustard Reacts to Surprise Kendrick Lamar Album GNX & Says His "TV Off" Shout Out 'Was Elite'". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ Setaro, Shawn (November 25, 2024). "Mustard reacts to Kendrick Lamar's viral 'Mustaaard!' line on "TV Off"". HipHopDX. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ Woodroof, Corey (November 23, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar yelling 'Mustard!' on his new album turned into an outstanding meme". For the Win. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ Silbermann-Schön, Jonas (November 22, 2024). "Überraschungsalbum veröffentlicht" [Kendrick Lamar surprisingly releases new album "GNX"]. Visions (in German). Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ Zoladz, Lindsay (November 26, 2024). "Digging Into Kendrick Lamar's Samples". The New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar - GNX :: Le Recensioni di OndaRock". OndaRock (in Italian). Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ Price, Joe (November 22, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar Screaming 'Mustard' on "TV Off" Is an Instant Meme". Complex. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ Horvath, Zachary (November 24, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar & Mustard Have Another Hit With The Thought-Provoking "TV Off"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ Pierre, Alphonse (November 26, 2024). "Kendrick Lamar: GNX". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. December 2, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. December 2, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 48" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
- ^ "2024 48-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. November 29, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar feat. Lefty Gunplay – TV Off" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
- ^ "Official Top 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. November 29, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "Singel 2024 uke 48". VG-lista. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
- ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 48". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
- ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2024.