The Bigger Picture (song)
"The Bigger Picture" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Lil Baby | ||||
from the album My Turn (Deluxe) | ||||
Released | June 12, 2020 | |||
Recorded | 2020 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:13 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Lil Baby singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"The Bigger Picture" on YouTube |
"The Bigger Picture" is a
It is Lil Baby's highest-charting song as a solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100, debuting and peaking at number three, behind "Trollz" by 6ix9ine & Nicki Minaj and "Rockstar" by DaBaby & Roddy Ricch.[2] It was later added to the deluxe edition of his second studio album My Turn.[3] The song received two nominations at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards: Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.[4]
Background
Prior to the song's release, Lil Baby was seen marching down Mitchell Street in his hometown Atlanta, during the George Floyd protests in Georgia. He was accompanied by the city's Councilman Antonio Brown.[5]
Composition and lyrics
The song was written by Lil Baby, alongside its producers,
Charles Holmes of
Critical reception
"The Bigger Picture" received critical acclaim. Riley Wallace of
In a highly positive review, Charles Holmes of Rolling Stone said "The Bigger Picture" "isn't a protest song, it's a song shaped by protest", praising Lil Baby's storytelling skills: "Baby's main talent has always been his avoidance of obfuscation in favor of a direct address".[5] Tom Breihan of Stereogum deemed it "a stirring and ultimately optimistic song", and said he "honestly found it pretty moving".[7] Billboard's Jason Lipshutz deemed it "the biggest modern protest song".[11]
Cover art
The song's cover art is a picture taken at a George Floyd protest in Atlanta on June 8, 2020, where Lil Baby led a crowd on a bicycle. The photo was taken by photographer Matthew Geovany [12]
Commercial performance
On its first day of release, "The Bigger Picture" reached number-one on both the US and global Apple Music charts, while reaching number three on US Spotify.[13] "The Bigger Picture" debuted at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Lil Baby's highest-charting song as a lead artist, surpassing "Drip Too Hard", which peaked at number four in 2018.[2]
Music video
The video was released on the same day as the song and takes place at the Black Lives Matter protest in Lil Baby's hometown of Atlanta. The video shows Lil Baby standing among other protesters,[14] raising his hand in solidarity and wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt.[8] It also features footage of the nationwide protests from the previous two weeks that followed the murder of George Floyd, an African American man murdered by a police officer.[8]
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[25] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
See also
- "Otherside of America", a song by Meek Mill, also released in June 2020, and associated with Black Lives Matter and George Floyd
References
- ^ Madden, Sidney (June 16, 2020). "Heat Check: Bigger Picture". NPR. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ a b Trust, Gary (June 22, 2020). "6ix9ine & Nicki Minaj's 'Trollz' Launches at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100, Lil Baby's 'The Bigger Picture' Debuts at No. 3". Billboard. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
- ^ "Try the TIDAL Web Player".
- ^ "Grammy Nominations 2021". The New York Times. 24 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d Holmes, Charles (June 12, 2020). "Lil Baby Always Had a Lot to Say — You Just Weren't Paying Attention". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ a b Riley Runnells, Riley Runnells (June 12, 202). "Lil Baby Wants You to See 'The Bigger Picture'". Paper. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ a b Breihan, Tom (June 12, 2020). "Lil Baby – "The Bigger Picture"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ a b c Kaufman, Gil (June 15, 2020). "Lil Baby Drops Potent Message About Black Lives Matter Protests With 'The Bigger Picture' Video". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ a b Wallace, Riley (June 12, 2020). "Lil Baby Captured An Entire Revolution With Just One Song". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ Hellerbach, Miki (June 15, 2020). "Lil Baby – The Bigger Picture". Euphoria. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ "Lil Baby Has Become a Superstar. Here's How It Happened, In 10 Steps". Billboard. July 9, 2020. Retrieved August 1, 2020.
- Complex. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ Cantor, Brian (June 13, 2020). "Lil Baby's "The Bigger Picture" Earns #1 On Global & US Apple Music Streaming Charts, #3 On US Spotify Chart". Headline Planet. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ Woods, Aleia Woods (June 15, 2020). "6ix9ine, Nicki Minaj's "Trollz" Video Has Over 80 Million More Views Than Lil Baby's "he Bigger Picture" and People Are Upset". XXL. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ "IRMA – Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 22, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ "Lil Baby Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
- ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. June 23, 2020. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "American single certifications – Lil Baby – The Bigger Picture". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 5, 2021.