''For Certain'' is the second EP by American rapper Bia, which was released on December 11, 2020, through

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

. The EP was supported by the singles; "Free Bia (1st Day Out)", "Cover Girl", "Same Hands" featuring

Lil Durk Durk Derrick Banks (born October 19, 1992), known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper and singer. He is the lead member and founder of the collective and record label Only the Family (OTF). Durk garnered a cult following with the ...

, "Skate", and "

Whole Lotta Money "Whole Lotta Money" is a song by American rapper Bia, released on May 18, 2021, as the fifth single from Bia's second EP, '' For Certain''. The song's music video was released on April 8, 2021. Following viral success on social media platform ...

", which were released throughout 2020 and 2021 respectively. ''For Certain'' also features guest appearances from Lil Jon, Doe Boy and

42 Dugg Dion Marquise Hayes (born November 25, 1995), known professionally as 42 Dugg, is an American rapper. He is jointly signed to rappers Lil Baby and Yo Gotti's respective labels 4 Pockets Full (4PF) and Collective Music Group (CMG), in conjunctio ...

. A deluxe edition was released on October 22, 2021 and was preceded by the singles " Whole Lotta Money (Remix)" featuring Nicki Minaj and "Besito" featuring G Herbo.

Background and development

In 2014, Bia signed a joint record deal with RCA Records and Pharrell's label I Am Other. During this time she released a mixtape titled, ''#CholaSeason'' in 2014, as well as the ''Nice Girls Finish Last: Cuidado'' EP in 2018. In 2019, Bia would separate from the labels claiming she was prevented from releasing music. After her first independently released single "One Minute Warning" in August 2019, Bia would be featured on the Russ collaboration, " Best on Earth" in October 2019. The song would peak at number 42 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

and be certified Platinum by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. In early 2020, Bia would sign a new record deal with

and started releasing single throughout the year in anticipation for the EP. Bia initially announced the project's title to be "Rich Tiers", but the title was later changed in favour of "For Certain", its title taken from the hook of the single "Cover Girl". On December 8, Bia took to her social media accounts to announce the project and revealed the cover art. The following day, Bia revealed the tracklisting.

Singles

Bia released the lead single, "Free Bia (1st Day Out)" on March 27, 2020. The song discusses Bia's experience with her previous record label and how she was "shelved" for multiple years, as well as celebrating her newfound freedom. The second single, "Cover Girl", was released on April 3, 2020, alongside a "quarantine" music video. The song was serviced to Urban and Rhythmic radios on April 14. The third and fourth singles, "Same Hands" featuring

and "Skate" were released in September and November that same year. The latter later was chosen as the Stanley Cup playoffs theme song following a reworked version of the song titled the "NHL Mix". A music video for "Whole Lotta Money" was released on April 8, 2021 and impacted Rhythmic radios on May 18, 2021 as the fifth single from the EP. The song peaked at number three on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. A remix with Nicki Minaj was released on July 9, 2021 and debuted at No. 16 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, becoming Bia's first and highest charting song as a lead artist. The remix pushed the mixtape to debut at No. 64 on the ''Billboard'' 200, becoming Bia's first entry on the chart.

Music and lyrics

According to '' AllMusic'', Bia "expresses moments of everyday glamor" such as putting on jewelry "just to go to the bodega." She also "projects a calm, cool-headed attitude which counters her hard, aggressive lyrics" throughout the EP. In "Bia Bia", she "launches into razor sharp verses before Lil Jon crunks up the hook with his instantly recognizable delivery." In "Skate", she delivers "clever" lyrics about making money and leveling up on a "wavy" trap beat. "Same Hands" was inspired by the idea that "no matter how you sin, you can still be close to God." In "Cover Girl", Bia shows her confidence on a "magnetic" beat. In "Besito", she exposes her accomplishments to inspire girls and women in a "contemporary hip-hop style that reflects how global her music is." "Can't Touch This" is a "surprisingly smooth club anthem" that samples Kelis' "

Milkshake A milkshake (sometimes simply called a shake) is a sweet beverage made by blending milk, ice cream, and flavorings or sweeteners such as butterscotch, caramel sauce, chocolate syrup, fruit syrup, or whole fruit into a thick, sweet, cold mixture ...

" with lyrics inspired by MC Hammer's " Can't Touch This". "Motionless" is an emotional "diary kind of a song."

Critical reception

Richardine Bartee of ''Grungecake'' wrote that "if there’s anything Bia understands, it is how to pick the right production and write a hook." Quincy of ''Ratings Game Music'' wrote that "while I do not think that BIA puts up dynamic performances on the EP, I do think that she shows flashes of solidness rapping-wise."

Awards and nominations

Track listing

Notes

* All track titles are stylized in

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Charts

Release history

References

{{reflist Album chart usages for Billboard200 Album chart usages for BillboardRandBHipHop 2020 EPs