"Intro" (stylized in
all-caps) is a song by American rapper
DaBaby
Jonathan Lyndale Kirk (born December 22, 1991), known professionally as DaBaby (formerly known as Baby Jesus), is an American rapper. After releasing several mixtapes between 2014 and 2018, he rose to mainstream prominence with his debut alb ...
, released as the lead single and opening track from his second studio album ''
Kirk
Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning "church". It is often used specifically of the Church of Scotland. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it.
Basic meaning and etymology
As a common noun, ''kirk' ...
'' on September 19, 2019.
The song peaked at number 13 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100.
Music and lyrics
The song explores themes of family and DaBaby handling his newfound success.
The song strays away from his usual comedic subject matter, which is synonymous with his music. He explains how he found out about his father's passing only moments before he was informed that his debut studio album, ''
Baby on Baby'', debuted atop the
''Billboard'' Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop chart.
The song is produced by
DJ K.i.D
De'Juane Malachi Dunwood (born 1999), better known by his stage name DJ K.i.D, is an American record producer, DJ, and entrepreneur. He is best known for being a DJ for rapper DaBaby and producing multiple of his songs.
Early life
Dunwood was ...
, who sampled
NSYNC's 1998 rendition of "
O Holy Night" for the song. The song's chorus makes references to Martin and Gina, characters from the TV series ''
Martin'', and tennis players and sisters
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...
and
Serena Williams.
Music video
The music video was released on September 20, 2019. It begins with DaBaby walking towards a
casket at a church, before then cutting to a scene of DaBaby celebrating his newfound success. The video, directed by Reel Goats, was shot in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...
. As of April 2021 the video has over 60 million views on YouTube.
Critical reception
The song received positive reviews, with ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
''s Charles Holmes deeming it a "heart-wrenching portrait of loss", calling it DaBaby's "best song yet", as DaBaby drops his comedically tough facade in favor of a more sincere approach to the song.
Chart performance
The song peaked at number 13 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming his third song to reach the top 20 on the chart, and second as the lead artist.
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{authority control
2019 singles
2019 songs
DaBaby songs
Songs written by DaBaby
Interscope Records singles