"Straightenin" is a song by American
hip hop trio
Migos. It was released through
Quality Control and
Motown on May 14, 2021, as the second single from their fourth studio album, ''
Culture III
''Culture III'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop trio Migos and the last to be released during member Takeoff's lifetime. It was released by Motown Records and Quality Control Music on June 11, 2021. The album features guest appe ...
''.
Background
In March 2021,
Quavo
Quavious Keyate Marshall (born April 2, 1991), known professionally as Quavo (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He is best known as the co-founder and former frontman of hip hop group Migos. Quavo is the uncle of late fellow Migos m ...
previewed the song's music video on social media. The track and the accompanying video were released on May 14, 2021 with an announcement of the album ''Culture III''.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
rapper and producer Big Spoon accused Migos of copying his 2020 song "Magic Show 魔術表演", which he compared to "Straightenin" in an
Instagram video, saying, "I composed and produced the song by myself, did all the rapping, and played all the instruments so there are no samples or loops taken from elsewhere. I tweaked their song to the same tempo and key for comparison."
Composition
The song features "triplet flows and ad libs" quickly rapped over "booming bass, crisp percussion and a woozy synth line".
Quavo mentions acting alongside
Robert De Niro in the upcoming film ''
Wash Me in the River
''Savage Salvation'' (also titled ''Savage Justice'' and ''Wash Me in the River'') is a 2022 American thriller film directed by Randall Emmett and starring Jack Huston, Robert De Niro, and John Malkovich.
Premise
After losing his fiancée to ...
'' ("I'm counting dineros with Robert DeNiro / He telling 'em that Cho amazing"), and also raps, "Turn a pandemic into a bandemic / You know that's the shit that we on".
Takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle leaves the ground and becomes airborne. For aircraft traveling vertically, this is known as liftoff.
For aircraft that take off horizontally, this usually involves starting with a ...
then raps, before
Offset raps the third verse with a "silky flow talking about his days spinning the block."
Critical reception
Althea Legaspi of ''
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 ...
'' described the song as "classic Migos".
Music video
The official music video for "Straightening" premiered along with the song on May 14, 2021. It was directed by Keemotion. The Migos are joined by friends and expensive items, such as luxury cars and vehicles.
Personnel
Credits adapted from
Tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
.
*
Migos
**
Quavo
Quavious Keyate Marshall (born April 2, 1991), known professionally as Quavo (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He is best known as the co-founder and former frontman of hip hop group Migos. Quavo is the uncle of late fellow Migos m ...
– vocals, songwriting
**
Takeoff
Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle leaves the ground and becomes airborne. For aircraft traveling vertically, this is known as liftoff.
For aircraft that take off horizontally, this usually involves starting with a ...
– vocals, songwriting
**
Offset – vocals, songwriting
*
DJ Durel
Daryl McPherson, known as DJ Durel, is an American record producer, recording engineer, and DJ from Cleveland, Ohio. He is the official DJ of Atlanta rap group, Migos.
Career
In late 2017, '' Control the Streets, Vol. 1'', a compilation album r ...
– production, songwriting, programming
* Atake – production, songwriting, programming
* Sluzyyy – production, songwriting, programming
* Slime Castro – production, songwriting, programming
* Nuki – production, songwriting, programming
* Osiris – production, songwriting, programming
*
Manny Marroquin
Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is an American mixing engineer.Daley, Dan (May 2005).Manny Marroquin. ''Sound on Sound''. Retrieved February 10, 2007 He has received ten Grammy awards for his professional audio work.
Life and career
...
– mixing, studio personnel
* Chris Galland – mixing, studio personnel
* Jeremie Inhaber – assistant mixing, studio personnel
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
{{authority control
2021 singles
2021 songs
Migos songs
Songs written by Quavo
Songs written by Takeoff (rapper)
Songs written by Offset (rapper)
Motown singles