"Surround Sound" is a song by American rapper

JID Destin Choice Route (born October 31, 1990), better known by his stage name JID (also stylized J.I.D), is an American rapper. He is a part of the musical collective Spillage Village, founded by EarthGang in 2010, with Hollywood JB, JordxnBryant ...

featuring Atlanta-based rapper

21 Savage Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is a rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Born in London, he moved to Atlanta with his mother at age seven. He became known after releasing two m ...

and fellow American rapper Baby Tate, released on January 14, 2022 as the lead single from the former's third studio album ''

The Forever Story ''The Forever Story'' is the third studio album by American rapper JID. It was released on August 26, 2022, through Dreamville and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Kenny Mason, EarthGang, 21 Savage, Baby Tate, L ...

'' (2022). Produced by DJ Scheme, Christo, and Nuri, it contains a sample of " One Step Ahead" by

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

Background

A few days before the song was released, JID previewed the

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

. In a later post, he revealed the inspiration behind the song was from focusing on the environmental sounds and noises around him as a child, to find an escape from his chaotic home life.

Composition

In the beginning of the song, a sample of "One Step Ahead" by Aretha Franklin is played and a loop built around it serves as the instrumental. JID raps the chorus and first verse with double entendres and multisyllabic rhymes. The second verse is rapped by 21 Savage, who "mixes gun talk with making sound financial decisions". Near the first half of the song, Baby Tate provides "fluttering vocals" in R&B style closing out of the first part. The beat then switches to a "woozy, bass-bombed wobble that artfully weaves in elements from the song's first half". During the second half of the song, JID returns with another verse, which has a darker approach and has been described as "cut-throat".

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews from critics. Tom Breihan of ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...

'' wrote that the song "makes it clear, once again, that J.I.D is a masterful technical rapper who can also write a serious hook." Chris DeVille of ''Stereogum'' wrote, "As for the track's leading man, he's switching up flows like it's nothing and toying with the English language on a level most rappers can't approach." Deville also noted JID's "marvelous flurry of syllables" and "sketching out a whole mural's worth of imagery in a single sentence fragment". DeVille praised 21 Savage's verse as well, writing that he "once again shows off his mastery of this kind of soul loop" and comparing it to his song " A Lot".

Music video

The official music video was released alongside the single. Directed by Mac Grant and Chad Tennies, the video opens with JID going into an older model vehicle. He starts rapping as he is driving, with women in the passenger seats of the car. In a garage, he raps while surrounded by women, and is seen atop a car. 21 Savage performs his verse standing next to JID. Baby Tate sings while lying on top of a car. When the beat switches, the video transitions to black and white. The scene changes to that of an "eerie" house, where JID raps the last verse. Multiple clones of him are also seen in the house.

Charts

Certifications

References

{{21 Savage 2022 singles 2022 songs JID songs 21 Savage songs Baby Tate (rapper) songs Songs written by JID Songs written by 21 Savage Songs written by Baby Tate (rapper) Dreamville Records singles Interscope Records singles