"Wild Thoughts" is a song by American musician

DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ, record executive, record producer and rapper. Khaled first gained recognition as a radio host in the 1990s on the radio station WEDR, 99 Ja ...

featuring Barbadian singer

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

and American singer

Bryson Tiller Bryson Djuan Tiller (born January 2, 1993) is an American singer and rapper. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he began his career in 2011 with a mixtape entitled ''Killer Instinct Vol. 1''. Tiller initially gained mainstream success in 2015 follow ...

. It was released on June 16, 2017, by

We the Best ''We the Best'' is the second studio album by Miami-based DJ and Terror Squad member DJ Khaled. It was released on June 12, 2007, by Terror Squad Entertainment, distributed by Koch Records. DJ Khaled alongside fellow rapper Fat Joe and collec ...

and

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 ...

as the third single from Khaled's tenth studio album, '' Grateful'' (2017). Canadian singer PartyNextDoor assisted the artists in writing the song, with production handled by Khaled. A mid-tempo pop song, "Wild Thoughts" consists of Latin percussion,

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

lines and riffs that interpolate the 1999 hit single " Maria Maria" by

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

. Lyrically, the song praises a lover who inspires sexual thoughts. Commercially, the song reached number one in the United Kingdom, marking Khaled's second and Rihanna's ninth number one. The song also saw chart success in Australia and Canada, where it peaked at number two. The song peaked at number two on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Rihanna's 31st top-ten song, Khaled's third, and Tiller's first. 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 ...

for the song was directed by Colin Tilley and was shot in the

Little Haiti Little Haiti (french: La Petite Haïti, ht, Ti Ayiti), is a neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. It is known historically as Lemon City, Little River and Edison. It is home to Haitian immigrant residents, as well as residents from the ...

neighborhood of

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

. The music video was nominated in three categories at the MTV Video Music Awards for Video of the Year, Best Collaboration and

Best Art Direction The Academy Award for Best Production Design recognizes achievement for art direction in film. The category's original name was Best Art Direction, but was changed to its current name in 2012 for the 85th Academy Awards. This change resulted fro ...

Background and composition

Bryson Tiller and Khaled had first collaborated on the track "Ima Be Alright" for Khaled's ninth studio album '' Major Key'' (2016). During ''Grateful''s recording, Khaled invited Tiller to his house for dinner. During dinner, Khaled played the initial demo of "Wild Thoughts" to Tiller and asked him if he could do something with the song. Tiller returned home and recorded his verse and sent it to Khaled who used it on the final recording. While talking about collaborating with Rihanna for the first time in an interview with ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'', Khaled said; "Seven, eight years I've been trying to do this. I always put the kites out there that I wanted to work with her. But at the same time, while I was putting the kites out there, I was always getting the right record ready. You've gotta start with the right energy to see if something comes back that's possible." "Wild Thoughts" is a mid-tempo

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

song with

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

and "slinky

lines." The song heavily samples the guitar riff from Santana's 1999 "Maria Maria", which features

the Product G&B The Product G&B is an American R&B duo made up of David McRae (also known as Sincere Gubano) and Marvin Moore-Hough (also known as Money Harm). They were associated with Wyclef Jean's The Refugee Camp. Since their debut in 1998, the duo lent thei ...

. Written in the key of C minor, it has a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 96-100 beats per minute in simple quadruple () time. The song follows a chord progression of Cm–Fm–Cm, and Rihanna's and Tiller's vocals spanning from C₄ to G₅. ''

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 ...

'' editor Andrew Unterberger noted the "Wild Thoughts" featured the same groove and riff as "Maria Maria" and even featured

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...

's "murmuring" who supplied the original song's ad-libs. Vanessa Okoth-Obbo of '' Pitchfork'' described the track as relying heavily on a "

Latin rock Latin rock is a term to describe a subgenre blending traditional sounds and elements of Latin American and Hispanic Caribbean folk with rock music. However, it is widely used in the English-language media to refer any kind of rock music featurin ...

aesthetic", with lyrics that hear Rihanna and Tiller croon praise lovers who inspire wild thoughts. Okoth-Obbo described the lyrics as straddling the line between "innuendos and carnal statements", whilst also noting the singers' vocal performances as being restrained and controlled.

Release and reception

On June 9, 2017, Khaled released the album's track listing, which also included "Wild Thoughts". The song's artwork, which features Khaled's son Asahd, was revealed via Rihanna's

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 ...

account on June 15, 2017. "Wild Thoughts" was released on June 16, 2017, as the album's third single. ''Grateful'' was released on June 23, 2017. Peter A. Berry from '' XXL'' wrote; "If all goes according to plan, it should go follow in the footsteps of ' I'm the One' and reach platinum status in the very near future." Janelle Okwode of ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'' said that the song "is an instant contender for song of the summer". Raisa Bruner from ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine listed the song on her list of five songs that should be heard. Bruner praised the song calling it an "irresistible, Latin-inflected summer jam with some smooth verses courtesy of the addition of Bryson Tiller." Bruner continued to state that the song was truly Rihanna's "but we all know this is Rihanna's show." In a second and more in-depth review Burner stated:

Uproxx ''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...

's Corbin Reiff wrote that Rihanna "brings some serious heat", while Tiller "rolls through in the middle to reprise his verse, and brings some serious R&B vibes with along him". Matt Miller of ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

'' praised Rihanna's saying that she "completely commands the song, the power of her voice, her presence takes the entire thing over." Miller was less favourable about Tiller and the Santana sample calling their inclusion forgettable. ''Billboard'' editor Andrew Unterberger wrote that this is "practically a cover with different lyrics" of "Maria Maria", saying that it is "not a perfect song, but it's a super-fun resurrection of the now 18-year-old single". Elias Leight from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' called it "another warm-weather-friendly single" by Khaled.

Carlos Santana's response

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured ...

who originally wrote "Maria Maria", the song which is sampled on "Wild Thoughts", praised Khaled's, Rihanna's and Tiller's take on the song. Stating "There is a reason that the infectious groove/theme that Wyclef and I created on 'Maria Maria' still resonates today. It speaks to the heart. DJ Khaled, Rihanna and Bryson take that vibe and bring it to a new dimension with 'Wild Thoughts,' but the groove and essence of the song is still intact." continuing to say, "I am honored that DJ Khaled, Rihanna and Bryson felt the intense intentionality of 'Maria Maria' and have shared this summer vibe with the world."

The Product G&B The Product G&B is an American R&B duo made up of David McRae (also known as Sincere Gubano) and Marvin Moore-Hough (also known as Money Harm). They were associated with Wyclef Jean's The Refugee Camp. Since their debut in 1998, the duo lent thei ...

who originally sang "Maria Maria" had a mixed response to "Wild Thoughts". They stated they were grateful and called the song a "blessing" noting that when they hear "Wild Thoughts" "you hear 'Maria', it’s bringing awareness all around." However they believed that "Wild Thoughts" had stripped the original of its meaning and "its association with ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...

'', where the musical's character Maria stood to represent both the grim reality of gang violence and poverty and the hope for a better life."

Commercial performance

On June 26, "Wild Thoughts" debuted at number four on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with 89,000 digital copies sold and 36.3 million streams. The song marked Rihanna's 31st top-ten, Khaled's third and Tiller's first. The song's debut additionally marked the third-highest debut of Rihanna's 60 Hot 100 entries and made Rihanna the fourth woman to make at least 60 Hot 100 appearances, joining

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

(78),

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 ...

(73) and

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...

(70). In its second week the song rose to a new peak of three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the first song to debut in the top five and rise in its second week since

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

's " The Monster", also featuring Rihanna (2013). After slipping to number four on the Hot 100, "Wild Thoughts" rebounded to peak in the runner-up slot and remained there for seven consecutive weeks, but was blocked off the top spot only by

Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for multiple songs, one of them being "Despacito" featuring rapper Daddy Yankee. Fonsi received his first ...

, Daddy Yankee and

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...

's "

Despacito "Despacito" (; "Slowly") is a song by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi featuring Puerto Rican rapper and singer Daddy Yankee as the lead single from Fonsi's 2019 studio album ''Vida''. Released on January 12, 2017, the song was written by Fonsi, ...

". It also earned Rihanna her record-extending 29th Radio Songs top 10, continuing her lead over

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

(23). "Wild Thoughts" additionally peaked at number one on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

chart, becoming Rihanna's seventh number one, Khaled's third and Tiller's first. "Wild Thoughts" became Khaled's and Tiller's first number-one song on the

Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

, and Rihanna's 31st. It is Rihanna's fourth number-one on the chart in 2017, following " Love on the Brain", "

Sex with Me "Sex with Me" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her eighth studio album, ''Anti'' (2016); it is one of three bonus tracks included on the deluxe edition. She wrote the song in collaboration with PartyNextDoor, Chester Hansen, Boi ...

" and "

Pose Human positions refer to the different physical configurations that the human body can take. There are several synonyms that refer to human positioning, often used interchangeably, but having specific nuances of meaning. *''Position'' is a gen ...

", the most among all acts; she is one of only four acts to have achieved four number-ones in a calendar year, one of two to do so twice, and the only one to have done so five times. "Wild Thoughts" is also only one of four out of her 31 chart-toppers whereby Rihanna is not the lead artist. On July 21, "Wild Thoughts" reached number one on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. It is Khaled's second number one in the UK following "I'm the One", Rihanna's ninth, and the first chart-topper for Tiller.

Music video

The

for "Wild Thoughts", directed by Colin Tilley, was shot in the

neighborhood of

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, in June 2017. The first images from the shoot were released online on June 6, 2017. The video premiered via Khaled's

Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...

channel on June 16, 2017. Katie Skinner from ''Billboard'' magazine gave an in-depth review of Rihanna's fashion throughout the music video. Skinner stated that the video had an "upbeat summer nightlife vibe in a tropical Miami setting" which "Rihanna and Khaled carry out that concept by dressing in bright-hued outfits, serving up some serious polychromatic summer looks straight off the runway." During a breakdown of the video Skinner stated that Rihanna's first look saw her wearing a "

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of ...

Balenciaga Balenciaga SA ( ) is a luxury fashion house founded in 1919 by the Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga in San Sebastian, Spain. Balenciaga produces ready-to-wear, footwear, handbags, and accessories and licenses its name and branding to C ...

high-waisted floral-print leggings with matching 'Knife' boots, a bright-pink

vintage Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...

Betsey Johnson crop top and a pair of oversize crescent-shape Lynn Ban earrings." This was accompanied by a floral head scarf, green vintage

Versace Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as w ...

belt and a pair of pink Karen Walker sunglasses. In the following scene Rihanna wore a "short turquoise off-the-shoulder silk chiffon dress by Alberta Ferretti" along with a pair of

gladiator sandals Caligae (Latin; singular ) are heavy-soled hobnailed military sandal-boots that were worn as standard issue by Roman legionary foot-soldiers and auxiliaries, including cavalry. History Caligae (singular ') are heavy-duty, thick-soled o ...

designed by Rihanna and Manolo Blahnik. During the last few seconds of the video, Rihanna stands beside Khaled and Tiller, wearing a bright nylon off-the-shoulder top and cargo pants designed by Matthew Adams Dolan.

Remixes

On July 10, 2017, American rappers A Boogie wit da Hoodie and Fabolous released their remix of the song titled "Wild Thots". Canadian singer and rapper Tory Lanez also released his remix of the track featuring American singer

Trey Songz Tremaine Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), known professionally as Trey Songz, is an American R&B singer and rapper. His debut album, '' I Gotta Make It'', was released in 2005 through Atlantic Records. His follow-up album, ''Trey Day'', ...

on July 21, 2017.

Awards and nominations

Track listing

*Digital download #"Wild Thoughts" (featuring

and

) – 3:24 *CD single #"Wild Thoughts" (featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller) – 3:24 #"Wild Thoughts" (Medasin Dance Remix) (featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller) – 4:35 *Streaming – Bee's Knees Dance Remix #"Wild Thoughts" (Bee's Knees Dance Remix) (featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller) – 3:51 *Streaming – Dave Audé Dance Remix #"Wild Thoughts" ( Dave Audé Dance Remix) (featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller) – 4:43 *Streaming – Medasin Dance Remix #"Wild Thoughts" (Medasin Dance Remix) (featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller) – 4:35 *Streaming – Mike Cruz Dance Remix #"Wild Thoughts" (Mike Cruz Dance Remix) (featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller) – 7:17 *Streaming – NOTD Dance Remix #"Wild Thoughts" ( NOTD Dance Remix) (featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller) – 3:09

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Fines

In 2018,

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

’s top media watchdog, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), reviewed the English-language lyrics of the song, and issued fines after concluding that they were inappropriate. RTÜK issued a 17,065 Turkish Lira fine to the Turkish music channels NR1 and Dream TV.Turkey’s media watchdog issues fine over Rihanna lyrics
/ref>

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2017 singles 2017 songs Bryson Tiller songs DJ Khaled songs Rihanna songs Latin pop songs Music videos directed by Colin Tilley Songs written by Carlos Santana Songs written by DJ Khaled Songs written by Rihanna Songs written by Wyclef Jean UK Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Israel Number-one singles in Romania Songs written by PartyNextDoor Songs written by Jerry Duplessis Songs written by Bryson Tiller Song recordings produced by DJ Khaled Pop rock songs Contemporary R&B songs