Euphoria (Kendrick Lamar Song)

"Euphoria" (stylized in all lowercase) is a diss track written and recorded by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, in response to Canadian rapper Drake's single " Push Ups" and his independently released song " Taylor Made Freestyle". It was unexpectedly released on April 30, 2024, through Interscope Records, initially as a YouTube exclusive before being released to streaming platforms hours later. "Euphoria" takes its name from the American teen drama series of the same name, of which Drake serves as an executive producer, as well as referencing a monologue by the late David Carradine's titular character in the 2004 film '' Kill Bill: Volume 2'' in response to the film's heroine Uma Thurman's seeming support for Drake in the feud.

The song was produced by Cardo and Kyuro, with additional work from Johnny Juliano, Sounwave, and Daveon "Yung Exclusive" Jackson. Its extended introduction contains a sample of Teddy Pendergrass's 1981 song " You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration", and credits its composer Kenneth Gamble. "Euphoria" was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its humorous yet hateful tone, Lamar's versatile performance, and complex entendres. "Euphoria" broke the single-day streaming record for a hip-hop song in 2024.

Background

On March 22, 2024, Kendrick Lamar made a surprise appearance on Future and Metro Boomin's collaborative studio album ''We Don't Trust You'' on the single " Like That". His featured verse was a diss aimed at Drake and J. Cole in response to their single " First Person Shooter". Cole rebutted "Like That" first with the polarizing " 7 Minute Drill", which he later retracted and removed from streaming services.

Drake offered two responses to "Like That". His first, " Push Ups", was premiered by media personality DJ Akademiks after a low quality demo version that sampled " Get Money" by Junior M.A.F.I.A. was leaked. Throughout the song, Drake mocks Lamar's short stature and musical authenticity, all the while generating rumors of him being extorted by his former label, Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE).

The second response, " Taylor Made Freestyle", was released on Drake's social media accounts immediately after "Push Ups" was released to streaming platforms. The song used AI-generated vocals of Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg, two of Lamar's musical idols, to entice him to release his own response. He also questioned his friendship with singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, whom the freestyle is named after. Shakur's estate sent Drake a cease and desist letter accusing him of violating the rapper's personality rights and abusing his legacy. They further claimed that the AI-generated vocals being used against Lamar, a "good friend" of the estate who respected Shakur publicly and privately, compounded the disrespect. Drake was ordered to remove the song from his social media accounts or face litigation; he obliged to the former demand.

Composition

"Euphoria" is a trap song. It begins with an interpolation which was revealed to be a reversed audio clip of Lamar reading a line from ''The Wiz'', a 1978 remake of ''The Wizard of Oz'' starring Michael Jackson (who Drake has often compared himself to), in which Richard Pryor, who plays the titular Wiz, states "Everything they say about me is true. I'm a phony." After this, "Euphoria" starts out "softly" with Lamar waiting until the final line of the first verse to directly address Drake. The song's intro builds around a sample of Teddy Pendergrass's song " You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration". Lamar talks about a "paranoid", "pathetic", and "spiraling" master manipulator "fabricating stories on the family front". The beat then picks up as the delivery gets "sharper", while the rapper makes references to Drake's name ("Draco Pistol") as well as the previous diss track "Taylor Made".

Lamar later mentions Drake and J. Cole by name, criticizes Drake's parenting, and references "The Story of Adidon", a 2018 diss track by Pusha T aimed against Drake in the context of fatherhood. In other instances, he accuses Drake of being a "scam artist" and namedrops artists such as YNW Melly, Gunna, Daft Punk, P. Diddy, Pharrell Williams, Lil Yachty, and Sexyy Red. Lamar also accuses Drake of sending a cease and desist letter to prevent the release of "Like That": "Try cease and desist on the 'Like That' record / Ho, what? You ain't like that record?" Throughout the ending of the song, Kendrick makes fun of Drake's accent, using the word "crodie" to insult him. Further references in the song include Drake's Meek Mill diss track " Back to Back".

Release and promotion

"Euphoria" was first released to YouTube on April 30, 2024, with no prior announcement. It was published on the platform at approximately 8:24 a.m. PT, which many alluded was a nod to the basketball player Kobe Bryant; he was a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers under the jersey numbers 8 and 24. Hours after its YouTube launch, "Euphoria" was made available on music streaming services through Interscope Records. Brian Zisook, a co-founder of Audiomack, noted that the song is Lamar's first release under a new direct licensing agreement with Interscope following his departure from TDE and Aftermath Entertainment. His own creative communications company, PGLang, is involved in the deal; despite reports claiming it was not.

Its cover art is a screenshot of the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. One of the reference sentences from the dictionary is a quote from journalist Clifton Brown, which reads “They had almost a week to recover from the euphoria of Tuesday’s series-winning victory…” seemingly referencing the fact that the song was released on a Tuesday. The quote comes from a ''New York Times'' article from May 1990. Kendrick is seemingly claiming though the cover that this song will win the battle between him and Drake. Journalists believe that its title is also a reference to the American television series of the same name. Drake is one of the series' executive producers, which has been a subject of controversy for its use of mature content, including sexual material, amongst its teenage characters.

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews. Per a ''Complex'' assessment, which graded the song's lyrics, presentation, quality and overall effectiveness, "Euphoria" received a score of 42 out of 50 (84%). Its examiner, Peter A. Berry, concluded that the song is a "bit too sprawling" for its own good, and the production is "kinda mid," but it ultimately offers a "potent mix of skill, viciousness, and humor that would be hard for anyone to overcome."

Vivian Medithi of ''The Fader'' described "Euphoria" as a standout rap song and a "dynamic study in hating." ''Rolling Stone'''s Andre Gee was impressed at how Lamar sounded like a "seasoned vet" despite the song being his first official diss record. He noted that, while many of Lamar's criticisms had been expressed before, "the ''way'' he lobs his insults makes it a haymaker," concluding that the track was an "eruption of disdain" for Drake. Angel Diaz, writing for ''Billboard'', called the song "six minutes and 23 seconds of pure, unadulterated hate." Diaz felt that Lamar's response was "well worth the wait," praising its dense lyricism and opining that Drake's diss tracks up to that point had not "hit as hard" as "Like That" and "Euphoria".

In less favorable reviews, ''Pitchfork'''s Alphonse Pierre felt that "Euphoria" lacked a "knockout blow" that could have pushed Lamar's feud with Drake past "fleeting spectacle". Pierre felt that the track was substandard to other disses like Nas' "Ether", especially on the matter of what Pierre misperceived as "gay jokes" in "Euphoria". Pierre also commented negatively on the song's production, hyperbolically believing that the track has "the worst beat switch-ups you'll hear all year." Ben Beaumont-Thomas for ''The Guardian'' similarly wrote that for someone whose artistry "rests on his self-presentation as flawed but enlightened," Beaumont-Thomas criticized the production, describing the beat as "blah even if Lamar does ride it with skill and animation."

Impact

"Euphoria" was the subject of extensive press attention following its release. Drake responded to the diss track by sharing a clip from romantic comedy '' 10 Things I Hate About You'' on Instagram, showing Julia Stiles' character reading the titular poem, comparing the similarities between the poem and Lamar's lyrics.
New Ho King, a Chinese restaurant located in Toronto's Chinatown neighborhood, was flooded with five-star reviews on Google Maps after it was mentioned in the track. In response to the reference, New Ho King added a "Kendrick Lamar Special" to their menu.

Joe Biden's 2024 presidential campaign team used "Euphoria" in a video against his opponent, Donald Trump, overlaying edited lyrics criticizing Trump's behavior: "I hate the way that you walk over women's rights, the way that you talk about immigrants. I hate the way that you dress, I hate the way that you sneak diss on Truth Social."

American wrestler CM Punk referenced "Euphoria" to Drew McIntyre on a ''Monday Night Raw'' episode, saying "You hate the way I walk, you hate the way I talk, the way I dress."

Commercial performance

"Euphoria" reached number one on the US Spotify charts, as well as number one on the US Apple Music and global music charts. It debuted at number 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, before reaching a new peak at number 3 the following week on the chart.

Personnel

* Kendrick Lamar – vocals, songwriter
* Kenneth Gamble – composer, sampling
* Cardo – producer
* Kyuro – producer
* Johnny Juliano – producer
* Sounwave – producer
* Daveon "Yung Exclusive" Jackson – producer
* Matthew "M-Tech" Bernard – additional keyboards, associated performer
* Jonathan Turner – mixing engineer
* Ray Charles Brown Jr. – recording engineer
* Nicolas De Porcel – mastering
* Jonathan Turner – mixing engineer
* Ray Charles Brown Jr. – recording engineer
* Nicolas De Porcel – mastering engineer
* Kansas Smith - assistant in mixing

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control

2024 songs
2024 singles
Diss tracks
Interscope Records singles
Kendrick Lamar songs
Song recordings produced by Cardo (record producer)
Songs written by Kendrick Lamar
Songs about Drake (musician)
Songs involved in the Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud
Hardcore hip-hop songs