For the Night

"For the Night" is a song by American rapper Pop Smoke, released on July 3, 2020, as the third track off his posthumous debut studio album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon. It features American rappers Lil Baby and DaBaby. The track was originally set to feature YoungBoy Never Broke Again, however Pop Smoke's team felt "the timing wasn't right". It is Pop Smoke's highest-charting song, debuting and peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100.

"For the Night"
Song by Pop Smoke featuring Lil Baby and DaBaby
from the album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon
Released	July 3, 2020
Length	3:10
Label	Victor Victor Republic
Songwriter(s)	Bashar Jackson Dominique Jones Jonathan Kirk Alex Petit Christoffer Marcussen Daniel Raab Cedric Leutwyler
Producer(s)	CashMoneyAP Palaze Daniel Moras (add.) Wylo (add.) Jess Jackson (add.) Mike Dean (add.)

Background and composition

The song contains an acoustic guitar, folk flutes and heavily autotuned vocals.[1][2]

According to CashMoneyAP, Pop Smoke found the original beat on Danish record producer Palaze's YouTube channel, who later signed to CashMoneyAP's record label and production collective Cash Gang, along with Pop Smoke's record label Victor Victor Worldwide. CashMoneyAP explained how the production came about: "Palaze [and Wylo] had done the original beat. [Then we reworked it with Daniel, Mike, and Jess]. Palaze and I did the drums, and I also added some keys and bass". Palaze was aiming for a "Travis Scott vibe". Pop Smoke's manager Steven Victor recalled: "When Pop recorded his part, we were all really excited about it. That was one of the first times I heard Pop in that tone". CashMoneyAP felt they had to work on the song, because Smoke is "actually singing. It's not him gangster rapping like he usually doee". After Smoke played the song for Victor, Victor immediately wanted Lil Baby on it; "The idea was to put Lil Baby and NBA YoungBoy on it, because he [Pop Smoke] had been communicating with YoungBoy through CashMoneyAP". Victor wanted YoungBoy on it, "because it's his type of music. He was down to do it, but the timing wasn't right". Pop had expressed a desire to work with DaBaby and have him on the album, and after Lil Baby sent his verse, Victor sent DaBaby the track. 

Producer Jess Jackson said after Lil Baby sent his vocals in, "it was like, 'OK, now I hear a record'". From there Jackson had to figure out how to make Lil Baby's timbre work with DaBaby on the same song. Jackson stated "Both of those artists have such bright, mid-forward, nasally vocal voices, and Pop is the opposite". Mike Dean, who co-produced and wrote on "For the Night", helped Jackson with the mastering of the track.[3]

The song marks the seventh collaboration between Lil Baby and DaBaby, following DaBaby's "Today (Remix)", (2018), Jamz's "Baby Shower", Quality Control's "Baby", DaBaby's "Toes", (2020), Stunna 4 Vegas's "Do Dat", and Future's "Life Is Good (Remix)" (2020).[4]

Critical reception

August Brown of the Los Angeles Times regarded the song as an "elegy for Pop Smoke on his own album".[5] Similarly, Briana Younger of NPR said DaBaby eulogizes Pop Smoke "explicitly", and noted the song's "syrupy" hook stands out from Pop's usual fare.[6] Variety's A.D. Amorosi complimented Pop Smoke's ability to step outside his conventional style, writing: "[The song makes] you realize Pop Smoke had the potential for languorous, even sweet, song-craft beyond drill".[2]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[7]

• Pop Smoke – lead artist, songwriting
• Lil Baby – featured artist, songwriting
• DaBaby – featured artist, songwriting
• CashMoneyAP – songwriting, production, programming
• Palaze – songwriting, production, programming
• Jess Jackson – additional production, mixing
• Mike Dean – additional production
• Daniel Moras – songwriting, additional production, programming
• Wylo – songwriting, additional production
• Corey "Cutz" Nutile – recording
• Sage Skofield – mixing assistant
• Sean Solymar – mixing assistant
• Rose Adams – mixing assistant
• Thomas "Tillie" Mann – vocal mixing
• Princeton "Perfect Harmony" Terry – engineer
• Stephen "DotCom" Farrow – engineer

Charts

Chart (2020)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[8]	32
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[9]	49
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[10]	7
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[11]	23
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[12]	7
Denmark (Tracklisten)[13]	35
Germany (Official German Charts)[14]	94
Ireland (IRMA)[15]	24
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16]	63
New Zealand (RMNZ)[17]	19
Portugal (AFP)[18]	30
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19]	42
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[20]	14
US Billboard Hot 100[21]	6
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[22]	5
US Rolling Stone Top 100[23]	2

References

1. O'Connor, Roisin (July 3, 2020). "Pop Smoke – Shoot For the Stars Aim For the Moon review: Late rapper's album is brilliant and bittersweet". The Independent. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
2. Amorosi, A.D. (July 3, 2020). "Pop Smoke's 'Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
3. Skelton, Eric; Setaro, Shawn; McKinney, Jessica. "Cover Story: The Making of Pop Smoke's 'Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon'". Complex. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
4. "Pop Smoke – For the Night Lyrics". Genius. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
5. Brown, August (July 5, 2020). "Pop Smoke's posthumous album: A chart-topping debut and a frustrating farewell". LA Times. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
6. Younger, Briana (July 5, 2020). "Pop Smoke's First And Final Album Falls Between Two Worlds". NPR. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
7. "Shoot For The Stars Aim For The Moon / Pop Smoke". Tidal. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
8. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. July 13, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
9. "Austriancharts.at – Pop Smoke feat. Lil Baby & DaBaby – For the Night" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
10. "Ultratop.be – Pop Smoke feat. Lil Baby & DaBaby – For the Night" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
11. "Ultratop.be – Pop Smoke feat. Lil Baby & DaBaby – For the Night" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
12. "Pop Smoke Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
13. "Track Top-40 Uge 32, 2020". Hitlisten. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
14. "Offiziellecharts.de – Pop Smoke feat. Lil Baby & DaBaby – For the Night". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
15. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Pop Smoke feat. Lil Baby & DaBaby – For the Night" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
17. "NZ Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
18. "Portuguesecharts.com – Pop Smoke feat. Lil Baby & DaBaby – For the Night". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
19. "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 28". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
20. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
21. "Pop Smoke Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
22. "Pop Smoke Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
23. "Top 100 Songs, July 3, 2020 - July 9, 2020". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 14, 2020.