That Way (Lil Uzi Vert song)

"That Way" is a song by American rapper Lil Uzi Vert. It was released on March 1, 2020, by Generation Now and Atlantic Records as the second single from his second studio album Eternal Atake.[2] The song prominently interpolates the hook of the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" (1999).[3]

"That Way"
Single by Lil Uzi Vert
from the album Eternal Atake
Released	March 1, 2020 (2020-03-01)
Genre	Trap[1]
Length	3:32
Label	Generation Now Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Symere Woods Jonathan Priester Andres Espana Milan Modi Andreas Carlsson Max Martin
Producer(s)	Supah Mario Felipe S Yung Lan
Lil Uzi Vert singles chronology
"Futsal Shuffle 2020" (2019) "That Way" (2020) "Sasuke" (2020)

Critical reception

Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork viewed the song as the rapper's "return to the shoulder shimmying, eye-rolling, singing Hayley Williams in the backseat of a car Uzi, whose animated personality made his meteoric rise possible".[4] In context of the album, Charles Homes and Elias Leight at Rolling Stone described the composition of the song as "a jarringly saccharine sample of the Backstreet Boys' 1999 hit "I Want It That Way"" in connection "with a jittery, steamrolling track built around the music from Microsoft Windows' videogame Space Cadet 3D Pinball".[5] As for Uzi's performance on the song, Carl Lamarre concluded that he is in his "element, spraying lighthearted bars over the breezy track" and called the song an "earworm".[3]

Responses

Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter praised the song on his Twitter and told Uzi that he wants him to be "featured on our next album".[6]

Cover art plagiarism allegations

The cover art has been subject to allegations of plagiarism. On March 14, 2020, an online artist under the alias of 'hugeriver8' on Instagram claimed that the cover art plagiarizes a nearly identical piece they posted on their blog in 2014.[7] The human figure on the cover art has also been claimed to be copied from a different artist under the alias of 'la_la_la_fries', for a piece of fanart of the guitarist Pete Townshend of The Who, which was first posted on Instagram in late November 2015.[8]

Charts

Chart (2020)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[9]	53
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[10]	28
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[11]	40
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[12]	27
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[13]	33
Ireland (IRMA)[14]	41
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15]	95
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16]	38
Portugal (AFP)[17]	70
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[18]	58
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[19]	11
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[20]	66
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[21]	47
US Billboard Hot 100[22]	20
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[23]	11
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[24]	15
US Rolling Stone Top 100[25]	6

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[26]	Gold	500,000
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. Madden, Ben (March 2, 2020). "Lil Uzi Vert Has Channelled The Backstreet Boys On His New Single "That Way"". Cool Accidents. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
2. Li, Nicolaus (March 1, 2020). "Lil Uzi Vert Channels Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" For New Single "That Way"". Hypebeast. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
3. Lamarre, Carl (March 3, 2020). "Lil Uzi Vert Pays Homage to Backstreet Boys on 'That Way'". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
4. Pierre, Alphonse (March 2, 2020). "Lil Uzi Vert: "That Way"". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
5. Homes, Charles; Leight, Elias (March 8, 2020). "Lil Uzi Vert's Eternal Atake Lived Up to the Hype. This Is How It Came Together". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
6. Cowen, Trace William (March 3, 2020). "Lil Uzi Vert Invited by Nick Carter to Appear on Next Backstreet Boys Album". Complex. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
7. https://hypebeast.com/2020/3/lil-uzi-vert-that-way-cover-art-plagiarism-claims-tae-tae-artxstic
8. https://www.instagram.com/p/-VGjgAv4PY/
9. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 16 March 2020". No. 1567. Australian Recording Industry Association. March 16, 2020. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
10. "Ultratop.be – Lil Uzi Vert – That Way" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
11. "Ultratop.be – Lil Uzi Vert – That Way" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
12. "Lil Uzi Vert Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
13. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
14. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
15. "Dutchcharts.nl – Lil Uzi Vert – That Way" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
16. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 16, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
17. "Portuguesecharts.com – Lil Uzi Vert – That Way". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
18. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202011 into search. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
19. "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 11". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
20. "Swisscharts.com – Lil Uzi Vert – That Way". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
21. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
22. "Lil Uzi Vert Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
23. "Lil Uzi Vert Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
24. "Lil Uzi Vert Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
25. "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
26. "American single certifications – Lil Uzi Vert – That Way". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 March 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.