Saweetie is back, and she's just dropped her latest project, Pretty Bitch Music, including the single Tap In. Speaking to Zane Lowe about the new project, she says she can't wait for fans to hear her development on this record. "I'm so excited for this record. I've been gone for a year, but I really had to focus on my artist development because that was something that I was struggling with."
To celebrate the release of Pretty Bitch Music, which is full of dope freestyles, her signature wit and even a new "Pretty Bitch Music" producer tag, we took a look at how Saweetie got here off the back of some of the biggest songs of her already-impressive career. With a huge fanbase of Icy Girls and Icy Boys around the world, the half-Filipina rapper Saweetie isn't afraid to be herself - and that's why so many people love her.
ICY GRL
Starting out as a freestyle over Khia's My Neck, My Back (Lick It), ICY GRL turned into Saweetie's debut single. It ended up on her debut EP, High Maintenance, and is much a motivational speech for herlself as it is for anyone else.
Speaking about the track's success to Vibe at the time of its release, Saweetie says she couldn't quite believe it. "It's crazy because ICY GRL came when I was in a dark place, but I made it to motivate myself. It was kind of like my anthem for lifting up my spirits. My goal is to be as real as I can in my music. If you're really listening there are a lot of hidden messages in my songs."
Up Now (feat. G-Eazy and Rich The Kid)
Teaming up with London On Da Track, as well as G-Eazy and Rich The Kid, Up Now sees Saweetie hold her own alongside three huge names in hip-hop - in fact, it's not a stretch to say that she dominates the track.
London On Da Track and Saweetie would go onto work together again, on her hit My Type - so in many ways, Up Now was the start of what is already a hugely successful working relationship.
Pissed
Pissed sees Saweetie responding to the critics that popped up early in her career - and demonstrating that their critiques were unfounded, and that she's coming for rap's throne. After the success of the High Maintenance EP, people wanted to compare her to those around her and she wasn't having any of it.
Speaking to Vice about the release of Pissed, she says it was a direct shot at those who want to put her down without reason. “It was me responding to [the critics] and not through an impulsive comment." If you're going to come for Saweetie, you best not miss, or she'll fire right back.
Emotional
The lead single from her ICY EP, Emotional sees Saweetie linking up with Migos member Quavo (who's also her boyfriend) and sees her delivering
Speaking about the track to Vulture, she says that while at first she wasn't sure how the collaboration would work, she fell in love with it once she saw how it came together. "What’s funny is I was playing that song in the background while I was getting ready and he was like, “I need to get on that.” I’m so prideful of my work so I was like, “No. This is my song. I’m not getting no features on this."
"But slowly, after I lived with the song, I said, you know what, I would love to hear what he does with the track. So he did it — I was in the studio with him — and it came out sounding amazing. I’m glad I made that decision."
My Type
Saweetie's biggest track to date, My Type wasn't initially intended to be a single, but we're so glad it was. Featured on the ICY EP, it's a reminder to those who want to get with Saweetie that she's got standards, and you better live up to them.
Speaking to Variety, Saweetie says that's there's a simple reason the song was a success. "I think it’s the chorus. It has a lot of great and flamboyant energy, it makes people feel good. Literally people who don’t even understand the lyrics love the song." As for her high standards? "I didn’t wanna hold back. What you hear is just the raw emotion I was feeling when I was in the studio."
Sway With Me (feat. Galxara)
Featured on the soundtrack for Birds Of Prey, Sway With Me sees Saweetie teaming up with Galxara to get up to no good. It's an interpretation of Dean Martin's Sway, with the pair turning the track into a Latin-inspired feminist anthem.
The video sees the pair joined by Ella Jay Basco in her role as Cassandra Cain, as they cruise around Harlem. They're racing around in a convertible, and it looks like one hell of a time.
Tap In
After being gone for a year, Saweetie announced her return with Tap In, which serves as a reminder to those who are a fan of her that while she was gone, she was still grinding, and she's never going to stop.
The track sees her using a sample of Too Short's 2006 hit Blow The Whistle, which Zane Lowe told her he's a big fan of her using. "I was like, 'What if he doesn't like it?' But then he liked it, so I'm just excited. I'm so happy that he loves it."
Tap In is on her latest project Pretty Bitch Music, which has a hidden meaning. Bitch stands for: boss, independent, tough, CEO, and hyphy, and if you were to pick 5 words that represent Saweetie best, you'd be hard-pressed to choose a better set of words.
