"London" is a song by American rappers Bia and J. Cole, released on April 8, 2022. The song was produced by AzizTheShake, Jon Glass and Tim Nihan.
| "London" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Bia and J. Cole | ||||
| from the EP Really Her | ||||
| Released | April 8, 2022 | |||
| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 4:10 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Bia singles chronology | ||||
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| J. Cole singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "London" on YouTube | ||||
Background
Bia announced the single on April 6, 2022, after teasing it on Instagram a day earlier.[1] On April 7, Bia posted a 15-second trailer for the song on YouTube. On the day the song was released, J. Cole revealed some details behind his collaboration with Bia on Instagram:
"I Asked BIA to come through the studio for some whole other shit. First time meeting her. We chop it up. She plays me this new song she had just did. [...] in that moment I was blown away. I thought about this song for a month straight, it was my favorite song and I only heard it one time. She hit me recently and sent me the song (she musta knew I wanted to hear it again!!!) and I was just grateful to have it in my possession. When the thought and conversation came up about me adding a verse, I was excited but genuinely nervous cuz I didn’t even see how the song could be better after what she did to it. I didn't want to fuck nothing up! I'm grateful I Ended up catching the right wave"[2]
Bia told Rolling Stone, "We really wanted to capture, celebrate and highlight London culture, while staying authentic to who we are. I definitely got in my London accent bag and people actually tell me it's really good."[3]
Composition
"London" is a UK drill-influenced song that sees Bia and J. Cole rapping in British accents and slang.[3][4][5] Bia raps about her luxury shopping,[3] while J. Cole later name-drops Heathrow Airport, Ringo Starr, The O2 Arena, and Elizabeth II in his verse and references American rapper T.I.'s new career as a stand-up comedian.[4][6]
Music video
The music video was directed by Daps and filmed in London. In the clip, Bia shops in luxury stores of the city, parades down a sidewalk flanked by two Dalmatians, and has a tea party.[5][7] After that, she cruises down the River Thames on a speedboat with J. Cole,[7][8] who also gets his height measured while hanging upside down.[9] The video features appearances of landmarks such as Big Ben,[4] as well as cameos from British rapper Unknown T and British model Leomie Anderson.[6]
Charts
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[10] | 55 |
| Global 200 (Billboard)[11] | 130 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[12] | 6 |
| South Africa (TOSAC)[13] | 20 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 62 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[15] | 20 |
References
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