Million Dollar Baby (Tommy Richman song)

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"Million Dollar Baby"
Single by Tommy Richman
ReleasedApril 26, 2024 (2024-04-26)
Genre
Length2:35
Label
  • ISO Supremacy
  • Pulse
Songwriter(s)Tommy Richman
Producer(s)
  • Max Vossberg
  • Jonah Roy
  • Mannyvelli
  • Sparkheem
  • Kavi
Tommy Richman singles chronology
"Selfish"
(2024) 		"Million Dollar Baby"
(2024)
Visualizer
"Million Dollar Baby" on YouTube

"Million Dollar Baby" is a song by American singer and rapper Tommy Richman. It was released on April 26, 2024, through ISO Supremacy and Pulse Records. It was written by Richman with production credits from Max Vossberg, Jonah Roy, Mannyvelli, Sparkheem and Kavi.

After Richman revealed snippets of the song on TikTok to great popularity, "Million Dollar Baby" garnered immediate commercial success upon its release, debuting at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in his home country. Critics acclaimed the song for its unique, catchy sound and Richman's vocals: upon release, some deemed it an imminent contender for "Song of the Summer".

Background and composition[edit]

After having moved from his hometown of Woodbridge, Virginia to Los Angeles in 2022, Richman quickly garnered attention for his "signature production style" without being confined to "genre labels". In 2023, he was recognized by American musician Brent Faiyaz with whom he embarked on his F*ck the World tour that also exposed him to a larger audience.[1] Richman was then signed to Faiyaz's label Iso Supremacy through a joint venture with Pulse Records as the first signee.[2]

Following a string of single releases under the label, Richman started teasing "Million Dollar Baby" on his social media on April 22, 2024, and posted footage of recording sessions using a "VHS-style recording".[3] The snippet amassed over 9.5 million views on TikTok in less than a week,[4] and helped give it an "explosive debut".[5] Richman described the sound as "palatable and listenable" and referred to it as something he likes and is "interested in". His goal was to "make cool shit for people" and for him.[6]

"Million Dollar Baby" is a "genre-bending" trap and R&B song which features influences of alternative rock and funk.[4][7][8][9] It features staccato synth lines, a "ridiculously bouncy" bassline and trap percussion; Richman's multi-tracked vocals range from a "pitched-down chant" to a "soaring falsetto".[7] The song consists of "one verse and two choruses", and is in the key of C-sharp minor with a tempo of 137 BPM.[7] Lyrically, Richman sings about "cleaning up his act and making it big so he can win over his love interest".[9] The artist also released a "VHS" mix of the song, emulating the mix of the snippet posted to TikTok, which features a more "blown-out bass".[7]

Reception[edit]

Commercial[edit]

"Million Dollar Baby" became Tommy Richman's breakthrough hit, becoming immensely popular on streaming platforms: Billboard reported that the song had gained 4.6 million "on-demand US streams" on its release day (April 26, 2024).[10] On the chart dated May 11, 2024, the song debuted at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, with "38 million streams, 302,000 in radio airplay audience and 4,000 sold", behind Taylor Swift and Post Malone's "Fortnight".[11] Elsewhere, the song reached number one in New Zealand,[12] number two in Australia,[13] and debuted in the top 40 in Ireland (37) and the United Kingdom (31).[14]

Critical[edit]

The song was widely praised by critics. Jordan Rose of Complex called "Million Dollar Baby" a contender for "Song of the Summer" as Richman delivers his "most electric song so far".[15] Eric Skelton of the same publication praised its concise fullness, likening it to "dessert for dinner"; he also singled out the variety and production of Richman's vocals, commenting that "the Virginia singer layers his own voice on top of itself... in an endearingly self-indulgent way".[7] Likewise, Carl Lamarre at Billboard also thought the track was a "song of the summer" contender with its "its funky sound" and "seamless vocal riffs". Lamarre went on to praise the track for its "sticky hook" and "an undeniable bass".[4] Writing for HotNewHipHop, Gabriel Bras Nevares pointed out the "creative blend of classic Southern trap" and "poppy" vocal passages with "melodic leads". Bras Nevares thought the song was the "boiling point" of the "steady build-up" Richman has had experienced up until that point, as he found out a way to "capitalize" on the best aspects of his "unique style". The writer furthermore described it as an "odd mix" between sounding "pretty hard" and "quite sophisticated".[16]

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for "Million Dollar Baby"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[13] 2
Australia Hip Hop/R&B (ARIA)[17] 1
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[18] 12
Global 200 (Billboard)[19] 10
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[20] 5
Ireland (IRMA)[21] 9
Latvia (LAIPA)[22] 20
Lithuania (AGATA)[23] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24] 42
Morocco (Hit Radio)[25] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[26] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[27] 33
South Africa (Billboard)[28] 15
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[29] 91
UK Singles (OCC)[30] 7
UK Indie (OCC)[31] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 2
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[11] 1

References[edit]

  1. ^ Val, Caroline (August 8, 2023). "Tommy Richman Hasn't Forgotten His DMV Roots". The Miami Times. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  2. ^ Lamarre, Carl (August 21, 2023). "PULSE Records Partners With Brent Faiyaz's Iso Supremacy, Signs Tommy Richman". Billboard. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  3. ^ "I'm a million dollar baby". Retrieved April 28, 2024 – via Instagram.
  4. ^ a b c Lamarre, Carl (April 29, 2024). "Here Are Six Things to Know About "Million Dollar Baby" Singer Tommy Richman". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  5. ^ Williams, Aaron (April 29, 2024). "Who Is Tommy Richman? Meet The "Million Dollar Baby" Singer". Uproxx. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  6. ^ McMahon, Jason (April 26, 2024). "Tommy Richman Releases New Single "Million Dollar Baby"". Substream Magazine. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e Skelton, Eric. "Tommy Richman's "Million Dollar Baby" Is an Instant Smash". Complex. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  8. ^ "The Rise of Tommy Richmans Viral Hit Million Dollar Baby - Neon Music - Digital Music Discovery & Showcase Platform". neonmusic.co.uk. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Million Dollar Baby by Tommy Richman - Songfacts". Songfacts.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ Unterberger, Kyle Denis,Jason Lipshutz,Andrew; Denis, Kyle; Lipshutz, Jason; Unterberger, Andrew (May 1, 2024). "Tommy Richman Scores a 'Million Dollar' Breakout Hit (And Sees a Catalog Boost) With Viral Single". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ a b c Trust, Gary (May 6, 2024). "Taylor Swift & Post Malone's 'Fortnight' Spends a Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ a b "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  14. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart on 3/5/2024". Official Charts. May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  15. ^ Rose, Jordan (April 28, 2024). "Everything You Need to Know About Tommy Richman". Complex. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  16. ^ Bras Nevares, Gabriel (April 28, 2024). "Tommy Richman Becomes A "Million Dollar Baby" On New Single: Stream". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  17. ^ "ARIA Top 40 Hip Hop/R&B Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  18. ^ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of May 11, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  19. ^ Trust, Gary (May 6, 2024). "Taylor Swift & Post Malone's 'Fortnight' Adds Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard Global Charts". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  20. ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs - Week 19] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  21. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  22. ^ "Straumēšanas TOP 2024 – 18. nedēļa" [Streaming TOP 2024 – Week 18] (in Latvian). LAIPA. May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  23. ^ "2024 19-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  24. ^ "Tommy Richman – Million Dollar Baby" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  25. ^ "TOP30". Hit Radio (Morocco). May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  26. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  27. ^ "Singel 2024 uke 19". VG-lista. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  28. ^ "South Africa Songs: Week of May 11, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  29. ^ "Tommy Richman – Million Dollar Baby". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
  30. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  31. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
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