"Ay!"
Single by Machine Gun Kelly and Lil Wayne
from the album Mainstream Sellout
ReleasedMarch 4, 2022
Genre
Length2:04
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Travis Barker
  • BazeXX
  • SlimXX
Machine Gun Kelly singles chronology
"Emo Girl"
(2022)		 "Ay!"
(2022)		 "Maybe"
(2022)
Lil Wayne singles chronology
"Thought I Was Gonna Stop (Remix)"
(2022)		 "Ay!"
(2022)		 "Poison"
(2022)
Music video
"Ay!" on YouTube

"Ay!" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American rappers Machine Gun Kelly and Lil Wayne. It was released on March 4, 2022 as the third single from the former's sixth studio album Mainstream Sellout (2022). The song was produced by Travis Barker, BazeXX, and SlimXX.[3]

Background

In February 2022, Machine Gun Kelly performed a snippet of the song at The Late Late Show with James Corden, in a medley of "Ay!", then-unreleased track "Maybe" and "Emo Girl".[1][4] The song has been considered to a return to the hip hop genre for Machine Gun Kelly, although it comes from an album that is still largely to the pop punk genre.[1][5]

Composition

"Ay!" is an emo rap[1] song that blends elements of pop punk and trap,[2] featuring "brooding but dreamy guitar loop with crisp hip-hop production". Machine Gun Kelly sings about sadness affecting his life, including "his preference for sad playlists, skipping meetings, and sleeping until 7 p.m."; he mentions cutting his hair and compares it to Britney Spears shaving her hair off in 2007 during her breakdown.[5] Lil Wayne's verse has a reference to Guns N' Roses.[1]

Reception

AllMusic said "the watery emo-trap track "Ay!" doesn't commit fully enough to any of its stylistic directions, giving Lil Wayne little to work with as he turns in a distracted, Auto-Tune-doused verse."[6] In a review of Mainstream Sellout, BrooklynVegan called the song, along with "Drug Dealer", "among its most forgettable" tracks.[7]

Music video

The music video was released alongside the single. It was filmed in Machine Gun Kelly's home from an iPhone, on the night before it was released.[8] It finds Kelly and four friends in a dressing room changing into different flashy outfits.[8][9] Lil Wayne does not physically appear, but a paper cutout of a drawn Wayne performs in the video.[5][9][10]

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Ay!"
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[11] 57
Global 200 (Billboard)[12] 92
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[13] 86
Ireland (IRMA)[14] 92
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[15] 7
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[16] 88
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 80
US Billboard Hot 100[18] 82
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[19] 8

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Ay!"
Chart (2022) Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[20] 40

Certifications

Certifications for "Ay!"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[21] Gold 40,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Shutler, Ali (March 4, 2022). "Machine Gun Kelly returns to his roots on Lil Wayne-featuring 'Ay'". NME.
  2. 1 2 Okon, Wongo (March 4, 2022). "Machine Gun Kelly And Lil Wayne Hope Their High Lasts A Lifetime On 'Ay'". Uproxx.
  3. ↑ Cowen, Trace William (March 4, 2022). "Lil Wayne Joins Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker on New Song "Ay!"". Complex.
  4. ↑ "Machine Gun Kelly ft. WILLOW: ay, maybe, emo girl", The Late Late Show with James Corden, February 25, 2022
  5. 1 2 3 Blistein, Jon (2022-03-04). "Machine Gun Kelly Goes Back to Rapping on New Song With Lil Wayne, 'Ay!'". Rolling Stone.
  6. ↑ Thomas, Fred. "Mainstream Sellout - Machine Gun Kelly". AllMusic. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  7. ↑ Sacher, Aaron (March 28, 2022). "Machine Gun Kelly review – pop punk's 'Mainstream Sellout' doubles down on new LP". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  8. 1 2 Jefferson, Devon (2022-03-04). "Lil Wayne Blesses Machine Gun Kelly With Guest Verse For His 'Mainstream Sellout' Album". HipHopDX.
  9. 1 2 Kelly, Dylan (2022-03-04). "Machine Gun Kelly Taps Lil Wayne for New Track and Video "ay!"". Hypebeast.
  10. ↑ Marie, Erika (2022-03-04). "Machine Gun Kelly Calls On Lil Wayne For "Ay!"". HotNewHipHop.
  11. ↑ "Machine Gun Kelly Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Machine Gun Kelly Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  13. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202213 into search. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Machine Gun Kelly". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  15. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  16. ↑ "ČNS IFPI". IFPI ČR. Note: Select SK SINGLES DIGITAL TOP 100 and insert 202213 into search. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Machine Gun Kelly Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Machine Gun Kelly Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2022". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Machine Gun Kelly – Ay!". Music Canada. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
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