| "Ay!" | ||||
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| Single byMachine Gun Kelly andLil Wayne | ||||
| from the albumMainstream Sellout | ||||
| Released | March 4, 2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:04 | |||
| Label | ||||
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| Producers |
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| Machine Gun Kelly singles chronology | ||||
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| Lil Wayne singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Ay!" onYouTube | ||||
"Ay!" is a song by American rappersMachine Gun Kelly andLil Wayne. It was released on March 4, 2022 as the third single from the former's sixth studio albumMainstream Sellout (2022). The song was produced byTravis Barker, BazeXX, and SlimXX.[3]
In February 2022, Machine Gun Kelly performed a snippet of the song atThe 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 thehip hop genre for Machine Gun Kelly, although it comes from an album that is still largely to thepop punk genre.[1][5]
"Ay!" is anemo rap[1] song that blends elements of pop punk andtrap,[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 toBritney Spears shaving her hair off in 2007 during her breakdown.[5] Lil Wayne's verse has a reference toGuns N' Roses.[1]
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 ofMainstream Sellout,BrooklynVegan called the song, along with "Drug Dealer", "among its most forgettable" tracks.[7]
The music video was released alongside the single. It was filmed in Machine Gun Kelly's home from aniPhone, 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]
| 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 |
| South Africa (TOSAC)[17] | 93 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[18] | 80 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[19] | 82 |
| USHot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[20] | 8 |
| Chart (2022) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[21] | 40 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[22] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||