Format Digital download Genre Trap Label GOOD
Def Jam | Recorded 2015 Length 4:06
3:46 (radio edit) | |
Released December 15, 2015 (2015-12-15) | ||
"Panda" is the debut single by American hip hop recording artist Desiigner. The song premiered on December 15, 2015, and was released for digital download on the iTunes Store as a single, before being re-released on February 22, 2016. The song was written by Desiigner and his producer Menace. "Panda" was heavily sampled by Desiigner's fellow GOOD Music label-mate and founder Kanye West, for "Pt. 2", a song on West's seventh studio album The Life of Pablo, and inspired a number of remixes. The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 at the end of April 2016. A music video was released on May 10, 2016. It was nominated for best hip hop video at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.
Contents
Composition
"Panda" is a grime-influenced trap song. The hook was written about Desiigner's affinity for the BMW X6, and also mentions that he "got broads in Atlanta", likely a nod to his Southern-inspired style of rap. Explained by Desiigner, lyrically "the panda is the black X6 and the white X6. The black X6 look like a Phantom, the white X6 look like a panda. I'm just putting it in a greater way of how I say and the way I live." Desiigner discovered the song's beat on YouTube, which was produced by up-and-coming Rochdale-based producer, Menace.
Critical reception
Rolling Stone named "Panda" one of the 30 best songs of the first half of 2016, writing "The Future-esque rapping and menacing trap beat that underlies "Panda"'s ridiculous repetition were already making Internet waves, but a prominent sample on Kanye West's The Life of Pablo made Desiigner a fixture everywhere from car stereos to Vogue shoots." Billboard ranked "Panda" at number 24 on their "100 Best Pop Songs of 2016" list: "Visions of a black-and-white BMW X6 sparked Desiigner's breakout joyride anthem "Panda." The Brooklyn upstart's spazzy, high-octane bars may have required a Genius.com lyric video to decipher, but the energy was so contagious that Kanye West had to tap the melodic G.O.O.D. Music MC's smash for his own zeitgeist-capturing album." Pitchfork listed "Panda" on their ranking of the 100 best songs of 2016 at number 56.
Commercial performance
"Panda" debuted at number 96 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for the chart issue dated March 12, 2016, and reached the top five in its seventh week. On its ninth week, "Panda" reached number one on the Hot 100 for the chart dated May 7, 2016, ending the nine week reign of "Work" by Rihanna featuring Drake. The feat ended a record-setting 41-week streak of non-Americans topping the chart. It stayed at number one for two weeks, until it was replaced by "One Dance" by Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla on the chart issue dated May 21, 2016. Desiigner is the first rapper to crown the Hot 100 with a debut chart entry since Iggy Azalea arrived with "Fancy" (featuring Charli XCX), which ruled for seven weeks beginning June 7, 2014.
At 18 years and 11 months old, Desiigner is the youngest artist to top the Hot 100 since Lorde, who was 16 years and 11 months old when "Royals" assumed the top spot (for nine weeks) on October 12, 2013. The song spent seventeen weeks in the top ten of the Hot 100 before dropping out.
It also reached number one on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Among the Hot 100's component charts, "Panda" peaked at number 2 on Digital Songs and 10 on Radio Songs, and topped Streaming Songs. As of December 2016, it has sold 1,524,000 copies in the United States.
Remixes and media usage
"Panda" has been unofficially remixed several times by various rappers, including T-Pain, Uncle Murda, Montana of 300, Dave East, Lupe Fiasco, Futuristic, Meek Mill, Lil' Kim and Maino, among others. A Spanish remix version was released by Puerto Rican reggaeton artists Farruko, Daddy Yankee, Almighty and Cosculluela. In an interview with Big Boy on June 3, 2016, Kanye West announced an official "15 minute" Panda remix, featuring verses from all GOOD Music artists.
"Panda" was used by NBA player Shaquille O'Neal as his WrestleMania 32 entrance music. The song is also heard in the television shows Empire, Rosewood, Black-ish, and Son of Zorn. It also appeared on the premier episode of season 3 of the Norwegian television series Skam.
"Panda" has also been sampled in other songs such as the Jacob Sartorious single "Hit or Miss" and the Lupe Fiasco single "Express".
Music video
The song's official music video was released on May 10, 2016 through the subscription-based digital music streaming platform, Tidal. The music video features Desiigner himself, with a cameo appearance by American rapper Kanye West.