Pick Up the Phone (Young Thug and Travis Scott song)

"Pick Up the Phone"
Single by Young Thug and Travis Scott featuring Quavo
from the album Jeffery and Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight
ReleasedJune 10, 2016
Recorded2015–16
Genre
Length4:12
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Young Thug singles chronology
"Minnesota"
(2016) 		"Pick Up the Phone"
(2016) 		"No Limit"
(2016)
Travis Scott singles chronology
"Wonderful"
(2016) 		"Pick Up the Phone"
(2016) 		"Champions"
(2016)
Quavo singles chronology
"Minnesota"
(2016) 		"Pick Up the Phone"
(2016) 		"Champions"
(2016)
Music video
"Pick Up the Phone" on YouTube

"Pick Up the Phone" (stylized in all lowercase on Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight) is a song by American rappers Young Thug and Travis Scott featuring fellow American rapper Quavo. It was released on June 3, 2016, by Grand Hustle Records, Epic Records, Atlantic Records and 300 Entertainment.[1] It is the lead single from Thug's mixtape Jeffery (2016) and the second single from Scott's second studio album Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016). The song was written by the artists alongside Starrah, who provides additional vocals, and producers Vinylz, Allen Ritter, Frank Dukes, and Mike Dean.[2]

Background and controversy

Young Thug first previewed the song in a snippet that he posted on his Instagram account in March 2016.[3] The song was originally a collaboration between Young Thug and Starrah. Starrah sang the hook instead of Travis.[4] Travis was in the studio when Thug recorded the song, and he wrote the bridge Young Thug sings. About a month later, Travis started playing the song in clubs, but instead of Starrah on the hook, Travis replaced her, and he had his own verse too. He also called the song his own single for his own album without notifying Young Thug of his involvement. Travis kept teasing the song for months before he finally leaked it on his own SoundCloud because the labels would not release it. After Travis called his manager Lyor Cohen, who also owns 300 Entertainment, Thug's record label, an agreement was made that the song would be released on iTunes later that day as a joint single between Thug and Travis.

Commercial performance

"Pick Up the Phone" debuted at number 90 on Billboard Hot 100 for the chart dated for the week of September 3, 2016.[5] The song eventually peaked at number 43, becoming one of Young Thug and Travis Scott's highest charting songs at the time. This was also Quavo's highest charting solo effort before his appearance on Post Malone's "Congratulations", which peaked at number 8 on the Hot 100, then later his appearance on DJ Khaled's, "I'm the One", which debuted and peaked at number one on the chart. The song was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in May 2017, for selling over two million digital copies in the United States.

Music video

The music video premiered on August 12, 2016 with the music video for "90210" at the ".wav party" in Los Angeles, California, with both of them later released on Travis Scott's Vevo account on YouTube.[6][7]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
Australia Urban (ARIA)[8] 17
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[9] 62
France (SNEP)[10] 95
New Zealand Heatseekers (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 7
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 181
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 43
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[14] 12
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[15] 14

Year-end charts

Chart (2016) Position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[16] 52

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[17] Gold 30,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[18] 3× Platinum 240,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[19] Gold 45,000‡
France (SNEP)[20] Platinum 200,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[21] Gold 25,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[22] Gold 25,000‡
Sweden (GLF)[23] Gold 20,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[25] 4× Platinum 4,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Pick up the Phone by Young Thug & Travis Scott on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  2. ^ "Meet Starrah, The Hit Songwriter Who Has Her Own Summer Anthem".
  3. ^ "Pick Up The Phone Snippet". YouTube. 5 March 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  4. ^ "Pick Up The Phone ft. Starrah". Vine. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  5. ^ "Top 100 Songs - Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.
  6. ^ "Young Thug, Travis Scott - Pick Up the Phone (Explicit) ft. Quavo". YouTube. 12 August 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  7. ^ "Watch Travis Scott, Young Thug's Explicit 'Pick Up the Phone' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  8. ^ "ARIA Urban Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  9. ^ "Young Thug Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  10. ^ "Young Thug and Travis Scott feat. Quavo – Pick Up the Phone" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  11. ^ "NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. September 12, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  12. ^ Chart Log UK: "CLUK Update 10.09.2016 (wk36)". UK Singles Chart. Zobbel.de. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  13. ^ "Young Thug Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  14. ^ "Young Thug Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  15. ^ "Travis Scott Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  16. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2016". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  17. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Young Thug & Travis Scott – Pick Up the Phone" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  18. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Travis Scott – Pick Up the Phone". Music Canada. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  19. ^ "Danish single certifications – Young Thug & Travis Scott – Pick Up the Phone". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  20. ^ "French single certifications – Young Thug – Pick Up the Phone" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  21. ^ "Italian single certifications – Young Thug & Travis Scott feat. Quavo – Pick Up the Phone" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  22. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 28, 2024. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Pick Up the Phone in the search box.
  23. ^ "Young Thug, Travis Scott – Pick Up the Phone (feat. Quavo)" (in Swedish). Grammofonleverantörernas förening. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  24. ^ "British single certifications – Young Thug/Travis Scott/Quavo – Pick Up the Phone". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  25. ^ "American single certifications – Young Thug & Travis Scott – Pick Up the Phone". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 30, 2017.