LaKeva Lewis // Contributing writer
When the hit single “Trap Queen” made its debut earlier this summer, my first thought wasn’t “this is going to be hit.” But as the song made its way through every radio station, it became evident that Fetty Wap’s signature sound was unavoidable. Selling over 129,000 albums its first week, Fetty Wap’s self-titled freshman album sold over 4.5 million tracks to date, and broke the record for highest share of online streamers with over 39 million this week alone. Serving as the breakout hit for the album, “Trap Queen” set the stage for the artist’s path to the No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart.
Many assumed because of the overnight success of “Trap Queen” that Fetty Wap would not be able to maintain his popularity after his first hit single. By the mid-September, Fetty’s first three singles –– “679,” “My Way,” and “Trap Queen” let the world know Fetty was not a flash in the pan.
The tracks on Fetty Wap don’t contain a common underlying message. Each of the 20 songs could stand alone or be released as another single. Fetty Wap made it a point to display his musical strengths: catchy hooks, tight baselines and his unique singing voice are all parts of Fetty’s distinct musical index.
“RGF Island” is a booming, boastful and dedicated song in which Fetty sings of his loyalty to his group.
“Rock My Chain” is a love story of sorts, providing an airy and yearning tone towards the end of the album. Fetty Wap sometimes feels like a romantic album since Fetty often resorts to singing about his love for his friends and women. “Rewind” is an R&B jam to a girl that Fetty loves but who loves someone else. “D.A.M” is a song of intense infatuation. “Again” is a another ode to a lady love, that takes of lot of its lyrics from “Trap Queen.”
Going from an unknown rapper to the top of the billboard charts is an amazing feat that aspiring artists everywhere wish to accomplish. Fetty Wap’s sound is so different that it’s hard to ignore. People who listen to Fetty Wap may not take much from the songs after the first listen, but the album itself represents something more: the classic underdog story.
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Barbara Sherman
I definitely agree that Fetty Wap has taken the rap/hip-hop industry by storm with his album that he released in September. I personally think its Fetty Wap’s choruses, hooks, and themes that really catches teens/young adult’s attention. However, I have met some people who absolutely hate Fetty Wap because of the way he raps/sings in his songs or for other reasons that I will not be discussing in this post. The song “Trap Queen” is really what made a lot of people pay attention to Fetty. This song coming out in the summer was the perfect marketing strategy geared towards young college students who love rap/hip-hop music. When listening to this song, you get that “summertime feel” that college kids go crazy for. According to Billboard.com, the next follow up single, “My Way” jumped into the Top Ten of the Billboard singles chart, which really made Fetty Wap blow up. In this song, Fetty Wap has his eye on a certain female; he sings about how infatuated he is with her, and how he would like to get to know her on a more personal level. This song shows how relatable he is to guys who have their eyes on that special someone. Fetty Wap has a sound like no other, and can never me imitated nor duplicated. I foresee Fetty Wap being in the rap game for a long time if he stays on the track that he is going.
When I first heard Fetty Wap’s hit single “Trap Queen” I didn’t think much of the song either. I heard a catchy melody, a nice beat, but no substance. There have been many other artists whose song have had those same qualities and their careers never seemed to amount to much. I had the impression that Fetty’s career would follow the same pattern. Needless to say, he is proving many people, including myself, wrong. He continues to put out chart topping records. As Fetty began climbing the charts I started observing what it was that made his music so popular amongst his fans. I’ve noticed that a lot of people, who don’t even listen to rap music, are familiar with a couple of his songs. I believe it’s because of his catchy choruses, melodic melodies, and a unique sounding voice. When I first heard his voice, I personally thought it was annoying but there are many people who like it simply because of how different it is. In a genre such as rap where many artists create the same style of music, Fetty’s sound stands out in a big way. With that being said, there’s no telling how long Fetty Wap’s success will last.