Destination Jam: Top 5 Megan Thee Stallion tracks that remind us she's a 'bad b***h' no one can shut down
Megan Thee Stallion is easily one of the most gifted R&B and rap artistes of the modern generation. Sadly, her skills are often overshadowed by those who pay far more attention to her looks. Or more recently, her personal life. And as people continue to downplay her horrific assault and turn her trauma into jokes, it's obvious Stallion has found strength in her music and healing in her fellow Black women, with artistes such as Rihanna making it clear she's got Megan's back in this journey.
And not one to be held down, Stallion is proving she is a true fighter, rising from the flames of all the drama with an upcoming single featuring Cardi B titled 'WAP'. It appears that even after going through a life-threatening situation, Stallion is still a 'boss b***h' who stands up to the bullies and owns her space. So in celebration of the artiste, here are five of her best and most powerful tracks.
'Savage' (ft. Beyoncé)
Arguably one of Stallion's biggest tracks to date, this song found popularity owing in part to a viral dance challenge created by TikTok user Keara Wilson, which was later rather controversially appropriated by fellow TikTok users Charli D'Amelio and Addison Rae. It was, however, the Beyoncé remix of the track that caused it to skyrocket to worldwide fame. The song was later remixed once more by Major Lazer, further adding to its fame.
But even without all the subsequent fame, the song itself was already a bop. It was written by Stallion in collaboration with Anthony White, Bobby Session Jr, and Akeasha Boodie for the artiste's EP 'Suga', with engineer Eddie 'eMIX' Hernandez later commenting in an interview with Revolt that she did the song "on the spot" in under an hour. He added, "The collaboration was going on at the same time. We were building as the song was forming. While he (producer J White Did It) was laying down the snares and the kicks, she was writing to the skeleton of the beat. Once he had the production all ready and sent it over to me, she was ready to go. She had all her writing done. Her recording? She knocks them things out."
'Hot Girl Summer' (ft. Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla Sign)
While 'Savage' is her biggest hit, 'Hot Girl Summer' is probably one of Stallion's most recognizable songs. The 2019 banger landed Stallion on the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to become her first number one on the Rhythmic Songs airplay chart. What propelled it to fame was the term 'hot girl summer' going viral on social media, earning the song meme status and proving Stallion and her team were geniuses at crafting content that worked well in the new era of online streaming and promotion, long before the pandemic made it the norm. But on top of that, she managed to get Minaj on board, and while that did delay the song's release, it proved to be totally worth it. The video, which features cameos from AGNEZ MO, Rico Nasty, Lala Anthony, Ari Lennox, Summer Walker, DaniLeigh, Juicy J, and French Montana, among others, would also prove to be a hit.
'B.I.T.C.H.'
Stallion shared in her appearance on Genius that this song was inspired by Tupac, both from his musical genius as well as his overall energy which she felt she also exuded, adding that her honesty and confidence are what she believes her audience like about her. But in addition to that, Stallion also wanted to convey that while she might be known for her persona and things like "twerking", she's also a gifted artiste and hopes people recognize her for that as well. And is if that wasn't inspiring enough, she also goes on to share that she does revel in shirking the restraints people often put on women, adding that "vaginas are magical" and she's a "bad b****h".
'Diamonds' (ft. Normani)
'Diamonds' was already quite the collaboration with two new era R&B superstars featuring on the track, but it also landed a spot on the soundtrack to the film 'Birds of Prey' starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Both the song and the movie are a celebration of women everywhere, with the film being about a gang of badass girls who fight crime, and the song being a homage to Marilyn Monroe. The music video for the track was also directly inspired by the song, featuring imagery that referenced the 1953 film 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' which included the track and starred Monroe. Billboard later called the track "a gem of a song," Madeline Roth of MTV called it a "total flex anthem," and many commended Stallion and Normani for balancing each other out perfectly on the track.
'Tina Montana'
Featured on Stallion's iconic EP 'Tina Snow', 'Tina Montana' is easily one of the most boss b***h tracks out there. In a likely reference to the protagonist of the 1983 film 'Scarface', Tony Montana, played by Al Pacino, the song details the experiences of someone who rose from the bottom to the top. Stallion has claimed the EP 'Tina Snow' was inspired by Pimp C's alter ego Tony Snow, and she additionally makes references in the track 'Tina Montana' to alter egos like Miley Cyrus' Hannah Montana.
Essentially, this era of Stallion's music established that her stage persona was her alter ego, but she also made it clear that this persona was crafted to 'snatch wigs'. But most importantly, this track demonstrated Stallion's mastery of her own skills because it includes some gorgeously clever songwriting paired with her flawless flow and vocals. As the lyrics clearly state, Stallion wasn't 'passed the torch', she lit the fire herself, making it abundantly clear to everyone that she earned her spot through sheer skill alone.
Destination Jam is a daily list of songs that will keep you entertained and grooving up top in lieu of feeling drained and losing the plot. Look out for a fresh selection of great tunes from MEAWW to refresh your mood every day!