XXXTentacion shared two new songs earlier this month titled “SAD!” and “Changes” featuring PnB Rock, both of which are set to appear on his forthcoming album “?.” Since their release, both songs have garnered significant interest. “SAD!,” which currently stands as the No. 1 song on Genius, has racked up over 27 million Spotify streams, and just debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart today–his highest chart peak yet.
The lyrics to “SAD!” depict a destructive relationship that’s starkly unsettling in the context of the rapper’s ongoing domestic violence case. “SAD!” is centered around X’s struggles to let go of a relationship, and features the Florida rapper explicitly threatening suicide if his partner leaves him. These lyrics appear on the song’s chorus:
Who am I? Someone that’s afraid to let go, uh
You decide if you’re ever gonna let me know (yeah)
Suicide if you ever try to let go, uh
I’m sad, I know, yeah, I’m sad, I know, yeah
X has addressed suicide and mental health before, with songs like “Revenge” and “Jocelyn Flores” being dedicated to a friend who took her own life. In this case, however, threatening your partner with suicide as a way to manipulate and control them is considered emotional abuse. As Genius has previously written, this is hardly the first time he’s conflated abusive behavior with his own mental health struggles in his music.
While the lyrics themselves deliver an emotionally manipulative and abusive message, they become even more troublesome when considering the gruesome allegations he’s facing. X (real name Jahseh Onfroy) is currently on house arrest in Florida as he awaits trial for a series of charges that include battery and aggravated assault of a pregnant victim, battery by strangulation, false imprisonment, and witness tampering.
X’s career has only flourished despite the rise of the #MeToo movement and “Weinstein effect” that has exposed powerful and famous men for sexual misconduct, and he’s not the only rapper who continues to thrive in the midst of such assault.
6ix9ine pled guilty to one felony count of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance in 2015, and is currently in the middle of sentencing proceedings (delayed until April 10). Kodak Black was indicted on charges of first-degree sexual assault this past October, after was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in a hotel following one of his shows. And TMZ reported last month that YoungBoy Never Broke Again was arrested in Florida on a kidnapping warrant.
With the recent exception of Russell Simmons, who faced backlash after he was accused of raping three women and derailing their music careers, hip-hop audiences have often looked the other way when it comes to the abuse of women.
This could be due to the outlaw appeal of rappers, with a criminal record becoming part of their narrative, and the genre’s notorious history of misogyny that remains a problem today. Victims who are women of color are usually dismissed when voicing allegations, as they are not given the same level of belief and privilege that’s seen with white and wealthy victims. This bias was especially seen when comparing the response to allegations from Harvey Weinstein’s victims and those of R. Kelly.
X’s music has also been admired by other artists like Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky, and he has a joint project with Joey Bada$$ in the works. Kylie Jenner recently played “SAD!” on her Snapchat, which has a history of turning songs into hits. All of this exposure has only helped make X more popular.
Relationships are a common theme in X’s music, making it difficult to listen to his songs without having the domestic abuse case come to mind. This interpretation was seen with his new track “Changes,” as many fans have speculated that the lyrics address the relationship he had with the victim who leveled the abuse allegations.
This sentiment also appears on his album 17, where he repeatedly references his relationship with the victim and even named a song after her. X hasn’t explicitly revealed who “Changes” is about, but the fact that fans continue to listen to it despite speculations reflects a disturbing reality. Instead of the abusive narrative being in the forefront, the song has become an appealing breakup anthem that’s received a slew of acoustic and piano covers and debuted at No. 47 on the Hot 100. On the chorus, X sings:
Mmm, baby, I don’t understand this
You’re changing, I can’t stand it
My heart can’t take this damage
And the way I feel, can’t stand it
It can be difficult for any fanbase to grapple with the conflict that a talented person, who has created something they admire, has been accused of heinous crimes. In X’s case, however, his felony charges of assault have been known from the start of his career. While other parts of the entertainment and music industry have held figures accountable—from FX Networks firing comedian Louis C.K. to punk duo PWR BTTM being dropped from their label—X’s career seems to coincide with the allegations that he’s capitalizing on through his lyrics.
X’s continued success stands as an example of hip-hop’s difficulty of holding abusive individuals accountable and shows that fans continue to separate the art from the artist—even when their music is an extension of abusive crimes.
Read all the lyrics to XXXTentacion’s “SAD!” and “Changes” on Genius now.
