"Righteous" is a song by American rapper Juice Wrld. It is the first posthumous single released with him as the lead artist. It was released on April 24, 2020, via Grade A Productions through exclusive licensing to Interscope Records, as the lead single for his posthumous album, Legends Never Die.
| "Righteous" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Juice Wrld | ||||
| from the album Legends Never Die | ||||
| Released | April 24, 2020 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:03 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) |
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| Juice Wrld singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Righteous" on YouTube | ||||
Background and composition
Juice Wrld's family announced "Righteous" would be releasing hours before it was released at midnight on April 24, 2020.[2] Rolling Stone described the song as "pensive" and that it "addresses anxiety and trying to quell it by self-medicating while also acknowledging the cyclical addiction that ensues."[3]
Lyrically, Juice Wrld dances around the theme of death in the song with the lyrics "Over ice, I'm freezing/Beautiful eyes, deceiving/We may die this evening/Coughing, wheezing, bleeding," and "High, I'm an anxious soul/Blood moons are my eyes, stay low/Red and black, they glow/Under attack, in my soul/When it's my time, I'll know."[2]
Stylistically, Stereogum describes the track as a "melancholy swoon built from arpeggiated guitar riffs and moonbeam melodies; it's all smooth edges, moody textures, breathy vocals."[4]
"Righteous" was produced by Nick Mira and Charlie Handsome. Mira has worked with Juice Wrld in the past on multiple songs, including Juice Wrld's multi-platinum-certified single, "Lucid Dreams".[5] The song was recorded at Juice Wrld's home studio in Los Angeles.[3]
Music video
The official music video for the song was published on the same day the song was released on Juice Wrld's YouTube channel.[6] The video was directed, shot and edited by Steve Cannon.[7]
The first half of the video shows footage of Juice Wrld in his daily life including touring, traveling and recording at various studios.[8] The second half of the video is an animation depicting Juice Wrld fighting his inner demons before changing forms and leaving Earth.[9] The video concludes with him disappearing into space.[8]
Cannon first started working with Juice Wrld in March 2018 as a photographer and videographer.[10]
Personnel
Credits adapted from Spotify.[11]
- Jarad Higgins – vocals, composition
- Nick Mira – writer, producer
- Ryan "Charlie Handsome" Vojtesak – writer, producer
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (2020) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[39] | 56 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[40] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[41] | Gold | 20,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[42] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[43] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| Portugal (AFP)[44] | Gold | 5,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[45] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[46] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | April 24, 2020 | Digital download |
| [2] |