How GloRilla Narrowly Avoided A Hate Train & Bounced Back Harder Than Ever

GloRilla took the internet by storm in April 2022 when social media discovered her track “FNF (Let’s Go).” The catchy hook, “I’m F-R-E-E f**k n***a free,” grabbed the attention of the masses, making it an instant viral sensation. Overnight, the Memphis rapper became a highly sought-after act, attracting the attention of Yo Gotti, who swiftly signed Big Glo to his CMG imprint in July 2022. Her first single under the label, “Tomorrow,” debuted that same month as part of their “Gangsta Art” compilation album. While the cut was certainly another banger, once it got the Cardi B remix in September 2022, the track took off. Two months later, in November 2022, she unveiled yet another banger, “Blessed,” which featured her label boss. In June 2023, “Tomorrow 2” was officially certified twice platinum, while its predecessor earned a gold plaque. Just like that, GloRilla was a superstar. 

Unfortunately, like many new artists, she hit a rough patch at the height of her career. This came when she unveiled her New York-influenced “Cha Cha Cha” featuring drill star Fivio Foreign in September 2023. With finicky fan bases and people looking for a reason to drag, the song received a wave of negative remarks online. One viral tweet read, “GloRilla, we will remember your run from May 2022 through September 2022, but it’s over,” and with over one million views and 3,000 retweets, it was apparent that many agreed that the single was a career-ender. Much of the criticism focused on Glo’s strong southern accent, which seemed to collide with the forceful drill beat. Another point of contention was the chorus, which many deemed to be a bit cheesy. Popular livestreamer Kai Cenat seemingly fueled the hate when he criticized “Cha Cha Cha” during one of his streams, resulting in GloRilla blocking him. Her next release, “Pop It,” didn’t make much noise, and it appeared that her fans were slowly sailing away from the Glo wave. 

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After the fallout over “Cha Cha Cha,” GloRilla got back in the booth, and months later, she staged one of the hardest comebacks seen in recent female hip-hop history. In February 2024, she released “Yeah Glo,” an infectiously catchy record that samples Da Banggaz314’s “Run Up Get Done Up.” Not only did the song immediately pick up steam, but it also proved to the world exactly why we fell in love with GloRilla, to begin with. Men and women alike embraced the record, with LeBron James even posting himself singing along to “Yeah Glo,” which peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. With the immense success of the club hit, Glo capitalized on the hype by dropping her mixtape, “Ehhthang Ehhthang” in April 2024.  

Making her run even more iconic, the 24-year-old will be joining Megan The Stallion’s Hot Girl Summer Tour, which kicks off in May. The move is appropriate, as Meg is featured on the mixtape’s lead single, “Wanna Be,” which has already sold over 100,000 copies and attracted over five million views on YouTube. 

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GloRilla may have been counted out for a short period of time, but it’s clear she still has much to prove in the rap game.