Latto’s single “Big Energy” has become the longest charting rap song by a solo female artist in Billboard’s Hot 100 history, surpassing Doja Cat’s single “Need To Know.”
“Big Energy,” which stayed on the charts for 49 weeks, was released in 2021 and appears on the Atlanta rapper’s 2022 sophomore album, 777. It was also remixed by Mariah Carey and DJ Khaled in March. The single samples Tom Tom Club’s 1981 single, “Genius Of Love,” which is also sampled in Carey’s 1995 single “Fantasy.”
In an interview with Uproxx as the cover star last December, Latto said that she wanted to push herself, speaking on the release of “Big Energy.” “I wanted to challenge myself. Honestly, when you’ve been rapping since eight years old, you got to find new inspiration and new sparks. I just wanted to try something different and I didn’t really give a f*ck whether people liked it or they didn’t because this was for me,” the 23-year-old rapper said. “I know what I’m doing. So I was like, the go-hard Latto, heavy punchlines on a heavy 808 trapped out beat, that’s my pocket. I got that down pat. I can do that forever. I do that in my sleep. But, I don’t want to do that forever. I want to push myself and I want to be the biggest me I can be.”
“Big Energy” is currently nominated for Song of the Year at the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards, while her album 777 is nominated for Hip Hop Album of the Year. The show is set to be aired tonight (Oct. 4). Latto is also currently on tour. She is the opening act on Lizzo’s “Special Tour.” The tour is set to end in November at Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California.