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It’s been a crazy year for Houston-based rapper Megan Thee Stallion.
From her hit EP to a viral song on TikTok to collaborations with Beyoncé and Cardi B, Meg has had more success in 2020 than most up-and-coming rappers can dream of in their full length careers. With her great success has also come vitriol from those trying to take her down a notch.
In July 2020, Megan Thee Stallion came forward with news that she was shot in the foot, only to be met with the scepticism, rumors, and jokes that much too often follow a Black woman’s admission of pain. A month after the shooting, Meg addressed her naysayers on Instagram, posting a now-deleted image of her stitched-up foot with the caption: “Lol what I have learned abt majority of the people on social media is y’all like to hear bad news before good news, a lie spreads quicker than the truth, and y’all really be believing the shit YALL make up … I got hit at the back of my feet because when I got shot I was WALKING AWAY FACING THE BACK.”
The day after posting and deleting the image of her foot, Meg addressed her audience on her Instagram Live, claiming that rapper Tory Lanez, who was previously rumored to be the gunman, was in fact that one that shot her. After months of silence, Lanez finally responded to the allegations by releasing a new album that supposedly addresses Meg and the shooting.
In light of Lanez’s denial, his new album — which has the lowest first-week sales of his career — and the continued prevalence of Meg’s doubters, there is no better time to uplift the incomparable Megan Thee Stallion. To celebrate her incredibly successful year and brand new single “Don’t Stop (feat. Young Thug)” released Oct. 2, here is a list of Megan Thee Stallion’s top five songs.
5. “Freak Nasty”
A song written for “Hot Girls” everywhere, “Freak Nasty” confirms Meg’s identity as both an electrifying rapper and songwriter and an unapologetic freak. “Freak Nasty” is the type of woman-centered, sex-positive anthem that Meg is known for making. Lyrics such as “And I walk like a pimp ‘cause I am” and “I'm a hot girl, so I make these n***** sweat” show off Meg’s unwavering confidence, enviable power over men, and undeniable sex appeal. While “Freak Nasty” may not be Meg’s number one single, it definitely warrants a place in the top five.
4. “Last Week in HTx”
A lesser known Megan Thee Stallion track, “Last Week in HTx” comes from the rapper’s professional solo debut EP “Make It Hot,” released in 2017. Her most successful single at the time, “Last Week in HTx” has amassed over eight million views on YouTube. Throughout the single, Meg reminds listeners that she’s from Houston, Texas, something that has clearly influenced her music, style, and personality. While many today may not know “Last Week in HTx,” the song is representative of Meg’s earliest music and her upward trajectory as an artist.
3. “Savage”/ “Savage Remix (feat. Beyonce)”
The third single from Meg’s 2020 EP “Suga,” “Savage” is number three on this list for its cultural impact. Soon after the track’s release, “Savage” rose to fame on TikTok after 19-year-old creator Keara “KeKe” Wilson choreographed “The Savage Challenge.” For weeks during quarantine, “The Savage Challenge” permeated every corner of the internet. Celebrities, social media influencers, your friends and family, and even Megan Thee Stallion herself were performing the dance for their social media followings. Less than two months after the release of “Savage,” Megan Thee Stallion and Beyonce collaborated on “Savage Remix,” one of the best things to come out of Houston besides the two artists themselves. Like the original version, “Savage Remix (feat. Beyonce)” became massively popular and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Meg’s first number-one single.
2. “Cash Shit (feat. DaBaby)”
Featured by Billboard, Complex, and Pitchfork on their respective lists of the top songs of 2019, “Cash Shit” is easily one of Meg’s best songs. From her mixtape “Fever,” “Cash Shit” features DaBaby, another rapper new to the mainstream at the time. Opening the track with “Bitch, I’m a star,” Meg spends the rest of the song proving how true this is. Even on his own verse, DaBaby is in awe of Meg (and rightfully so) rapping “I be cool on 'em, bitch, ain't no pressure (Uh-uh) / 'Til I met this lil' freak, her name Megan (Ooh) / This lil' thing here a stallion, look how she walk / Look how she talk, she sexy.”
1. “Big Ole Freak”
While “Big Ole Freak” does not have the virality of “Savage,” nor its Beyonce feature, real Hot Girls know that this is Meg’s best single. Despite peaking at only 65 on the Billboard Hot 100, “Big Ole Freak” was certified Platinum by the RIAA after selling over one million copies, making it Meg’s first Platinum single. With its catchy chorus, expert sampling of older songs, and Meg’s characteristic raunchy and tantalizing verses, “Big Ole Freak” epitomizes Meg’s undeniable talent, freak status, and overall stardom.
— Staff Writer Annie Harrigan can be reached at annie.harrigan@thecrimson.com.
