Own It (Rico Nasty song)

"Own It" is a song by American rapper Rico Nasty, released on September 17, 2020 though Atlantic Records and her own Sugar Trap label as the second single from her debut studio album, Nightmare Vacation (2020). The song's music video was directed by Philippa Price and was met with critical acclaim upon release, specifically towards the costumes worn by Rico Nasty and the general aesthetic of the video.

"Own It"
Single by Rico Nasty
from the album Nightmare Vacation
ReleasedSeptember 17, 2020
Length2:09
Label
Songwriter(s)Maria Kelly
Producer(s)
Rico Nasty singles chronology
"iPhone"
(2020)		 "Own It"
(2020)		 "Don't Like Me"
(2020)

Background and release

On the motive behind the song, Rico Nasty told Metal Magazine that it was "built upon owning yourself. The good, the bad & the ugly".[1]

"Own It" was preceded by the lead single "iPhone" which was released a month before on August 13, 2020.[2]

Critical reception

Chris DeVille of Stereogum described "Own It" as "danceable and extremely fun" and wrote, "Over rhythmically charged production that knocks hard while erring on Rico's more accessible side, she raps a string of boasts."[3] In his rundown of the tracks released in that week, Billy Niles of E! described the song as a "bouncy bop",[4] while Patrick Johnson of Hypebeast noted that it "showcases just how singular both her talent and vision are."[5] BrooklynVegan described the song as "booming" and "super catchy", and expressed their anticipation for Nightmare Vacation, writing that if "'Own It' is anything to go by, it's gonna be a good one."[6] Jon Powell of Revolt praised Rico Nasty, writing that "[she] is arguably one of the few artists in hip hop truly pushing the boundaries of style as well as genre with every one of her releases."[7]

Music video

An accompanying music video was released with the song and was directed by Philippa Price.[8] The music video was met with critical acclaim upon release. Evan Minsker of Pitchfork described the video as "extravagant" and the outfits worn as "exceptional",[8] while Chris DeVille of Stereogum described the video as "visually stunning" and the outfits worn as "outrageous".[3] Greta Brereton of NME also described the video as "eclectic" and the outfits worn as "extravagant".[9] Kyle Munzenrieder of the American fashion magazine W wrote that with the video, "Rico Nasty cements herself as a maximalist fashion icon".[10] Allie Gregory of Exclaim! also wrote that "Rico Nasty puts her opulence on display" with the music video.[11] Costumes in the video that were praised by Munzenrieder include a Thom Browne dress paired with a wig fashioned to look like a small cage, "a manicure adorned with the heads of shrimp, a tiara with lit blunts in place of jewels, and a series of charms that spell out her name hanging from piercings where her eyebrows should be".[10] Other scenes praised by Aaron Williams of Uproxx include when Rico Nasty "dons a spike covered, bright yellow vinyl mask that covers everything but her mouth" and when "she presents [herself] as a twisted housewife."[12] Throughout the video, Rico Nasty is often surrounded by "unexplained" wild animals including opossums, ducklings and raccoons.[12] Jordan Rose of Complex wrote:[13]

"Own It" is reflective of all the unique aspects of Rico, as she switches from outfit to outfit, each starkly different from the last. From rocking a piece that looks akin to a Maison Margiela mask with clears spikes across it, to styling her hair in braids that spell "Rico" as she swings surrounded by possums and other animals, the entire aesthetic of the video looks to give fans a sneak peek of what they might expect from her album. Many of the looks also feel like they draw some inspiration from styles seen in Tim Burton movies like Edward Scissorhands.

Konstantino Pappis of Our Culture Mag described the video as "bizarre",[14] while Allie Gregory of Exclaim! called it "opulent".[11] Chris DeVille of Stereogum concluded that with the music video, Rico Nasty "carr[ies] the torch for '90s rap weirdos like Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott."[3] Patrick Johnson of Hypebeast also agreed with this statement, writing that her "signature out-of-this-world styling is as amplified as ever" with Price "captur[ing] the surreal scenes through fish-eye camera lenses reminiscent of 1990s Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott visuals".[15] Aaron Williams of Uproxx wrote that the video "pushes pride and self-confidence" and noted that "her makeup and hair are the stars of the video, pushing the boundaries of even what we're used to seeing from the quirky star."[12]

Credits

Adapted from Tidal:[16]

  • Maria Kelly – songwriter, vocals
  • Camden – producer, songwriter, programmer
  • Avedon – producer, songwriter, programmer
  • Alter Ego – producer, songwriter, programmer
  • Chris Athens – masterer
  • Joe Fitz – mixer

Release history
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Various September 17, 2020
[17]

References
  1. Salvadó, Arnau (September 18, 2020). "Rico Nasty - Owning Herself". Metal Magazine. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  2. Kenneally, Cerys (September 17, 2020). "Rico Nasty unveils new cut "Own It"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  3. DeVille, Chris (September 17, 2020). "Rico Nasty - "Own It"". Stereogum. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  4. Billy, Niles (September 18, 2020). "The MixtapE! Presents Keith Urban, Alicia Keys, Anitta and More New Music Musts". E! Online. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  5. Johnson, Patrick (September 19, 2020). "Best New Tracks: Baby Keem, slowthai, Saba, Action Bronson & More". Hypebeast. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  6. "New Songs Out Today". BrooklynVegan. September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  7. Powell, Jon (September 17, 2020). "Check out Rico Nasty's new video for "Own It"". Revolt. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  8. Minsker, Evan (September 17, 2020). "Rico Nasty Shares Extravagant Video for New Song "Own It"". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  9. Brereton, Greta (September 17, 2020). "Rico Nasty drops new song 'Own It' with accompanying music video". NME. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  10. Munzenrieder, Kyle (September 17, 2020). "You Can't Handle All of the Fashion in Rico Nasty's "Own It" Video". W. ISSN 0162-9115. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  11. Gregory, Allie (September 17, 2020). "Rico Nasty Puts Her Opulence on Display in New "Own It" Video". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  12. Williams, Aaron (September 17, 2020). "Rico Nasty's Bizarre 'Own It' Video Pushes Pride And Self-Confidence". Uproxx. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  13. Rose, Jordan (September 17, 2020). "Rico Nasty Shares New Song and Video "Own It"". Complex. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  14. Pappis, Konstantinos (September 18, 2020). "Rico Nasty Unveils Bizarre Video for New Song 'Own It'". Our Culture Mag. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  15. Johnson, Patrick (September 17, 2020). "Rico Nasty's New "Own It" Music Video Is a Call to Embrace Yourself". Hypebeast. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  16. "Credits / Own It / Rico Nasty". Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2020 – via Tidal.
  17. "Own It - Single by Rico Nasty". Apple Music. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
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