With his upcoming album Punk on the way, Young Thug has dropped a new single titled “Tick Tock.” The embattled Dr. Luke co-produced the track with Rocco Did It Again!
The released version of “Tick Tock” strips away the heavy guitar riffs first heard when Thugger debuted the song during his recent NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert. Instead, it combines trap production with catchy synths. Despite the more pop-oriented production, the Atlanta rapper doesn’t tone down his snarling lyrics. “N****s want beef and I’m tryna be vegan,” he raps. “But fuck it, bae, bring a can of smoke/ I can’t see niggas in the glasses store.”
The Emil Nava-direct music video features an aesthetic reminiscent of Cam’ron’s Pink Panther era. After hopping out of a pink luxury sports car while wearing a matching fur, Thugger starts a dance party in his Thug Inc. offices. Toward the end of the video, there is a surreal scene in which the rapper flies in his car over pink trees. Watch the clip below.
During his Tiny Desk performance, Thug also debuted “Die Slow,” “Droppin Jewels,” and “Hate The Game.” At the time, he told NPR the songs were ushering in a new era representing “authenticity, consciousness, and overall purity.”
In late July, Thug announced via Instagram that Punk would be arriving on October 15th. He first teased the project in a 2019 interview with The FADER, stating he expected to drop the album before the end of the year. While the LP didn’t come to fruition back then, it seems like Thug is ready to deliver it two years later.
