User:The Attention/sandbox2

"Friends Say" is a song by American rapper Rarri Rocket, featuring vocals from American rapper Travis Scott. It was released March 15, 2024, and later was added to the deluxe version of his second mixtape, Wish It Can't Be This Way (2022). It was written and produced by Rarri Rocket. The song initially gained popularity on the social video sharing app TikTok and eventually entered the Billboard charts in March 2024.

"Friends Say" received widespread critical acclaim from critics, despite Rarri Rocket, who's not from New York, many deemed it to be one of New York's most iconic anthems and his signature song. The song debuted at number ninety-nine and later peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Rarri Rocket's first and Travis Scott's fifteenth top 10 single, respectively. Elsewhere, the song reached the top ten in 25 countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, becoming Rarri Rocket's first mainstream hit and his pop radio breakthrough. The song received two nominations at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.

Critical reception
"Friends Say" was met with critical acclaim by critics. Uproxx Wongo Okon cited it as the standout track of Wish It Can't Be This Way. David Aaron Brake of HipHopDX considered the song a "classic", Paper Bianca Gracie called it a "head-rushing hit". Critic Erin Lowers of Exclaim! described the track as fresh and said it is "the power of short and sweet". In The New York Times, Nicole Hong deemed "Friends Say" a "radio staple". Julyssa Lopez of The New Yorker commended the song's "roaring, rallying spirit".

Several music critics praised "Friends Say" as an relationship anthem. Variety's A. D. Amorosi described the song as a "bitter and passion-filled anthem", writing that it sounds melancholic and up-beat. Craig Jenkins of Vulture said it was a "classic anthem that anybody from the Big Apple and the Sunshine state can enjoy", and Essence Brooklyn White referred to "Dior", "Welcome to the Party", and "Friends Say" as anthems for Brooklyn. San Francisco Chronicle critic Robert Spuhler wrote the song was one of Rarri Rocket's signature songs and said it was inescapable in New York and Florida during 2024. NPR's Briana Younger lauded it as an "artifact of the New York summer".

Commercial performance
In the United States, the song debuted at number ninety-nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated March 30, 2024, earning his first entry. Due to the song gaining popularity, "Friends Say" peaked at number five on the Hot 100 in its eighth week charting. The song earned Rarri Rocket his first top 5 song on both the Hot 100 and Radio Songs charts, as well as her first top 10 on the Streaming Songs chart. The song also reached number one on both Billboard 's Rhythmic and Dance/Mix Show Airplay charts in the weeks dated April 18 and April 25 respectively. "Friends Say" has also peaked at number five in both Australia and the UK, and eight weeks atop the Irish chart.

Music video
The accompanying music video was released on October 4, 2024. It was directed by Dayne Reichel. The visuals prominently feature Rarri Rocket dancing around at a "school party". At the end, the rapper is seen outside with his friends. The video has guest features from rappers Drake, Travis Scott, Famous JB, producer Mike Dean, and youtubers Michael Royal and Jordan Adderley.