City Girls ‘Need a Thug’ on Smooth New Single
With previous summer smashes like “Act Up” and “Twerkulator” already under their belt, City Girls are aiming for a three-peat with the release of their brand new single, “I Need A Thug.”
The Miami-bred duo has released a slew of collaborations over the past two years — including the Fivio Foreign-assisted “Top Notch” and the Usher-featuring “Good Love” — but their new single is their first unaccompanied track since 2021’s “Scared,” their contribution to the Bruised soundtrack.
“I Need A Thug” flips a lift of LL Cool J’s classic “I Need Love,” arguably the first commercially successful rap ballad, as JT and Yung Miami trade verses about their ideal man. “I need a thug with swag, like a rock star,” raps JT. “Bonnie and Clyde s–t, tongue kissin’ in cop cars.” City Girls are no stranger to repurposing hip-hop classics into new school hits; 2019’s “Twerk” recontextualized parts of Choppa’s “Choppa Style,” while 2021’s “Twerkulator” played on the instrumental of Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock.”
The latest offering from City Girls is also their second single of 2023. Last month (May 26), the “Where the Bag At” duo released “Act Bad,” a collaboration with Diddy and Fabolous. Thursday (Jun. 8), City Girls visited Apple Music 1 for an interview with Zane Lowe in which Yung Miami revealed that the duo’s new project is due in July. Yung Miami, who hosts the Revolt podcast Caresha, Please!, also revealed that the duo have another new song coming out tonight at midnight.
On the Billboard Hot 100, City Girls have earned a pair of top 40 hits including the Cardi B-assisted “Twerk” (No. 29) and “Act Up” (No. 26). Both of their studio albums, Girl Code and City on Lock, have reached the top half of the Billboard 200, hitting No. 55 and No. 29, respectively.
Kyle-Brandon Denis
Billboard
