Mamushi (song)

"Mamushi" was initially released as an album track on Megan Thee Stallion's third studio album, Megan, which was released on June 28, 2024. The song gained fame due to a viral TikTok dance trend created by user @mona712_official, with 157,000 videos made with the song by July 9, 2024.{{Cite web |last=Fabris |first=Andres |date=2024-07-09 |title=Megan Thee Stallion and Yuki Chiba's 'Mamushi' Goes Viral On The Charts |url=https://musicdaily.com/megan-thee-stallion-and-yuki-chibas-mamushi-goes-viral-on-the-charts/ |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=Music Daily |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Kassahun |first=Tomas |title=How Megan Thee Stallion's 'Mamushi' Is Going Viral On TikTok - Blavity |url=https://blavity.com/megan-thee-stallion-mamushi-tiktok-dance |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=Blavity News & Entertainment |language=en}} In response, Megan posted several TikToks of herself following the dance trend, including one of her cosplaying as the anime series Sailor Moon{{'}}s lead character Usagi Tsukino.{{Cite web |last=Ford |first=Lucy |date=2024-07-10 |title=Megan Thee Stallion Out-Cosplayed Herself With New Sailor Moon Look |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/megan-thee-stallion-mamushi-challenge-sailor-moon-cosplay |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=Teen Vogue |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Corrine |first=Amber |date=2024-07-10 |title=Megan Thee Stallion Cosplays As Sailor Moon While Hitting Viral Moves To Her Song "Mamushi" |url=https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/megan-thee-stallion-cosplays-sailor-moon-mamushi-1234894753/ |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=Vibe |language=en-US}} On July 30, the song was released as a single to urban radio, becoming the number-one most added song on the format.{{cite web|url=https://thatgrapejuice.net/2024/07/megan-thee-stallion-yuki-chibas-mamushi-becomes-the-1-most-added-song-on-urban-radio/|title=Megan Thee Stallion & Yuki Chiba's 'Mamushi' Becomes the #1 Most Added Song on Urban Radio|website=TheGrapeJuice|date=July 30, 2024|access-date=July 30, 2024}} On October 25, a remix of "Mamushi" featuring South Korean girl group Twice instead of Chiba was released on Megan: Act II, the reissue of Megan.{{Cite magazine |last=Saponara |first=Michael |date=October 23, 2024 |title=Megan Thee Stallion Reveals 'Megan: Act II' Track List Featuring Twice, Flo Milli & RM of BTS |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/megan-thee-stallion-megan-act-ii-tracklist-1235809387/ |access-date=October 25, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}

Produced by Koshy and written by Megan, Chiba, and Koshiro Ota, "Mamushi" sees both Megan and Chiba rapping in English and Japanese.{{cite web |last1=A. |first1=Aron |title=Megan Thee Stallion "Megan" Review |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/821944-megan-thee-stallion-megan-album-review-hip-hop-news |website=HotNewHipHop |access-date=11 July 2024 |date=July 2, 2024}} Its title refers to a mamushi, a type of snake mainly found in Japan, which continues the snake-related imagery and metaphors in Megan's previous singles "Cobra", "Hiss", and "Boa". Lyrically, "Mamushi" has been interpreted as depicting Megan "regaining her past and letting go of it in order to represent the fame and prosperity she’s now achieving." The first half of the chorus is spoken by Chiba in Japanese, who raps {{nihongo|"Okane kasegu, orera wa sutā"|お金稼ぐ 俺らはスター}}, which is translated as "We make money, we are stars." Chiba uses the word "ore", an informal way of referring to oneself in Japanese used by younger males. Megan then raps the phrase {{nihongo|"Watashi wa sutā"|私はスター}} in the second half of the chorus, which translates to "I'm a star." She uses the word "watashi", the slightly formal, or a feminine way to refer to oneself in Japanese.{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Siobhan |date=2024-07-10 |title=Megan Thee Stallion & Yuki Chiba's "Mamushi" Lyrics Are All Over TikTok, but What Do They Mean? |url=https://www.hercampus.com/culture/what-do-mamushi-lyrics-mean/ |access-date=2024-07-12 |website=Her Campus |language=en-US}}

File:Megan Thee Stallion Mamushi Music Video Screenshot.png by Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.]]

The music video for "Mamushi", directed by Kevin "Onda" Leyva premiered on August 9, 2024, and was filmed in part at both Tsurumaki Onsen Jinya and Engaku-ji Temple. The video takes place at a bathhouse where Megan lures male gangsters into her den before transforming into a gigantic mamushi snake and killing them. Yuki Chiba who is seen working at the bathhouse then cleans up and paints her victims blue, before they are then revived into an army of the dead that follow Megan's every word. The scene with the blue-faced group of men standing around Megan is a nod to the 1990 film, Dreams by Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. Multiple scenes from the music video also take inspiration from other films such as the 2001 film Rush Hour 2,{{Cite magazine |date=2024-08-09 |title=Megan Thee Stallion Heads to Japan for 'Rush Hour 2'-Inspired 'Mamushi' Video Featuring Yuki Chiba |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/megan-thee-stallion-mamushi-video-rush-hour-2-1235750246/amp/ |access-date=2024-08-21 |magazine=Billboard}} as well as feature multiple Japanese actors, most notably Shō Kasamatsu who is the first of the men to be killed by Megan.{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Ashleigh |date=2024-08-10 |title=Megan Thee Stallon Pays Homage to Japanese Films in 'Mamushi' Video |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/megan-thee-stallion-releases-mamushi-music-video |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=Teen Vogue |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Garcia |first=Thania |date=2024-08-09 |title=Megan Thee Stallion Pays Homage to Japanese Cinema in Action-Packed Video for 'Mamushi' |url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/megan-thee-stallion-mamushi-music-video-japan-yuki-chiba-1236101613/ |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}

The song received generally positive reviews. Music critics have compared the song to "Otaku Hot Girl", another track from Megan. Karen Gwee of NME wrote "Though not as effortless, 'Mamushi' is a change of pace for Megan, who over an icy, skeletal beat follows the swaggering lead of Yuki Chiba".{{Cite web |last=Gwee |first=Karen |date=July 1, 2024 |title=Megan Thee Stallion – 'Megan' review: the rapper shines in all her multifaceted glory |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/megan-thee-stallion-megan-album-review-3770938 |access-date=July 11, 2024 |website=NME}} Mankaprr Conteh of Rolling Stone commented "Though 'Mamushi,' with its simple beat, repetitive hook, and choppy cadence, isn't as exciting as its counterpart, it may be an important signal to her international fans and sign of her passions (plus, it has a pretty cute TikTok dance routine taking off)." She additionally stated "it's easy to imagine the album as stronger" without the "elementary palate of 'Mamushi.'"{{Cite magazine |last=Conteh |first=Mankaprr |date=July 1, 2024 |title='Megan' Blissfully Soundtracks the Summer Thee Stallion Deserves |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/megan-thee-stallion-megan-review-1235050984/ |access-date=July 11, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone}} Aron A. of HotNewHipHop commented the artists "share fantastic chemistry" on the song. Some critics had a more favorable view of "Mamushi" than "Otaku Hot Girl"; Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork wrote "The better song that leans into her fondness for Japanese culture is the multilingual 'Mamushi,' which pulls off the theme without flattening her personality."{{Cite web |last=Pierre |first=Alphonse |date=July 2, 2024 |title=Megan Thee Stallion: MEGAN |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/megan-thee-stallion-megan/ |access-date=July 11, 2024 |website=Pitchfork}} Lucas Martins of BPM stated "The mid-tempo 'Mamushi' executes the idea much better, as the off-kilter approach to the hook and her interplay with guest rapper Yuki Chiba allow her to make what would otherwise be a rather stiff song really come alive."{{cite web |last1=Martins |first1=Lucas |title=Album Review: Megan Thee Stallion – Megan |url=https://beatsperminute.com/album-review-megan-thee-stallion-megan/ |website=BPM |access-date=11 July 2024 |date=July 8, 2024}}

"Mamushi" debuted at number 68 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with 7.3 million streams and 1,000 downloads sold in its opening week, later peaking at number 36. It also debuted at number 18 on Hot Rap Songs and number 21 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song marked Chiba's first-ever entry on the Billboard Hot 100.{{Cite magazine |last=Zellner |first=Xander |date=July 9, 2024 |title=Hot 100 First-Timers: Yuki Chiba, Loco & BabyTron All Score First Entries Thanks to Collaborations |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/yuki-chiba-loco-babytron-hot-100-first-debut-1235727544/ |magazine=Billboard}} The following week, it also became both Megan and Chiba's first-ever number 1 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.{{cite magazine |title=World Digital Song Sales (July 20, 2024) |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/world-digital-song-sales/2024-07-20/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716100139/https://www.billboard.com/charts/world-digital-song-sales/2024-07-20/ |archive-date=July 16, 2024 |access-date=July 16, 2024 |magazine=Billboard}}

• Streaming/digital download

1. "Mamushi" (sped up) – 2:09
2. "Mamushi" (chopped & screwed) – 3:15
3. "Mamushi" (instrumental) – 2:36

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{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Mamushi"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|award=Gold|type=single|certyear=2024|access-date=27 September 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Megan Thee Stallion|title=Mamushi|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2024|certyear=2024|access-date=15 October 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Poland|artist=Megan Thee Stallion feat. Yuki Chiba|title=Mamushi|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2024|certyear=2024|access-date=4 December 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Megan Thee Stallion|title=Mamushi|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2024|certyear=2024|access-date=12 December 2024}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

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{{Megan Thee Stallion}}

{{Twice songs}}

Category:2024 singles

Category:2024 songs

Category:Megan Thee Stallion songs

Category:Songs written by Megan Thee Stallion

Category:Macaronic songs

Category:Twice (group) songs