Nightcrawler (song)

{{Short description|2015 song by Travis Scott featuring Swae Lee and Chief Keef}}

{{for|other songs by the same name|Nightcrawler (disambiguation)#Songs}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Nightcrawler

| type = song

| cover =

| artist = Travis Scott featuring Swae Lee and Chief Keef

| album = Rodeo

| released = September 4, 2015

| genre = * Cloud rap

| recorded =

| length = 5:21

| label = {{hlist|Grand Hustle|Epic}}

| writer = {{hlist|Jacques Webster II|Khalif Brown|Keith Cozart|Bryan Simmons|Joshua Luellen|Leland Wayne|Michael Dean|Allen Ritter|Glenda Proby}}

| producer = {{hlist|Travis Scott|TM88|Southside|Metro Boomin|Mike Dean}}

}}

"Nightcrawler" is a song by American rapper Travis Scott featuring fellow American rappers Swae Lee and Chief Keef. It was released through Grand Hustle and Epic Records as the seventh track from the former's debut studio album, Rodeo, on September 4, 2015. Produced by Scott himself, TM88, Southside, Metro Boomin, and Mike Dean and additionally produced by Allen Ritter, the six wrote the song alongside Swae Lee, Chief Keef, and Gizzle. The song was considered to be a sleeper hit and first charted in early 2024 after its popularity increased due to people using it as the sound in their videos on the video application TikTok.

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. Josephine Cruz of Hypebeast described the song as "one of the strongest tracks" from Rodeo, elaborating: "Backed by standout production and a catchy hook, this a testament to the songwriting chops of all three of these young rappers, and while a lot has been made of Swae Lee's 'influence' on Travi$' style in recent months, here there's room for everyone to shine".{{cite web |last1=Cruz |first1=Josephine |title=Travi$ Scott - Rodeo (Review) |url=https://hypebeast.com/2018/9/travis-scott-rodeo-review |website=Hypebeast |access-date=February 2, 2024 |date=September 4, 2015}} Matthew Ramirez of Spin felt that "Swae Lee's cherubic voice contrasts nicely with Scott's groaned delivery and Chief Keef's Auto-Tuned mumble on 'Nightcrawler,' which hits its precise aim of ominous and fun".{{cite web|last=Ramirez|first=Matthew|url=http://www.spin.com/2015/09/review-travis-scott-rodeo/|title=Review: This Is Actually in Fact, Travis Scott's First 'Rodeo'|work=Spin|date=September 10, 2015|access-date=October 31, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108105852/http://www.spin.com/2015/09/review-travis-scott-rodeo/|archive-date=November 8, 2015}} Sheldon Pearce of Pitchfork saw "Nightcrawler" and another song, "Maria I'm Drunk", as the best songs on the album, writing that Scott "has an ear for programming", but the two songs "mostly succeed because they overcome his contributions".{{cite web|last=Pearce|first=Sheldon|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21016-rodeo/|title=Travis Scott: Rodeo|work=Pitchfork|date=September 16, 2015|access-date=October 25, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028194220/http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21016-rodeo/|archive-date=October 28, 2015}} In 2018, over two-and-a-half years after the release of the song and album, Aaron Williams of Uproxx summarized that "Travis' best songs are often marked by star turns by guest stars acting as foils for his artistic proclivities and 'Nightcrawler' is one of the best examples", adding that "while Travis' singing is often the centerpiece of his catchier tracks, Rae Sremmurd's Swae Lee comes through to highlight just how good Travis is by providing a comparison point for his crooning against one of the best in hip-hop (another great example is Swae's 'Close' from his own album earlier this year)" and "Scott's warbling stands up against Swae's, illustrating the polish on his well-rounded artistic versatility".{{cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/music/travis-scotts-best-songs-ranked/|title=All Of Travis Scott's Songs, Ranked|last=Williams|first=Aaron|publisher=Uproxx|date=August 9, 2018|access-date=February 26, 2024}} However, in a negative review, Frazier Tharpe of Complex described the song as "a noisy near misfire".{{cite web|last=Tharpe|first=Frazier|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2015/09/travis-scott-rodeo-review|title=Review: Travi$ Scott's 'Rodeo' Is Peppered With Bangers, But Isn't the Wild Ride He Promised|work=Complex|date=September 4, 2015|access-date=October 25, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151101093913/http://www.complex.com/music/2015/09/travis-scott-rodeo-review|archive-date=November 1, 2015}}

Charts

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ 2015 chart performance for "Nightcrawler" ! scope="col"\| Chart (2015) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
scope="row"\| US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles (Billboard){{cite web\|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/search/charts?f%5B0%5D=ts_chart_artistname%3ATravis+Scott&f%5B1%5D=itm_field_chart_id%3A345&f%5B2%5D=ss_bb_type%3Achart_item&type=2&artist=Travis+Scott\|title=Travis Scott – Chart Search (Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles)\|work=Billboard\|access-date=July 18, 2017}} \| 8

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ 2015 chart performance for "Nightcrawler"

! scope="col"| Chart (2015)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles (Billboard){{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/biz/search/charts?f%5B0%5D=ts_chart_artistname%3ATravis+Scott&f%5B1%5D=itm_field_chart_id%3A345&f%5B2%5D=ss_bb_type%3Achart_item&type=2&artist=Travis+Scott|title=Travis Scott – Chart Search (Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles)|work=Billboard|access-date=July 18, 2017}}

| 8

scope="row"\| Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100){{cite web\|url=https://www.olis.pl/charts/oficjalna-lista-sprzedazy/single-w-streamie\|title=OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie\|publisher=OLiS\|language=pl\|access-date=March 7, 2024\|type=Select week 23.02.2024–29.02.2024.}} \| 84
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ 2024 chart performance for "Nightcrawler" ! scope="col"\| Chart (2024) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
{{single chart\|Canada\|68\|artist=Travis Scott\|rowheader=true\|access-date=February 27, 2024}}
{{single chart\|Billboardbubbling100\|12\|artist=Travis Scott\|rowheader=true\|access-date=March 5, 2024}}
{{single chart\|Billboardrandbhiphop\|45\|artist=Travis Scott\|rowheader=true\|access-date=March 5, 2024}}

Certifications

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

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Poland|artist=Travis Scott feat. Swae Lee & Chief Keef|title=Nightcrawler|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2024|access-date=September 25, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=Travis Scott feat. Swae Lee And Chief Keef|title=Nightcrawler|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2024|source=radioscope|access-date=February 12, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Scott/Swae Lee/Chief Keef|title=Nightcrawler|award=Silver|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2024|id=20356-6918-1|access-date=September 25, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Travis Scott|title=Nightcrawler|award=Platinum|type=single|relyear=2015|certyear=2024|access-date=September 25, 2024}}

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