21 Savage, Future, and producer Metro Boomin have no qualms about leaving former lovers behind in the hit single “X.” In the trio’s new video, the three men dance around a mostly empty mansion, joyride in a limousine, drink vodka and flip off the camera in an extended display of uncaring.
To make Savage more sympathetic, the “X” visual initially portrays the rapper as a victim; when his girlfriend comes home to find him playing video games on the couch, she reams Savage out. “I’m tired of every time I come home you playing games!” she yells. “You ain’t shit; you ain’t gonna be shit!”
The rest of the video is a long, gloating “look at me now” from one of the year’s breakout rappers. “Hold up, I’m just flexin’ on my ex-bitch,” Savage declares. “Fuck a wedding ring, I bought a necklace.” Future occasionally interjects a few curt lines, echoing and reinforcing Savage’s distant stance: “I ain’t textin’ back that bitch, hold up/ I ain’t stressin’ bout that bitch, hold up.”
“X” appeared earlier this year on Savage and Metro Boomin’s collaborative project, Savage Mode. The song went on to become a top 40 hit and earned a spot on Rolling Stone‘s 50 Best Songs of 2016. In November, the single was certified platinum by the RIAA.