In My Feelings

Lore & Background

The song's narrative has been widely discussed by outlets, with reports linking "Kiki" to Keshia Chanté, Drake's first girlfriend, and "KB" to K'yanna Barber. References also appear to Jennifer Lopez ("Jenny") and the City Girls members Yung Miami ("Resha") and JT. Musically, the track samples Magnolia Shorty's "Smoking Gun (Acapella Version)" for its breakdown and includes a sample of Lil Wayne's "Lollipop." The song ends with audio from the *Atlanta* episode "Champagne Papi." Later, streaming versions were altered to include additional sampled vocals from Lil Wayne. Critics like Andy Hutchins of Time described it as "a disastrous misunderstanding of New Orleans bounce," while The Fader called it the highlight of the double album.

In Their Own Story

The song's cultural explosion began with comedian Shiggy, who posted an Instagram video dancing to the track, inspiring the "Kiki Challenge" (also known as the "In My Feelings Challenge" or "DoTheShiggy"). The challenge involved walking outside of moving vehicles and dancing in oncoming traffic. Originating in the US, it spread globally, causing public concern and resulting in fines in the Philippines. This phenomenon drove the song to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 the week after its debut at number six. Drake's music video, shot on July 23, 2018, in New Orleans and directed by Karena Evans, featured La La Anthony as "KeKe," Phylicia Rashad, Yung Miami, Big Freedia, and Shiggy himself. The video concluded with a montage of celebrities like Will Smith, DJ Khaled, Dua Lipa, and Ciara participating in the challenge.

Reader's Guide

To understand the song's impact, note its release timeline: it debuted at number six on the July 14, 2018, issue of *Billboard* Hot 100, then ascended to number one the following week. On July 28, 2018, it set a streaming record with 116.2 million streams before being unseated by Maroon 5's "Girls Like You" after ten weeks. In the UK, chart rules prevented an entry in the first week; it entered at number four the next week and rose to number one shortly after, staying there for four weeks. The track ultimately remained in the top ten for 14 weeks on the Hot 100. This success made Drake the record holder for most number-one hits among rappers in Hot 100 history. The song was later featured in the heavily panned 2018 YouTube Rewind.

Did You Know?

• The song features uncredited vocals from the City Girls.
• It samples audio from the *Atlanta* episode "Champagne Papi" at the end.
• Comedian Shiggy, credited with inspiring the dance challenge, appears in the music video as both a production assistant and a dancer.
• The song broke the streaming record for most streams in a single week (116.2 million) before Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" surpassed it in 2019.
• Drake became the rapper with the most number-one hits in Hot 100 history due to this song.