Count Me Out (Kendrick Lamar song)
| "Count Me Out" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Kendrick Lamar | |
| from the album Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers | |
| Recorded | 2022 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:43 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
|
| Music video | |
| "Count Me Out" on YouTube | |
"Count Me Out" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fifth studio album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, released on May 13, 2022. The tenth track on the album (and the first on 'Disc 2'), the song was produced by Sounwave, DJ Dahi, Tim Maxey and J.lbs.[1]
Lyrics
The song begins with an intro sung by Sam Dew:
"We May Not Know Which Way to go on this dark road
All of these h**s make it difficult"
(sung in an identical melody to the opening of United In Grief, the first song on Disc 1).
The song covers themes of regret, infidelity, self-forgiveness, redemption, and determination. The opening verse can be interpreted as a therapeutic confession. The song switches to a more upbeat tempo in the second verse before slowing down in the final verse.[2][3]
Music video
The music video was released on December 16, 2022, on YouTube and directed by Lamar himself and Dave Free and stars Lamar and Helen Mirren. The video, which includes only the song's first verse, covers a therapy session between Lamar and his therapist (portrayed by Mirren). After Lamar tells the story of a humorous parking incident, the therapist recounts a text message she received from Lamar saying "I feel like I'm falling." and asks why he feels that way. Lamar answers "Life", in response, and raps the first verse of the song as clips relating to the various topics he covers appear on screen. At the end of the verse, Kendrick turns around to face his piano while an angel appears next to him.
Reception
Both the song and video have received praise.[4] The song debuted at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 [5]
Performances
Lamar performed "Count Me Out" during The Big Steppers Tour. The performance featured a silhouetted version of Kendrick rapping the first verse while hunched over, with arrows lodged into his back.[6] Lamar performed the song with a mashup of "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe" during the Grand National Tour.
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[7] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[8] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ "Here are the full credits for Kendrick Lamar's new album 'Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers'". NME. May 13, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ "Count Me Out Annotation". Genius. Genius Media Group. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ Hooper, Ty (October 21, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's "Count Me Out": The Art of Self-Reflection". Medium. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ "Song of the Day #5288: "Count Me Out" – Kendrick Lamar". Meet in Montauk. December 26, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100 – May 28, 2022". Billboard. Billboard Media, LLC. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ "Kendrick Lamar's Paris Show From Big Steppers Tour Hits Amazon Prime". Vibe. October 20, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Kendrick Lamar – Count Me Out". Radioscope. Retrieved May 3, 2025. Type Count Me Out in the "Search:" field.
- ^ "British single certifications – Kendrick Lamar – Count Me Out". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 3, 2025.