"The Thrill"
Art Director - Yazid Britt, Graphic Designer - Michael Watson II
Single by Wiz Khalifa and Empire of the Sun
from the album Burn After Rolling
ReleasedNovember 12, 2020
Recorded2009
Length3:54
LabelRostrum Records
Songwriter(s)
Wiz Khalifa singles chronology
"Slim Peter"
(2020) 		"The Thrill"
(2020) 		"Cheers"
(2020)
Empire of the Sun singles chronology
"Chrysalis"
(2019) 		"The Thrill"
(2020)

"The Thrill" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa and Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun. The song uses a prominent sample of Empire of the Sun's 2008 single "Walking on a Dream". In 2009, Wiz Khalifa recorded "The Thrill" for his 2009 mixtape Burn After Rolling, using the then illegal sample.[1][2] The song was officially released on November 12, 2020.[3][4]

Wiz Khalifa said of the release "'The Thrill' is a really special song to me because I seen [sic.] that one grow from the ground up. I remember being at a low key show at a college and one of the kids told me about the song and he said 'man you'll be that dude if you sample the song' So I immediately went home, started thinking of some bars, went to the studio and recorded it and it was one of those songs that we took on the road and made our own videos for, and performed it, and the world loved it and I'm happy that it's available on all streaming platforms and that people can enjoy it the way that they need to now."[1]

Empire of the Sun said "As this track was breaking for us around the globe we kept hearing undercurrents of Wiz's version. 'Walking on a Dream' is a song that morphs and transcends so many emotions and musical plains that it's great to hear it alive in another world, Wiz's world."[1]

Reception

Hot New Hip Hop said "Khalifa's 'The Thrill' takes a cut from indie electro act Empire of the Sun and turns it into an effective party rap jam".[1]

XXL Magazine called it "One of Wiz Khalifa's 20 Best Songs."[1][5]

Peter Sobat from Blurred Culture said "In these strange times Wiz Khalifa's 'The Thrill' takes us back to less stressful points in our lives and reminds us to lighten up and have some fun."[6]

Charts

Chart performance for "The Thrill"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[7] 35

Certifications

Certifications for "The Thrill"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[8] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Wiz Khalifa Officially Releases His Fan-Favorite Early Hit "The Thrill"". Audible Treats. November 11, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  2. ^ "Wiz Khalifa Unearths a Blog Era Classic with Official "The Thrill" Release". hiphopdx. November 12, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  3. ^ "After 10 years we're dropping The Thrill tonight on all platforms". Twitter. November 11, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  4. ^ "The Thrill – Single by Wiz Khalifa & Empire of the Sun on Apple Music". Apple Music. November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  5. ^ "20 of the Best Wiz Khalifa Songs". XXL Magazine. 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  6. ^ "Wiz Khalifa The Thrill Is Exactly What We Need". Blurred Culture. November 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  7. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 23, 2020. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  8. ^ "American single certifications – Wiz Khalifa – The Thrill". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
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