XXXTENTACION may have passed away in 2018, but his music continues to make an impact in the digital world. X’s largest hit to date “SAD!” joined some elite company on January 14 when the ? track surpassed one billion views on YouTube.
Originally released in March 2018, the desolate “SAD!” finds production from John Cunningham and topped the Billboard Hot 100 in wake of his death in June 2018, jumping from No. 52 all the way to No. 1. X became the first artist to posthumously top the Hot 100 since The Notorious B.I.G. accomplished the feat in 1997.
The song also broke Spotify’s single-day streaming record the day after his death (June 19, 2018) while amassing 10.4 million streams. X wrote and served as creative director on the “SAD!” video, which finds him laying another version of himself to rest and has compiled 140 million views since its 2018 release.
The genre-bending Florida native was shot and killed in an armed robbery outside a Riva Motorsports dealership in Deerfield Park, Florida on June 18, 2018. Four people in total including the alleged triggerman, Michael Boatwright, were arrested in the weeks following the tragic shooting.
When it comes to racking up accolades in the music industry, Drake and Future know a thing or two about snatching milestones. The What A Time to Be Alive duo is also part of the billion-view club on YouTube with their “Life Is Good” collab passing the mark in just eight months after the 8x-platinum track’s 2020 release.
Give X’s hit another listen below.