Metro Boomin had a long line of big names enlisted to feature on his 2022 project HEROES & VILLAINS, but no track did as well as his collaboration "Creepin'" with the Weeknd.
Now, the producer has revealed in an interview with Billboard that he almost had to take the song off of the album entirely.
Since it's a reimagining of Mario Winans, Diddy and Enya's 2004 R&B hit "I Don't Wanna Know" — which itself samples Enya's wordless vocalizing in her 1987 song "Boadicea" — Metro and his team, including Iranian-Canadian the Weeknd manager Amir "Cash" Esmailian, had to get clearance from all three artists in order to release his version of it.
He and the Weeknd both had a relationship with Winans, who ended up contributing background vocals to "Creepin'" and Diddy signed off without issue, but Enya didn't want it to be released under his initial working title, "IDWK."
So, he had her send him a list of names that she was okay with, including "Undecided," "Creepin'," "Don't Come Back to Me," "Better Off That Way" and "Wanna Let You Know."
Metro said the back-and-forth was actually a blessing in disguise.
"'Creepin'' was the one. I was like, 'Fuck, why didn't I think of that?'" Metro said. "It ended up being a blessing because it's the best name for it."
Watch the music video for "Creepin'" f.k.a. "IDWK" with a newfound appreciation below.
Now, the producer has revealed in an interview with Billboard that he almost had to take the song off of the album entirely.
Since it's a reimagining of Mario Winans, Diddy and Enya's 2004 R&B hit "I Don't Wanna Know" — which itself samples Enya's wordless vocalizing in her 1987 song "Boadicea" — Metro and his team, including Iranian-Canadian the Weeknd manager Amir "Cash" Esmailian, had to get clearance from all three artists in order to release his version of it.
He and the Weeknd both had a relationship with Winans, who ended up contributing background vocals to "Creepin'" and Diddy signed off without issue, but Enya didn't want it to be released under his initial working title, "IDWK."
So, he had her send him a list of names that she was okay with, including "Undecided," "Creepin'," "Don't Come Back to Me," "Better Off That Way" and "Wanna Let You Know."
Metro said the back-and-forth was actually a blessing in disguise.
"'Creepin'' was the one. I was like, 'Fuck, why didn't I think of that?'" Metro said. "It ended up being a blessing because it's the best name for it."
Watch the music video for "Creepin'" f.k.a. "IDWK" with a newfound appreciation below.
